Is the Best Practices Movement Consistent With the Values of the Counseling Profession? A Critical Analysis of Best Practices Ideology

The counseling profession has increasingly embraced a medicalized vision of counseling processes. The latest manifestation of this vision is the best practices (BP) movement. This movement is critically examined to determine if it is consistent with the traditional values of the counseling profession. The author concludes that BP ideology is inconsistent with the value the counseling profession has traditionally placed on the counseling relationship and diversity.     

Technology of Counseling and the Science of Behavior: A Rapprochement

Analysis reveals that as the profession of counseling has increasingly been defined by the solitary practice of counseling, it has narrowed its vision and mission. Misdirected specialization has resulted in a highly skilled technology with a primary emphasis on the method(s) of counseling. In turn, this specialization has restricted the focus of counseling to areas amenable to that technology. Part of the diminution of counseling perspective is the result of a distancing of the counseling profession from the social and behavioral sciences, the humanities, and philosophy. The article presents examples from the social and behavioral sciences to demonstrate how their contributions could strengthen the profession and practice of counseling.     

Transforming a Past into a Future: Counseling Psychology in South Africa

Cet article décrit une analyse SWOT de la profession de psychologue du counseling en Afrique du Sud. Deux sources d'information constituent la base de cette investigation: une revue de la littérature sur la profession et l'analyse thématique d'une enquête réalisée auprès de psychologues du counseling pratiquants ou en formation. Il apparaît que cette profession cherche à se constituer une identité pertinente qui serait en prise avec les problèmes spécifiques relevant de l'histoire sociopolitique et socioéconomique de l'Afrique du Sud. On envisage différentes pistes esquissant une vision d'avenir de la profession aussi bien dans un contexte national qu'international.
This article describes a SWOT analysis of the counseling psychology profession in South Africa. Two sources of information formed the basis for the analysis: An examination of the literature on the profession and a content theming of a survey conducted with practising counseling psychologists and those in training. The analysis suggests that the counseling profession is struggling to establish a relevant identity that will address the inherent problems created by South Africa's sociopolitical and socioeconomic history. Several suggestions are made for creating a future vision for the profession within both a national and an international context.     

Cognitive Complexity Among Practicing Counselors: How Thinking Changes with Experience

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether years of experience in the counseling profession can help predict levels of cognitive complexity among practicing counselors. Results of a regression equation found that counselors with more years in the counseling profession had higher levels of cognitive complexity, with highest degree obtained in the counseling profession also contributing to the prediction equation. Years as a practicing counselor, age, gender, and race did not contribute significantly to the equation.     

Examining Spirituality and Sense of Calling in Counseling Students

This study explored the link between counseling students’ spiritual well‐being and sense of calling to the profession. A final sample of 415 counseling students demonstrated significant spiritual well‐being (religious and existential) and a strong sense of calling to the counseling profession. Results also indicated that spiritual well‐being was predictive of students’ sense of calling to the profession. Implications for counselor training are discussed.     

Consequences of the Postmodernist Vision: Diversity as the Guiding Value for the Counseling Profession

The counseling profession has strongly identified with the multicultural movement. Nevertheless, postmodernism, which is the ideological foundation of multiculturalism, has had relatively little impact on other segments of the profession. The author argues that many realms of the counseling profession are locked within modernism and could be significantly enriched by a foundational shift to postmodernism. Two of these realms, professional identity issues and the helping relationship, are elaborated, and conclusions for counseling practice are discussed.     

The Counseling Profession in Russia: Historical Roots,Current Trends,and Future Perspectives

Psychology was established in Russia before the Communist era. The social work profession was created in 1991 for a society in turmoil after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 2011, the counseling profession officially emerged as a branch of social work called social psychological help. Professional counseling associations are in the formative stage. Concern about mental health issues, particularly substance abuse, suggests that the counseling profession could continue to grow in Russia.     

Counseling in Iran: History,Current Status,and Future Trends

As a growing profession, counseling in Iran was first established within the Iranian educational system. Counselors in Iran have provided mental health services during natural disasters and war. The counseling profession in Iran currently faces challenges in addressing the needs of women; ethnic minorities; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals. In this article, the authors focus on the historical background, current trends, and future challenges of the counseling profession in Iran.     

Counselors in Private Practice: A Survey Report

A questionnaire was mailed to every marriage counselor, child guidance specialist, and psychologist listed in the yellow pages of Florida telephone directories. The replies were used to describe the profession of private practice counseling. Sixty-seven percent of the sample replied. It was found that several professions offer counseling as a service, but there is not yet an established profession of private practice counseling.     

Inner Subjective Experiences and Social Constructionism: A Response to Rudes and Guterman (2007)

In an earlier article, the author argued that there had been a devaluation of inner subjective experiences by the counseling profession over the last several decades (J. T. Hansen, 2005). In their reply to this article, J. Rudes and J. T. Guterman (2007) advocated for a social constructionist position for the counseling profession. In the current article, 2 fundamental premises that are inherent in the reply of J. Rudes and J. T. Guterman are examined. Disagreements with 1 of these premises are elaborated, and implications for the counseling profession are discussed.     

The Value of Social Constructionism for the Counseling Profession: A Reply to Hansen

The authors reply to J. T. Hansen's (2005) call for the profession to revalue the inner subjective experiences (ISE) of clients. Hansen argued that social constructionism has influenced the decline of the counseling profession by obscuring its unique focus on ISE. The authors maintain that social constructionism is a useful framework for counseling, and they articulate a social constructionist position for counseling. Hansen's reasons for arguing that ISE must be revalued are discussed along with future directions for social constructionism and counseling.     

The Effect of Honduran Counseling Practices on the North American Counseling Profession: The Power of Poverty

A team of researchers consisting of counselor education professors and doctoral‐level counseling students conducted interviews with Honduran mental health professionals, including counselors, psychologists, pastors, community developmental specialists, and psychiatrists. The purpose was to understand the counseling process and profession that exists in a developing economy. The results are focused on the pervasive effects of poverty on the profession, the training of counselors, and the nature of counseling interventions.     

A Proposed Alternative to the Licensing of Specialties in Counseling

Counseling specialties are a natural result of a complex field. Regulation of the counseling profession has been sought and accomplished in most states. Whether the public is protected best by state regulation of the practice of counseling specialties is a question facing the profession. An alternative to governmental regulation of specialties is offered.     

Unified Ethical Standards: A Challenge for Professionalism

Multiple codes of ethics exist for counseling professionals. This situation creates confusion for consumers and professionals and is counterproductive to the efforts of counseling to establish itself as a true profession. This article describes the relationships among ethics documents of the American Counseling Association and its divisions, national voluntary certification boards, state licensure boards, and counseling specialties; discusses problems inherent in having multiple codes; and suggests actions that might be taken toward the establishment of a single, generally accepted code that would support the goal of becoming a unified profession.     

Liberation Psychology as the Path Toward Healing Cultural Soul Wounds

Oppression resulting in soul wounding has afflicted indigenous communities and the counseling profession. Internalized oppression has become part of oppressive practices inflicted on communities served. The authors delineate a liberation psychology that leads toward the psychological and spiritual emancipation of individual clients, communities, and the counseling profession.     

Counseling Psychology in China

Bien que le counseling et la psychothérapie soient pratiqués en Chine depuis bientôt deux décades, la psychologie du counseling n'a pas émergé comme profession ou discipline. Dans cet article, les auteurs utilisent la méthode SWOT pour analyser le développement de la psychologie du counseling en Chine. Les forces, les faiblesses, les opportunités et les menaces quant au développement d'une psychologie du counseling sont circonscrites ainsi que les directions futures.
Although counseling and psychotherapy have been practiced in China for almost two decades, counseling psychology has not emerged as a profession or discipline. In this article, the authors used the SWOT method to analyse the development of counseling psychology in China. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats were traced, and future directions for the development of counseling psychology in China were considered.     

George Gazda: Steps Ahead of the Group

Dr. George Gazda has been and remains a pioneer in the counseling profession. During the past several decades, he has been instrumental in several movements and has influenced the direction of the field of counseling. His leadership in bringing group counseling to the respected status it holds today is a remarkable feat. The development of the comprehensive and practical “Life Skills Model” has influenced the way many counselors work with clients. In this brief interview, he talks of the significant people in his professional development, and some of the many people he has touched speak to his caring and commitment to his chosen profession. This short synopsis of Dr. Gazda's career hardly does justice to his many contributions. He is indeed a remarkable professional and person. The counseling profession, in may ways, owes him considerable credit for where we are today and for where we may strive in the future. His dreams provide a true vision for the rest of us.     

Professional Counseling in Nigeria: Past,Present, and Future

The events that circumscribed the parameters of today's counseling in Nigeria are many and varied regarding their influence in shaping the development of the profession in the country. The authors review these events and the current status of counseling in Nigeria, including the challenges faced in the profession. Future trends and suggestions for strengthening the profession are emphasized.     

Advancing access to Medicare-funded mental health treatment during the opioid epidemic: A counselor advocacy analysis

Although advocacy is a priority for counseling professionals, little is known about counseling advocates’ participation in the legislative advocacy process. Recent legislation to address the opioid crisis allowed counseling advocates to provide public comments to advance counselor inclusion in the Medicare program. A thematic analysis of 548 public comments provided on behalf of the counseling profession yielded four categories: advocacy on behalf of (1) the proposed rule change; (2) broader Medicare inclusion; (3) the proposed rule change with an additional request for broader Medicare reimbursement; and (4) no clear advocacy. Subthemes included increasing access to care, qualifications necessary to provide care, and the urgency of the opioid epidemic, among others. Implications for the counseling profession and counselor advocacy are discussed.