After you become a counselor, is it helpful to start working at a religious center if you are religious?

As you learn about counseling in your graduate program, you will be able to get a better sense of the types of counseling jobs that will be available and appealing to you. You will also to be able complete internships with one or more counseling types/jobs. I personally work in high school counseling and I find my job to be very fulfilling working with students getting ready for the real world of college and or careers. I'm also able to help them with emotional issues as well.
Again, as you take more courses in counseling, it will become more evident to you "which" type of counseling you will be geared toward.
Hope this helps!

Once you get your credentials as a counselor you could volunteer to work with the people in your church, but I don't know if there would be many paying opportunities there. Only you would know that for sure. But you shouldn't limit your experience to just the people in your church and who have the same beliefs as you do. There are many people out there - many of whom have no religion at all - who also need the help of a good and caring counselor. I think you could do some great work with the public in general. Also, I don't know what you mean that you would be able to learn more about your religion by working with the members of your church. I'm assuming you're a Christian, so much of your counseling would involve applying Christian principles in helping people who also are Christians. Church members have problems that people in the secular world do, such issues as drug and alcohol addiction, family conflicts, infidelity, etc., etc. So you must be prepared to deal with those. If you think you'll have an easy route because you would be dealing with people who believe as you do, you should think again.