Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice (1/2) Flashcards
Counseling
a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, career goals
Counseling
the application of mental health, psychological or human development principles, through cognitive, affective, behavioral, or systemic interventions, strategies that address wellness, personal growth, or career development, as well as pathology
Wilhelm Wundt
established first psychological labratory
Jesse Davis
pioneer of vocational guidance counseling in schools
Current trend - upheaval in the profession
Professional issue relating to CACREP
- a significant professional issue includes the role, values, influence being exert by CACREP
- Because counseling profession (ACA) is seeking to be more unified and recognized within and outside the profession, it is focusing on CACREP as a unifying force
- As a result, outside constituencies (academic institutions, state licensure authorities, and hiring bodies are moving to include or require CACREP program graduation as a requirement for admission or eligibility
The dilemma is relating to the thousands of professional counselors who did not graduate from CACREP program
Current trend - upheaval in the profession
Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC)
a new accrediting body for psych/counseling programs not covered by the APA/CACREP
the mission is to accredit academic programs in psych/counseling, which promote training in the scientific practice of professional psychology and counseling at the master’s level
- over 55 master’s programs are now accredited by MPCAC
Disaster mental health
a number of events, circumstances, natural phenomena are leading to an increased focus of the profession on disaster, trauma, crisis counseling
- natural disasters, wars, conflicts, terrorism, other traumatic events require particular diagnostic skills and treatment interventions
- CACREP has standards for disaster, trauma, crisis counseling
Scope of counseling practice
is dynamic as changing state laws/professions exert influence on the profession
Social justice counseling
addresses issues of unequal power, unearned privilege/oppression, seeks greater balance of power and resources in society
- to better empower clients, advocacy competencies for counselors has been identified by ACA
Mind-body connections and implications
there is a need for counselors to understand relationships between body functions, nutrition, meds/drugs, and mental states and behavior
- much behavior may be rooted in biological and brain functions which cannot be overlooked to ensure proper diagnoses and counseling approaches
Distance and technology in providing counseling
distance counseling and various social media is increasing
- variety of social media may be used as an adjunct to building and maintaining a counseling relationship
- great potential to benefit or harm clients
- there are guidelines in ACA
Conversion therapy
a set of practices that intend to change a person’s sexuality/gender identity to fit cisgender/heterosexual expectations
- usually religiously motivated
- over 12 states have a ban outlawing this for people under 18 YO
Impact of COVID on profession
Impact on home and family
more time for family at home = may build stronger relationships between parents/children
May be more stress/conflict between/among family:
- little physical separation may be possible
- assisting children in remote school activities; regulating screen time; accommodating kids’ demands for attention
- parental stress about financial situation in regard to work/living expenses/food insecurity
Impact of COVID on profession
Impact on medical professionals and care givers
- nurses/medical techs more than physicians may experience anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, sleep disturbance, vicarious traumatization
- need for time away from work, therapy
- early retirements/profession changes
Impact of COVID on profession
Impact on counseling profession
- counselor training must change to meet new demands of changed world
- work must be integrated with other physical/behavioral health care providers
- profession must begin or expand the use of technology to serve clients
- provide clients via telehealth
- counselors must continue to address social justice and inequities which are found across cultures, races, genders, etc.
Value conflicts between counselor/client
Counselor education students
Two grad students (Eastern Michigan University, Augusta State University) refused to counsel clients because their personal values conflicted with clients values regarding LGBT
- they were in the wrong, schools were right in dismissing them bc of ACA ethics
Value conflicts between counselor/client
Tennessee
Tennessee passed law in 2016 that allowed counselors to refuse any client because the counselor’s sincerely held principles were in conflict with the client
- this violates the code of ethics
Portability
Issues of portability
- states may have different educational requirements
- titles of LPCs differ
- different licensure exams are used
- scope of practice may be different
Portability
Portability
ability of professional counselor who is licensed in one state to become licensed in another
- currently no easy transition
- must meet requirements of the new state
- licensure is controlled by the state legislators
Portability
ACA approved aspirational portability model in 2016
encourages states to permit portability if there are no disciplinary issues with the counselor
- state level exam may be administered
Portability
Portability Task Force
American Association of State Counseling Boards, Association for Counselor Education adn Supervision, American Mental Health Counselors Association, National Board for Certified Counselors created this
- must be licensed in one state, 3 years of work experience, and any required jurisprudence exam… then to move to another state, Must do ONE:
- meet all academic, exam, and experience required by the new state
- is National Certified Counselor
- has graduate degree from CACREP program
National Center for Interstate Compacts (NCIC)
may develop and adopt a compact regarding professional counseling
would identify criteria for such counselors and would need to be accepted by a minimum of 10 states
- covered counselors could practice within those states’ boundaries or provide distant telehealth to clients in those states
- counselors could advocate for adoption of compact with their state staff and elected officials
Profession
vocational activity with underlying body of theoretical and reserach knowledge, and a publicly professed, self-imposed set of behavioral guidelines
Accreditation
a process through which public recognition is granted to a college or university or specialized program of study which meets certain established qualifications or standards