Provided are a method and apparatus for providing a counseling service. A method of operating a counseling center server interworking with an instant messaging service includes activating a connection with a chatbot server linked to a channel in a chat room, calling a chatbot block corresponding to a specific task included in the chatbot server through the chat room, transmitting a message received from a terminal of a user connected to the chat room to the chatbot server as an input of the chatbot block, and transmitting an output of the chatbot block in response to the message received from the chatbot server to the terminal of the user.