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The American Counseling Association (ACA) defines counseling as “a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.”

The APA dictionary defines a counselor as “an individual professionally trained in counseling, psychology, social work, or nursing who specializes in one or more counseling areas, such as vocational, rehabilitation, educational, substance abuse, marriage, relationship, or family counseling. A counselor provides professional evaluations, information, and suggestions designed to enhance the client’s ability to solve problems, make decisions, and effect desired changes in attitude and behavior.”

Counseling has a critical role in enhancing a person’s mental and emotional health and well-being by providing guidance and support in managing stressors. Counseling offers a safe space for self-exploration, and helps teach emotional and behavioral regulation. The purpose of counseling extends to many areas such as stress management, relationship repair, trauma recovery, and many more avenues.

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Modern counseling originated in a career and vocational guidance realm, initially led by Frank Parson, who was known as the “the father of the guidance movement”. Parsons established the first career center in Boston in 1909. Another early pioneer of counseling was Jesse Davis, who was a high school principal instrumental in bringing guidance counseling into public schools. The Smith-Hughes Act in 1917 gave funding to schools to provide guidance services. Mid-century (1943) Carl Rogers was a major contributor to the counseling profession. His book ‘Counseling and Psychotherapy’ revolutionized the industry. The Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1954 and the Community Mental Health Centers Act of 1963 were both important factors in the growth of counseling. Historically, psychologists were a group that largely opposed the credentialing and licensure of counselors. The psychologist groups sought to restrict the practice of counselors so that counselors would not be able to receive third-party payments from insurance or managed care companies. This trend was the impetus for counselor licensing.

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The ACA Code of Ethics was originally published in 1961. It is revised every 10 years, and some significant updates were made in 2014. It contains guidelines regarding professional responsibilities, client relationships, confidentiality, supervision, and more. The ACA Code of Ethics has 6 core principles: autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, fidelity, and veracity.

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The National Board for Certified Counselors was created in 1982 and the code of ethics was included at that time. It provides counselors with a framework for their behavior, decision-making, and practice. The NBCC has an ‘Ethics Committee” that investigates complaints.  The key ethical principles are respect for clients, integrity, confidentiality, and competence. It includes a framework for ethical decision-making.

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While confidentiality is a crucial facet of the counseling relationship, there are circumstances where normal standards do not apply. These include if the client is a risk to themselves or others, a victim or perpetrator of child or elder abuse, in cases of court orders and subpoenas, and if a client gives written consent for disclosure of information.

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The ACA Code of Ethics section A.2 define the expectations of informed consent for counselors. The opening paragraph states "Clients have the freedom to choose whether to enter into or remain in a counseling relationship and need adequate information about the counseling process and the counselor. Counselors have an obligation to review in writing and verbally with clients the rights and responsibilities of both counselors and clients. Informed consent is an ongoing part of the counseling process, and counselors appropriately document discussions of informed consent throughout the counseling relationship."

Counselors must inform clients about elements such as the purpose, goals, techniques, risks/benefits of counseling, the counselor’s credentials and experience, practical information about billing and office policies, what will happen if the counselor is incapacitated, how technology will be used, and any other pieces of pertinent information.

Counselors must communicate in a manner that is developmentally and culturally appropriate, striving to be clear in all communication. Counselors should involved translators when language barriers are known.

Regarding minors or incapacitated clients, the ACA suggests the following: “When counseling minors, incapacitated adults, or other persons unable to give voluntary consent, counselors seek the assent of clients to services and include them in decision making as appropriate. Counselors recognize the need to balance the ethical rights of clients to make choices, their capacity to give consent or assent to receive services, and parental or familial legal rights and responsibilities to protect these clients and make decisions on their behalf.”

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Mental Health Intake Assessment and Informed Consent

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Are you in search of professional counseling organizations, or questioning if you should even join one at all?

Consider this: When English poet John Donne first coined the well-known phrase "No man is an island," he was expressing the idea that people need to be a part of a community in order to thrive. This phrase holds particularly true for professional counselors. Unless counselors remain actively engaged throughout their careers with other people, ideas and experiences within the counseling profession, they may find themselves quickly out of touch with advances in knowledge practice and the profession itself that occur over time.

One of the best ways for counselors to stay abreast of changes and advances in the counseling profession is through active engagement in professional counseling organizations. Membership and/or other types of involvement in professional organizations help to ensure that practicing counselors have regular exposure to the latest research and clinical innovation and regular opportunities to share their own successes and challenges with professional colleagues. Membership and engagement in professional organizations also allows counselors who wish to assume a leadership role in the counseling profession to do so by taking on leadership positions within their chosen organizations. Professional organizations often serve as the voice of the counseling profession on regulatory and legislative issues, and they have had a major role in shaping the profession into what it has become today.

There are numerous professional organizations available to professional counselors at the national and state levels and a growing number at the international level. Few counselors will choose to engage in all of these professional organizations; rather, most will opt to become involved with those organizations that seem to have most relevance to their professional interests. The first step in choosing one or more professional counseling organizations to become involved with is knowing what organizations are out there. This blog will identify 10 professional counseling organizations that may have particular relevance for a broad range of professional counselors and others who are considering a career in the counseling field.

The American Counseling Association is a not-for-profit professional and educational organization dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession on a national scale. Founded in 1952, ACA is the world's largest association exclusively representing professional counselors in various practice settings. Its publication, The Journal of Counseling and Development, is considered to be the premiere professional journal in the counseling field. Additionally, membership in ACA provides counselors with such benefits as free continuing education credits, updates on legislation affecting counseling, and access to current research and practice innovation through training programs, scholarly and practice publications, as well as an annual national conference. Additionally, ACA membership dues support ongoing legislative lobbying efforts on behalf of professional counselors. Members of ACA may choose to affiliate with one or more of 18 divisions within ACA that provide a home for counselors with interests in specific counseling specializations. The various divisions of ACA often sponsor their own conferences, publications and other activities to support their membership. Read more about ACA.

The National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc., an independent not-for-profit credentialing body for counselors, was incorporated in 1982 to establish and monitor a national counselor certification system; to identify those counselors who have voluntarily sought and obtained certification; and to maintain a register of those counselors. The NBCC's certification program recognizes counselors who have met predetermined standards in their training, experience and performance on the National Counselor Examination (NCE). Students who attend CACREP-accredited programs are eligible to take the NCE and/or the National Clinical Mental Health Counselors Examination (NCMHCE) in their final semester and, if they pass, will become a National Certified Counselor (NCC) upon graduation. Read more about NBCC.

CACREP was established in 1981 and is an accrediting body reviewing and evaluating graduate educational programs in counseling. CACREP accreditation signifies that the curricula and instructional methods in a counselor education program adhere to a rigorous set of national standards for excellence. More and more employers and doctoral programs are giving preference to candidates graduating from CACREP-accredited programs. Research shows CACREP graduates perform better on the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE), and in some states, graduating from a CACREP program can streamline the professional licensure process. Read more about CACREP.

The American Mental Health Counselors Association defines itself as the only professional organization dedicated solely to the work of clinical mental health counselors. Similar to the American Counseling Association, AMHCA provides support services for clinical mental health counselors in the forms of advocacy, research, standards for ethical practice and continuing education. AMHCA publishes The Journal of Mental Health Counseling, which is a highly regarded professional journal by counselors and counseling educators alike. Each year AMHCA sponsors a national conference providing a venue for collaboration and training for mental health counselors from around the nation.

The American School Counselors Association defines its mission as one of expanding the influence of school counselors through advocacy, leadership, collaboration and systemic change. Dedicated to the school counseling specialization, ASCA has worked to support school counselors through such means as developing standards for school counseling practice, sponsoring professional development opportunities including an annual national conference, and promoting and publishing research in its Professional School Counseling journal. The ASCA National Model has become the gold standard as a framework for the delivery of school counseling services. The organization is also involved in the promotion of national and state legislation that will support and enhance the work of school counselors. Read more about ASCA.

Chi Sigma Iota is a counseling honorary society that is open to counseling students who have maintained a 3.5 average or better in their graduate program. Its mission is to promote scholarship, research, professionalism, leadership, advocacy and excellence in professional counseling. Society chapters are active in providing opportunities for professional and social gatherings as well as engaging in activities that promote professionalism among counselors. Members of Chi Sigma Iota also have the opportunity to be involved in activities at the national level. Read more about Chi Sigma Iota.

The National Association for Addiction Professionals was founded in 1972 and was formerly known as the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC). The organization changed its name in 1982 to the National Association for Addictions Professionals to more accurately reflect the increasing variety of addiction services professionals, including counselors, administrators, social workers and others who are active in addiction counseling, prevention, intervention, treatment, education and research. NAADAC reports its mission to be supporting the work of addiction counselors, educators and other addiction-focused healthcare professionals in the U.S. and Canada who specialize in addiction prevention, treatment, recovery support and education. Its services to members include research, training, legislative advocacy, and an annual international conference. Read more about NAADAC.

In addition to the national counseling organizations, counselors may also want to consider joining their state counseling organizations. Since counseling regulations and licensure differ from state to state, membership in state counseling organizations helps counselors in each state to be aware of their state's unique needs for counseling services as well as the laws and regulations that govern their state's counseling practice. Like the American Counseling Association, many state counseling organizations have multiple divisions for those with specialized interests such as career counseling, family counseling, college counseling, etc. Many also have annual conferences that enable counselors from across the state to come together for collegial interaction and training. Those interested in joining their state's counseling organizations should look online for their organization's contact information.

Founded in 1987, the International Family Therapy Association provides international conferences to promote, strengthen and improve the quality of family therapy and the quality of relationships within families. IFTA promotes continuing education in the development of quality standards for marriage and family therapy in order that family therapists may better assist families in the communities that they serve. Members of IFTA receive a subscription to the Journal of Family Psychotherapy, an International Connection newsletter providing updates about the organization and additional articles written by members worldwide, a Research E-News Forum sent quarterly highlighting research in marriage and family therapy, and an annual world conference. Read more about IFTA.

The International Registry of Counselor Education Programs was developed by CACREP to respond to a growing interest in counselor education around the world. IRCEP defines its mission as advancing quality assurance in counselor education and training worldwide through the creation of standards that reflect the needs of diverse societies and cultures. As an international quality assurance agency, IRCEP has strived to ensure excellence in counselor preparation globally by creating a registry of international programs that have met culturally sensitive but rigorous training standards. Through IRCEP, students outside the United States can find a quality counselor education program to attend in their own region or country. U.S.-based students may use the registry to identify a program for studying abroad or for collaboration in research or service. Read more about IRCEP.

Many areas of the country also have regional and local counseling organizations through which counselors can connect regularly with other counseling professionals in their area without significant travel and financial cost. Those organizations can usually be found by a simple Google search or by talking to practicing counselors in your area. In closing, it is safe to say that there is an appropriate professional organization out there for every professional counselor. The most important thing is not which professional organization(s) a counselor chooses; rather, that all professional counselors choose to become involved in some professional organization(s) in order to stay actively and currently connected to a rapidly growing and changing counseling profession.

If you'd like to expand your skill set, knowledge and professional network, consider how a CACREP-accredited Online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Counseling from William & Mary, a renowned "Public Ivy" institution, can help you achieve your personal and professional goals. Explore the robust curriculum, including paths in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Military and Veterans Counseling and School Counseling.

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10 Professional Counseling Organizations Every Counselor Should Know About

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Looking for support or more information in your counseling career? Discover 10 professional counseling organizations you should know about.

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Supervision models can include developmental models, the most well-known of which are Stoltenberg’s Integrated Developmental Model, Bernard’s Discrimination Model, and Haley’s Systems Model. Supervisory models can also utilize psychodynamic or cognitive behavioral theories.

The supervisor provides clinical support and mentoring. They review client cases, assist in treatment planning, and offer feedback. The supervisor helps the counselor associate improve therapeutic skills to assure quality care.

Supervisors ensure ethical and professional standards are maintained regarding overall conduct, boundaries, confidentiality, and record keeping.

Supervisors support and model ongoing personal and professional development, and assist associates in setting goals for continuing education.

The supervisor provides quality feedback and evaluation while identifying strengths and challenges.

The supervisor promotes self-awareness and encourages associates to think critically and constructively.

The supervisor is ultimately responsible for making sure that the associate provides ethical and appropriate care.

Supervisors manage supervisor/associate boundaries appropriately.

Supervisors serve as gatekeepers for the profession by continually assessing competence, ensuring ethical decision making, and identifying areas for improvement.

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Strategies for Integrating Trauma-Informed Supervision into Clinical SupervisionFebruary 18, 2022 - 1 to 2 pm ESTLearn More Welcome To Aces The Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) is the premier organization dedicated to quality education and supervision of counselors in all work settings. Learn About ACES Explore ACES Conference HighlightsExplore highlights from the 2021...

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Professional counseling can be practiced in many settings. These can include community or state agencies, schools or colleges, private practice, vocational rehabilitation centers, hospitals, substance abuse recovery centers, and many more.

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Section C of the ACA Code of Ethics defines the suggested standards for continuing education, stated as "Counselors recognize the need for continuing education to acquire and maintain a reasonable level of awareness of current scientific and professional information in their fields of activity. Counselors maintain their competence in the skills they use, are open to new procedures, and remain informed regarding best practices for working with diverse populations (American Counseling Association, 2014).

The ACA Code of Ethics also states that "In addition, counselors engage in self-care activities to maintain and promote their own emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being to best meet their professional responsibilities (American Counseling Association, 2014).

A recent article discusses the need for mental health clinicians to take care of themselves, and states it beautifully in the following excerpt- “Self-care is not a luxury but is a clinical and ethical imperative in the mental health professions and so it is important to understand the potential effectiveness of various forms of self-care practice (Posluns & Gall, 2020).

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Laws and regulation pertaining to professional counseling vary among the states, but there are several facets that are universal for counselors regardless of location. The first common area are licensure laws- all of the states require an individual to be licensed as a professional counselor. These laws stipulate the required experience, education, and examination processes. The next area is 'scope of practice' regulations- LPCs are universally unable to prescribe medications and are expected to refer clients out for those services. Scope of practice varies among the states. Confidentiality and privacy laws are critical to be aware of and with which the counselor should be well versed. These include HIPAA laws and state-level privacy laws. All counselors are considered mandatory reporters regarding child, disabled, or elder abuse and neglect along with having a 'duty to warn'. Ethical standards and code of conduct are common to all counselors via the ACA and NBCC. All professional counselors must earn continuing education credits, though requirements vary from state to state. All counselors also must adhere to marketing and advertising laws and regulations.

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Tarasoff Warnings: What is Duty to Warn? - NCE & CPCE Study Guide

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In the realm of the NCE, 'scope of practice' generally refers to the concept that counselors should only use techniques in which they are trained, similar to the definition of competence. State laws can mandate that a counselor discloses his or her scope of practice to clients.

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The ACA endorses a set of parameters in relation to multicultural competence that include the four domains listed below:

1. Counselor self-awareness

2. Client worldview

3. Counseling relationship

4. Counseling and advocacy interventions

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Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies: Practical applications in counseling

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During the past three decades, counseling scholars and practitioners have argued that multicultural competence is a central concern to working effectively with diverse clients and to providing culturally responsive counseling environments.

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Ethical Issues in Multicultural Counseling

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Ethical Issues in Multicultural Counseling

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Some ethical considerations to be mindful of when counseling can include issues with competence based on a lack of knowledge, imposing personal beliefs or values, language or communication barriers, lack of awareness of personal bias, equity in access to services, and a lack of knowledge of culturally appropriate treatment modalities.

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Understanding the Importance of Multicultural Counseling

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Section A.5 of the ACA Code of Ethics addresses issues related to dual relationships. In summary, the areas addressed are below:

Avoid Harm: Counselors should avoid dual relationships that could impair their objectivity or cause harm to the client.

Informed Consent: Counselors must discuss any potential dual relationships with clients and ensure they are fully informed.

Professional Boundaries: Counselors need to establish clear boundaries in dual relationships and take steps to manage any conflicts that arise.

Exploitation Prevention: Counselors must avoid any form of exploitation or personal gain from the counseling relationship.

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  Competence:

Counselors should only provide services only within their area of competence.

Competence generally indicates specific training, supervision, and experience in a specialty area

Ongoing professional development and training are critical.

Counselors should seek supervision or consultation when needed.

Referral to another professional may be necessary if the counselor is not competent in a certain area.

  Self-Awareness:

Counselors must recognize how their personal values, biases, and emotional states affect their professional work.

Self-reflection and ongoing self-awareness practices are crucial to ethical and competent counseling.

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Termination:

Counselors should terminate the counseling relationship when it is no longer beneficial to the client or when the counselor is unable to provide appropriate care for the client

Termination should be client-centered and involve the client

Involuntary termination may occur in certain situations (non-payment, chronically missing appointment, etc)

The counselor should make appropriate referrals if they lack the training to meet the client’s needs

Referral:

Counselors should refer clients to appropriate professionals who can meet the client’s needs when the counselor is not competent to provide the necessary services.

Informed consent should be obtained from the client before making a referral, ensuring that the client understands the reasons for the referral and is comfortable with it.

Counselors should provide ongoing support during the referral process to ensure the client receives appropriate care.

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Advocacy for the profession of counseling is of paramount importance and involves taking purposeful action to promote the profession, with a focus on alleviating barriers to a counselor’s ability to provide services. Some examples include the issue of parity (being paid/reimbursed at the same rate as other mental health professionals with similar training), public recognition of the work counselors do, accurate representation of the field of counseling, and employment opportunities. Advocacy can take place at the local, state, and national level (ACA Advocacy Task Force, 2020).

Some frequently encountered barriers to mental health services include issues with Medicare/Medicaid, inadequate funding for school counselors, a lack of public knowledge about the counseling professions, a lack of licensure portability, and the rising cost of graduate education.

Entities that are actively involved in advocacy for the counseling profession are the ACA, the NBCC, state organizations and branches, and Chi Sigma Iota (ACA Advocacy Task Force, 2020).

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The ACA suggests a flowchart of actions when considering an ethical dilemma. The steps are illustrated in this graphic, and explained in more detail below in the actual document.

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The most common ethical issues encountered by counselors involve breaches of confidentiality, and dual relationships.

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Burnout is defined as a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by chronic, excessive, or prolonged stress. Compassion fatigue is similar, but defined as a state of emotional and physical exhaustion based on chronic or prolonged exposure to trauma and suffering in others (secondary trauma). To differentiate, compassion fatigue specifically arises from exposure to client suffering, while burnout can have varying causes. There are several known risk factors for both, including a personal history of trauma, a lack of coping mechanisms or self-care, a high level of emotional involvement with clients, and an overly demanding workload and/or unrealistic expectations or a lack of support in the workplace.

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Example Case Studies with Practice Questions

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Example Case Studies with Practice Questions