Human Freedom and The Counselor

The nature and the source of human freedom have prompted considerable discourse and controversy among behavioral scientists and practitioners. Some believe that man's behavior results from a series of free choices while others contend that all behavior is determined and is therefore not free. This apparent dilemma often leads to the erroneous conclusion that we must either see man as determined and treat personal experiences of freedom as illusory, or preserve the existential experience of being free by denying prior causes for behavior. But there is no essential inconsistency in viewing all behavior as caused while also accepting and valuing the existential experience of being free. Counselors who acknowledge the causes of free experiences are in a position to establish the conditions necessary for such experiences for their clients.