Orientation to Counseling

This chapter reviews the history of counseling, focusing on the origins of the field through the present day with emphasis on individuals who influenced the discipline, including Freud, Rogers, Parsons, and Ellis, as well as the impact of the four forces in psychology and counseling. Counselors have a distinct professional identity that highlights developmental and holistic models of care. The counseling profession has many professional associations, including the American Counseling Association, American Mental Health Counseling Association, and many others. Counselors often work within teams for integrated medicine and therefore neuroscience and biological factors are highlighted. Lastly, counselors need to be aware of self-care issues and compassion fatigue to avoid burnout.