Introduction to Counseling
Written Assignment # 1

I. What is professional counseling? Discuss the most recent trends in counseling. Professional counseling is a service provided voluntary and confidential with the focus on the developmental, situational problems of individuals of all ages and culture. Professional counselors help individuals to make decisions and resolve conflicts. Counselors provide service on different settings like the workplace, schools, colleges and other places as well. They also provide this service to families, groups or individuals. The most recent trends in counseling are through the internet and counseling in the community. These trends cover different parts of the community like business, career centers, religious organizations, and local neighborhood comprehensive health care centers. For instance, many organization provide counseling assistance through an employee assistance programs (EAP), employment enhancement programs (EEPs), career development counseling within the companies and outplacement counseling (EAPs). Employee assistance program were created with the purpose of helping employees who have alcohol problems. However, the service of these programs has been expanded to provide counseling to employees in regards interpersonal and personal family problems that may affect their job performance. Career counseling centers were created during the 1990s to help individuals to explore career opportunities and receive basic help on how to write a resume and prepare for an interview. These programs also provide counseling on how to manage the anxiety as a result of being unemployed. This type of counseling it is also beneficial on how to deal with the stress, asserting oneself and manage conflict at the workplace. Another type of counseling is the pastoral counseling centers. The American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) is an organization that approves training and programs of this type of counseling. The AAPC is no-sectarian and respects all religions traditions who seek assistance without imposing counselor belief to the individuals. This type of counseling is provided to individuals, families, couples and groups as well. There are also community health care centers and neighborhood clinics that provide counseling services. These types of programs are medical and social service combined under one jurisdiction. This type a service is designed for individuals who do not have insurance. There is also counseling service through the internet that include assessment, screening, psychological education, supervision, consultation, record keep and the actual counseling itself (Nugent, 2009).

II. Elaborate on the components of the counseling profession. Include the following in your response: professional associations and counselor credentialing (licensing and certification). Professional associations set and implement standards of training. They are the foundation of guidance towards counseling and psychology. The development of professional associations has its roots in 1953 when the Division 17 of the American Psychological Association (APA) changed is its name to the Division of Counseling and Guidance to the Division of Counseling Psychology. The leaders of this Division 17 were university professors, Donald Super and Gilbert Wrenn who were concern with dealing with situations of normal development in areas and factors that interfered with that development (Nugent, 2009). Professional associations set standards for school counselors. For instance, Wrenn stated in his book The Counselor in a Changing World (1962) that “the role of a counselor should be non-disciplinarian, and his task should not include programming, advising keeping student records, doing clerical work, or supervising the lunch room.” APGA established the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) in 1982. This board certifies counselors who meet the standards of training certified by the association. Despite the fact that this did not have the legal status of state licensing, it did help assure consumers that certified counselors met APGA training standards. Consequently, the number of states passing licensing laws for master’s degree counselors increased. By the 1990s professional counselors have become well established and have licensure laws for mental health counselors practicing in the community (Nugent, 2009).

III. What are some of the personal qualities of effective counselors? Briefly present four (4) major categories of professional competencies for counselors. The personal qualities of effective counselors are self-awareness, interpersonal awareness, objectivity and personal integrity, open-minded and trustworthy. Self-awareness is a term utilized to describe the counselor’s understanding and acceptance of his feelings, attitudes, and values. It is the recognition and acceptance of his personal awareness and the impact in others. Interpersonal awareness, objectivity, and personal integrity refer to the counselor ability to understand the client’s battles with his pain. It also means that the counselor do not try to abuse or manipulate the client. The counselor it is also comfortable with intimacy and set the appropriate boundaries. The counselor also needs to be open-minded meaning that his is open to new ideas and experiences that also provide an opportunity for personal growth. They are conscious that the client may have a different view or beliefs. Therefore, they are flexible and not bound to one theoretical view and do not impose the same techniques to all clients in all contexts. Finally, they are trustworthy meaning they hold confidences of their clients. It also means that if they try a new technique, they make their client aware first. They do not impose their own values on clients (Nugent, 2009).

IV. Discuss special issues in counseling the following ethnic groups: Hispanics and Asian Americans. Then discuss special issues in counseling women and individuals who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual. The counselor needs to be aware of special issues when counseling ethnic groups like for instance Hispanics and Asian Americans. The counselor needs to be aware of the different socialization and cultural processes and different views.
In addition, a counselor needs to take in consideration that research proves that suicide rates are higher among teens that are gay or lesbian than among heterosexual adolescents. For adults, being openly gay in the workplace or in public is not always easy. However, therapy can help manage the choices and emotions that inevitable for most people.

Bibliography
Nugent, F. a. (2009). Introduction to the Profesion of Couseling. Columbus, OH: Pearson Prentice Hall.