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 providing a profile of at least one expert account for counseling linked to a channel of a second user to a terminal of a first user, identifying an initiation condition for a counseling ticket for counseling with a first expert account, creating a counseling ticket to be allocated to the first expert account, and transmitting counseling content through a chat room for counseling of the channel in which the first expert account and an account of the first user participate.