Counseling and the Future: Concepts, Issues, and Strategies

Futurists and counselors both deal with the concept of change. This monograph examines some strategies counselors can use to help themselves adopt a future orientation and to assist their counselees in meeting the future confidently. The writings of Cornish, Fletcher and Conboy bring some focus to concepts and dimensions held by futurists and which are related to the counseling profession. It is suggested that counselors hold a set of beliefs (e.g., Change over time is an integral part of understanding the future) in order to aid counselees in developing guiding images about their personal and social futures. Some problems need to be dealt with in this context, including: economics, politics and government, science and technology, individuals and society. Several strategies are discussed for teaching the futurist/counselors' beliefs: (1) a wheel of consequences is used to illustrate a holistic approach to the universe; (2) a "Backward Think" approach illustrates the "integralness" of change; (3) image-building of the future is examined through a "what if?" approach; (4) alternative choices are highlighted using a decision tree; and (5) purposeful action using a scenario or a future timetable is discussed. The report stresses that changes in the counseling profession need to be made and the counselor's role in society of the future studied. (KMF)