Counseling and the development of responsibility

Growth in counseling means growth in responsibility. Examination of this clinical observation reveals a threefold development. Specifically, the individual becomes more responsible by gaining an increased ability to acknowledge his faults, to exercise his freedom of choice, and to respond to his situation in a fitting way. Each development is an important part of being responsible, but the individual moves toward genuine fulfillment only when he is able to be responsible in the last sense.Dr. Aden is Professor of Pastoral Care at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, 7301 Germantown Road, Philadelphia, PA 19119.