The Values of Counseling: A Disparity Between a Philosophy of Prevention in Counseling and Counselor Practice and Training

The results of a study examining the disparity between counseling's philosophy of primary prevention and actual education and practice are presented. Results indicate that only the belief that society does not demand preventive mental health services provided a meaningful explanation for the disparity. Two paradoxical implications for the field of counseling are offered and discussed within the perspective of virtue ethics.