Counseling

Personal Counseling and Career Counseling

Personal counseling and career counseling share a significant history. Vocational or career counseling started with the work of Frank Parsons and his staff at the Vocation Bureau of Boston in 1908. Parsons would die shortly after the bureau began operations, but not before the term counseling emerged to describe the services provided to clients of

Career Counseling in Colleges and Universities

The process of acquiring knowledge is the essence of higher education. Career decision making is a tangible expression of this process, and since almost half of all college students change majors and even more change career goals while in college, career services for higher education students are crucial to the mission of the institution. Characteristics

Career Counseling in Organizations

Career counseling in today’s work organizations reflects career development’s dynamic history in North American business and industry during the 20th century. A 21st-century prospective on this counseling specialty encompasses the practitioners, the places, and the procedures of career counseling in organizations. 20th-century Foundation Industrial Era The dawn of 20th-century North America witnessed a continued decline

Career Counseling in Schools

Career counseling in schools exists at the intersection of the career education program and the provision of personal counseling. It potentially draws from and contributes to both individual pupils’ career development and individual counseling. Career counseling has been a core activity of the school counseling movement from the time of Frank Parsons, and although its

Career Counseling Process

Career counseling process has been defined as an ongoing, face-to-face interaction between counselor and client with career- or work-related issues as the primary focus. The goal of career counseling is typically to assist individuals in developing self-understanding, articulating direction in their careers, and achieving their potential and discovering their purpose in daily activities. There are

Career Counseling for African Americans

Early in the 21st century there continues to be economic disparities between racial ethnic groups. The latest census indicated that Asian American couples had the highest average annual earnings at about $57,500 per year, followed by Caucasian Americans at roughly $49,000, then Hispanics with $39,241, and finally African Americans at about $30,000 per year. There

Career Counseling for Asian Americans

It has been repeatedly observed that the current literature has limited information on the development and career behaviors of Asian Americans. For example, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are more likely to request information about career issues and are also more likely than other ethnic groups to use college career information centers. Since Asian Americans

Career Counseling for Gay and Lesbian

Gay and lesbian persons refers to men and women, respectively, whose primary sexual attraction is toward people of the same sex. Nonetheless, the word gay is sometimes used as a collective term to include both gay men and lesbian women. Due to negative stereotypes, societal stigma, oppression, and discrimination related to homosexuality and nonconformity to

Career Counseling for Immigrants

For counselors working with immigrants, it is essential to first understand how and why people immigrate to the United States, and what challenges they face once they are here. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that as of March 2005 there were 32.5 million immigrants in the United States, accounting for about 12% of the

Career Counseling for Latinos

Latinos are a diverse group of individuals with ancestry in Spanish-speaking countries in Central and South America as well in the Caribbean. Currently Latinos are the largest ethnic minority group in the United States; government projections estimate that in 2050 almost 25% of the total U.S. population will be Latinos. Career counseling with Latinos requires

Career Counseling for Native Americans

The need for effective career counseling and related research among Native Americans is striking. Census data show that Native Americans have the highest unemployment rates of any minority group with the exception of African American males. Unemployment approaches 50%, and the number of children living below the poverty level exceeds 50% on many reservations. Likewise

Career Counseling Competencies

Career counseling competencies consist of the knowledge, skills, and personal attributes that career counselors need to deliver quality services to clients. Even in so-called developed countries, large portions of the population are not well served by existing approaches to delivering career development services. Articulating career development competencies that are cross-indexed to client services is a

American Counseling Association

The American Counseling Association (ACA) is the world’s largest association exclusively representing professional counselors in all their various practice settings. Founded in 1952 as the American Personnel and Guidance Association (APGA), ACA changed its name to the American Association of Counseling and Development in 1983 and then to its current name, the American Counseling Association

Counseling

The profession of counseling is dynamic, adaptive, and centered on meeting the needs of individuals in their particular environment. The goals of the counseling profession are directed toward assisting individuals to become self-sufficient and capable of managing their problems in efforts to lead productive, fulfilling lives. Moreover, the counseling process provides a therapeutic context to

Career Counseling in Colleges/Universities

The process of acquiring knowledge is the essence of higher education. Career decision making is a tangible expression of this process, and since almost half of all college students change majors and even more change career goals while in college, career services for higher education students are crucial to the mission of the institution. Characteristics

Conferences in Counseling

Conferences in the field of counseling offer students, practitioners, researchers, and scholars opportunities to gather, interact, and learn within a larger and often diverse environment. Individuals with common interests have formed societies and convened in groups for discussion and debate since the time of Socrates. In the field of psychology, the first formal meeting of

Conferences in Counseling Psychology

Counseling psychology was initially recognized by the American Psychological Association (APA) as a distinct discipline of the Division of Counseling Psychology in 1944 (known initially as the Division of Personnel Psychologists). Division 17, now known as the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP), has a membership of over 2500 psychologists. There have been four major conferences

Multicultural Counseling Competence

Multicultural counseling competence—the intentional consideration and utilization of culture to facilitate therapeutic change—has become one of the most critical forces guiding the discipline of counseling psychology. In response to both the diversifying of the population of the United States and the civil rights, women’s rights, and gay and lesbian rights movements of the 1960s and

Bilingual Counseling

Bilingual counseling is defined as therapeutic discourse that accommodates the client’s linguistic characteristics and incorporates bilingual or multilingual factors as vital components of psychological and contextual functioning. Because language and culture are closely embedded, attention to language diversity responds to competent multicultural counseling that includes self-awareness of the counselor, knowledge of bilingual processes, and skills

Communication in Counseling

Communication is difficult to define as it can be understood from a variety of perspectives. Dominic Infante, Andrew Rancer, and Deanna Womack suggest that communication occurs between humans when the meaning of symbols is manipulated to stimulate meaning. From this perspective, communication is important for promoting cooperation. Humans are social in nature and require cooperation

Cross-Cultural Counseling Psychology

Cross-cultural psychology is the study of similarities and differences in individual psychological functioning in various cultural and ethnic groups, as well as the relationships between psychological variables and sociocultural, ecological, and biological variables. Cross-cultural psychology regards culture as essential to psychological functioning, as an integral context for psychological development and behavior. Cross-cultural psychology consists mainly

Multicultural Counseling Competence

Cross-cultural training, also referred to as multicultural counseling competence training, denotes the process of instructing psychologists-in-training to work effectively across cultures in their practice and research activities. The term cross-cultural (or multicultural) has been defined in the counseling psychology literature in two distinct ways. One definition of cross-cultural is broad and inclusive of a wide

Culture and Counseling

Culture consists of implicit and explicit patterns of behavior acquired and transmitted by symbols and their embodiments in artifacts. The essential core of culture consists of traditional (i.e., historically derived and selected) ideas and their attached values. Culture systems may be considered as products of action and conditioning elements of further action. A. L. Kroeber

Machismo in Counseling

Historically, the term machismo is a derivative of the Spanish word macho. Although the term machismo is Mexican in origin, the construct of machismo is an international phenomenon. Macho is a term that describes a male animal or specific types of tools related to husbandry. The term was translated by European Americans to describe a

Marianismo in Counseling

Marianismo is a term first proposed in the literature in the 1970s as a way to describe a set of values and norms associated with being a woman in Latin American culture. It was initially conceptualized as a response to the term machismo, suggesting that marianismo occurs in the context of machismo. Marianismo generally refers

Religion and Counseling

The term religion comes from the Latin religare, which means “to bind together or to express concern.” In modern times, religion has become a visible institution that provides an organizational structure for faith in the divine, sacred, or supernatural. In addition, there frequently are moral codes, ritual practices, worship, and celebrations associated with each religion

Resilience in Counseling

Resilience, or resiliency, is the ability to survive, and thrive from, stressful experiences while building up protective skills to manage future hardship. Psychological resilience involves cognitive, emotional, social, and physical skills. Researchers have identified many factors that facilitate resilience and healthy adaptation to negative events and threats. For example, strong interpersonal social skills foster subsequent

Self-Esteem Counseling

Self-esteem is generally considered to be how individuals evaluate their self-worth and competence. This evaluation can be positive or negative. Having a positive sense of self or good self-esteem is linked to many positive behaviors, such as achievement, initiation, motivation, and good mental health. Not all researchers and clinicians, however, approach the study of the

Spirituality and Counseling

Spirituality, from the Latin spiritus, refers to a sense of, or belief in, something bigger than, beyond, or outside oneself. Individual spirituality is often seen as a connection among oneself, others, and that which is beyond oneself and others. In addition, some scholars have referred to spirituality as a holistic connection with the divine or

Bullying Counseling

Bullying is a problem that threatens the well-being of children and adolescents across the world; estimates are that up to 50% of children are perpetrators or victims. Numerous school shootings recently have been linked to bullying. Bullying has been defined in many ways, and there is some disagreement about what behaviors constitute bullying. The most

Empowerment Counseling

The term empowerment was first used in the mid-17th century. Historically, it has been described as the process of giving power to, or empowering, others. In other words, empowerment may be understood as a way of assisting others to help themselves. In contemporary descriptions of empowerment, the term has become mainstream and well-known, and it

Espiritismo in Counseling

Espiritismo is the belief that problems, conceptualized by Western psychologists as being related to mental health issues, are caused by spirits. These spirits can be forced away from the person through interventions offered by a folk healer, the espiritista. After the spirits leave, the person returns to mental health. The core beliefs of espiritismo were

Familismo in Counseling

Familismo refers to a strong sense of identification with, and loyalty to, nuclear and extended family. It also includes a sense of protection of familial honor, respect, and cooperation among family members. Through these values, individuals place their family’s needs over their own personal desires and choices. Researchers indicate that familismo-related values foster the creation

Fatalism in Counseling

Mental health scholars have long been interested in fatalism. In 1959 Bruce P. Dohrenwend, in an extension of the sociologist Emile Durkheim’s late-19th-century writings, posited that fatalism was a common cause of mental disorder and suicide. Fatalism was thought of as a societal response to excessive regulation and oppressive discipline, in the extreme like that

Gambling Counseling

Gambling has become a major recreational activity in the United States. In the past, legalized gambling was confined to a few states, such as Nevada and New Jersey, but in the past two decades gambling opportunities have expanded. Some form of legalized gambling exists now in all but two states; 37 have lotteries, and 27

Hope Counseling

Human weaknesses such as hopelessness and aggression have often been the focus of psychologists. This attention to weakness has resulted in information on treatments of psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression. However, with the recent emergence of the positive psychology perspective, more focus is being given to studying human strengths. The aim of positive

Family Counseling

Family counseling, a vital domain within the field of psychology, encompasses an array of theoretical frameworks, therapeutic techniques, and ethical considerations. This article delves into the multifaceted landscape of family counseling, commencing with an exploration of its theoretical foundations, encompassing systemic and narrative approaches. It subsequently delves into the practical realm of family counseling, detailing

Mindfulness in Counseling

Mindfulness refers to a meditative practice most commonly associated with Buddhism that dates back to 25 centuries ago as part of the Buddha’s teachings. It has become increasingly popular in the Western world over the past 2 decades. Mindfulness meditation involves the practice of becoming fully aware of the present moment and all that is

Outcomes of Counseling

Counseling and psychotherapy outcomes are the benefits (or harms) that derive for clients (patients or mental healthcare consumers) as a result of their experiences or treatment in therapy or counseling. Although it is generally assumed that therapy is an effective treatment for mental health concerns, this is not always the case. The determination of therapy

Stress Counseling

Stress is an unpleasant state of emotional arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening. It is accompanied by physiological, behavioral, and cognitive changes. Although stress signals danger and thus has a protective function, the experience of chronic stress is a causative factor in physical illness as well as poor

Trait-Factor Counseling

Trait-factor counseling approaches assume that career choice may be facilitated and career outcomes optimized through a fairly straightforward process of matching an individual’s most relevant work-relevant characteristics (abilities, interests, values, etc.) with information regarding job activities, demands, rewards, and availability. The counseling process for this approach typically starts with a client interview, then proceeds to

University Counseling Centers

Universities and colleges have provided counseling services to students for over 80 years. Early on, counseling was often conducted by psychiatrists who worked in student health services. In the 1930s, there was movement for counseling to be conducted by counselors and psychologists who viewed students’ problems from a normative developmental model and were trained in

Crisis Counseling

There are many definitions of what constitutes a crisis sufficient to bring a person to counseling. Richard K. James and Burl E. Gilliland defined a crisis as the perception of an event or situation as intolerable and one that exceeds the immediately available resources and coping mechanisms of the person. Unless the person obtains relief

Developmental Counseling and Therapy

Developmental counseling and therapy (DCT) is a counseling approach developed by Allen Ivey for understanding and helping people. It is based in theories of individual uniqueness, human growth and development, family and environmental systems, wellness, multicultural awareness, counseling and therapy, and change. DCT may be described as an integrative metatheory that incorporates other theories and

Correctional Counseling

The corrections population in the United States comprises inmates in federal and state prisons, territorial prisons, local jails, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities as well as military and juvenile facilities, and this population differs across a multitude of variables compared to nonincarcerated populations. Each of these variables individually and collectively creates challenges in

Forensic Counseling

Forensic Counseling Definition Forensic counseling may be defined as the application of counseling values and philosophy to persons involved in the legal process. In order for this to occur, one of four processes must take place. The first is concerned with the counselor’s intellectual comprehension of criminal behavior, including sexual crimes, spousal abuse, behavioral problems

Counseling the Elderly

The continued growth of the elderly population in society has placed renewed focus on providing older adults with quality mental health care. The aging of the baby boomers in combination with research indicating that psychotherapy is effective with an older population highlights the need for those with expertise in counseling the elderly. Providing therapeutic services

Counseling Definition

Professional counseling is a skilled activity that involves assisting others in managing and resolving psychological, emotional, behavioral, developmental, relational, vocational, and other personal challenges (chronic or acute) in order to facilitate adjustment to changing life circumstances; promote personal growth, needs attainment, and overall wellness throughout the life span; and prevent the development of more serious

Family Counseling

Family counseling may be beneficial when a family member or several members of the family experience difficulties with communication, balancing home and work, the loss of a family member, trauma, divorce conflicts, issues in blended or remarried families, family violence, substance abuse, or behavioral or school problems in children. Family counselors practice in community mental

Genetic Counseling

The profession of genetic counseling, a relative newcomer to the field of counseling, has been on the leading edge of innovation since its inception in the 1970s. Significant advances in medical technology over the past 40 years have led to breakthroughs in genetic testing along with subsequent improvements in the prevention, analysis, and treatment of

Rehabilitation Counseling

Rehabilitation counseling is a process that is designed to assist people with disabilities in accomplishing their goals and in achieving independence and full participation in all aspects of community life. Rehabilitation counseling is also a recognized counseling profession, with a long history and established professional credentialing procedures. It is variously conceptualized as a specialty within

School Counseling

In addition to their typical developmental issues, children and adolescents currently face many challenges to their healthy growth and development. According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), school counselors accept responsibility for helping all children and adolescents make age- or grade- appropriate progress in their personal, social, educational, and career development. School counselors also

Career Counseling in Organizations

Career counseling in today’s work organizations reflects career development’s dynamic history in North American business and industry during the 20th century. A 21st-century prospective on this counseling specialty encompasses the practitioners, the places, and the procedures of career counseling in organizations. 20th-century Foundation Industrial Era The dawn of 20th-century North America witnessed a continued decline

Career Counseling in Schools

Career counseling in schools exists at the intersection of the career education program and the provision of personal counseling. It potentially draws from and contributes to both individual pupils’ career development and individual counseling. Career counseling has been a core activity of the school counseling movement from the time of Frank Parsons, and although its

Career Counseling Process

Career counseling process has been defined as an ongoing, face-to-face interaction between counselor and client with career- or work-related issues as the primary focus. The goal of career counseling is typically to assist individuals in developing self-understanding, articulating direction in their careers, and achieving their potential and discovering their purpose in daily activities. There are

Career Counseling for African Americans

Early in the 21st century there continues to be economic disparities between racial ethnic groups. The latest census indicated that Asian American couples had the highest average annual earnings at about $57,500 per year, followed by Caucasian Americans at roughly $49,000, then Hispanics with $39,241, and finally African Americans at about $30,000 per year. There

Career Counseling for Asian Americans

It has been repeatedly observed that the current literature has limited information on the development and career behaviors of Asian Americans. For example, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are more likely to request information about career issues and are also more likely than other ethnic groups to use college career information centers. Since Asian Americans

Career Counseling for Gay and Lesbian

Gay and lesbian persons refers to men and women, respectively, whose primary sexual attraction is toward people of the same sex. Nonetheless, the word gay is sometimes used as a collective term to include both gay men and lesbian women. Due to negative stereotypes, societal stigma, oppression, and discrimination related to homosexuality and nonconformity to

Career Counseling for Immigrants

For counselors working with immigrants, it is essential to first understand how and why people immigrate to the United States, and what challenges they face once they are here. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that as of March 2005 there were 32.5 million immigrants in the United States, accounting for about 12% of the

Career Counseling for Latinos

Latinos are a diverse group of individuals with ancestry in Spanish-speaking countries in Central and South America as well in the Caribbean. Currently Latinos are the largest ethnic minority group in the United States; government projections estimate that in 2050 almost 25% of the total U.S. population will be Latinos. Career counseling with Latinos requires

Career Counseling for Native Americans

The need for effective career counseling and related research among Native Americans is striking. Census data show that Native Americans have the highest unemployment rates of any minority group with the exception of African American males. Unemployment approaches 50%, and the number of children living below the poverty level exceeds 50% on many reservations. Likewise

Genetic Counseling: A Psychosocial Perspective

This article delves into the multidimensional domain of genetic counseling from a psychosocial perspective, framed within the context of health psychology. The introduction navigates through the definition and historical evolution of genetic counseling, emphasizing its pivotal role in the broader landscape of healthcare. The subsequent sections explore the intricate psychosocial aspects of genetic counseling, elucidating