Are you considering reaching out for professional help with your mental health struggles? Are you currently seeing a counselor, but wanting more information on the process of counseling? This article will define counseling, explain the counseling process and frameworks used by counselors, and explore the role and responsibilities for both counselor and client.
A. Key Terms in Counseling
What is Therapy?
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), therapy refers to the treatment of physical, mental, and/or behavioral issues. Therapy is a broad term that can be used to describe multiple types of therapeutic interventions (e.g. physical therapy, psychotherapy, speech therapy). Therapy is consider a more long-term intervention for confronting past trauma and/or changing thoughts/behaviors for effective, long-term mental wellbeing.
What is Counseling?
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), counseling is the professional guidance of problems related to emotional, behavioral, vocational, marital, educational, rehabilitation, and life stage concerns. Counseling is a type of mental health treatment that helps with overcoming personal problems by identifying internal and external stressors and developing positive coping strategies. Counseling is considered a more short-term intervention for confronting current issues.
What is a Counselor?
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), a counselor is any professional trained in counseling, typically with a specialization in certain areas (e.g. substance use, marriage and family, couples, children, group, vocational, school, rehabilitation). Counselors provide guidance to individuals to help them make positive changes in their life; this guidance may come in the form of short-term counseling or long-term therapeutic interventions.
B. The Role of the Counselor
Who can Practice Counseling?
Counselors may have different educational backgrounds; they don’t always go through a masters program in Counseling. However, an effective counselor will be licensed to practice counseling.
- Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC): A counselor-in-training who is working on their education and training in Counseling; they undergo professional supervision for 3,000 client hours.
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC): A counselor who has completed their education and training in Counseling; they practice independently.
- Licensed Professional Counselor – Supervisor (LPC-S): A counselor who has completed their education and training in Counseling, in addition to their schooling in counselor supervision; they supervise LACs.
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT): A therapist who has completed their education and training in Counseling, studying couples and families, in particular.
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW): A social worker who has completed their education and training in Clinical Social Work, therefore they can provide counseling services; they work from a broader, systems-based approach to counseling.
- Licensed Psychological Examiner (LPE): A psychologist who has completed their education and training in Psychology, specifically how to administer tests, examine results, and provide counseling (in Arkansas).
There are many different routes to becoming a qualified counselor. Most importantly, a counselor should receive their masters degree from an accredited university, pass the National Counseling Examination (NCE) or equivalent, and meet all licensure requirements (e.g. supervision) set by their state. Notably, counselors must complete Continuing Education (CE) to renew their license (every two years, according to Arkansas requirements).
Check Arkansas.gov’s Counselor and Marriage-Family Therapist Licensee Search to see who is licensed as an LPC/LMFT in your area!
Who do Counselors Work With?
In addition to their licensure (see above) which allows them to practice counseling, counselors will also achieve specialization to work with certain populations–one counselor cannot treat everyone nor every mental health disorder! Some examples of counseling specialties are:
- School-Based Counseling
- Rehabilitation Counseling
- Employment/Career Counseling
- Marriage and Family Counseling
- Group Counseling
- Play Therapy
- Art Therapy
- Sex Therapy
- Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling
- Grief Counseling
- Crisis/Trauma Counseling
- Counseling in Correctional Settings
- Counseling in Health/Medical Settings
- Counseling in Business/Industry
- Counseling Age-Specific Populations
- Child
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Elderly
- End of Life
How do Counselors Practice?
In addition to gaining professional licensure and specialization(s), counselors generally practice according to a theoretical orientation–a conceptual framework for interacting with clients, understanding client needs, and applying interventions. Theoretical orientation is unique to each counselor! Though counselors draw from the same theories, they each have a personal, philosophical perspective of the world which drives the way they interpret, integrate, and practice counseling. The following are some examples of theoretical perspectives in counseling:
Psychodynamic Theories: “Explore Your Unconscious”
- Psychoanalytic or Psychodynamic Psychology
- Jungian Analytic Psychology
Humanistic Theories: “You Have the Answers”
- Person-Centered/Rogerian Counseling
- Existential Counseling
- Gestalt Counseling
- Adlerian Counseling*
*Adlerian Counseling is both Humanistic and Psychoeducational
Cognitive-Behavioral Theories: “Change How You Think”
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
- Neuroscience-informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (nCBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Multimodal Therapy
- Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Reality Therapy
Postmodern Theories: “Identify Strengths, Reframe Perspectives”
- Systemic Family Counseling
- Solution-Based Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT)
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
- Narrative Therapy
- Relational Cultural Theory (RCT)
- Feminist Therapy
Though Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) study and practice theoretical perspectives in graduate school, they can also attend training seminars to receive certification in various mental health therapies.
For some therapeutic modalities (e.g. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)), training is required to officially practice the technique. Counselors who have not received this training may label their approach as “CBT-informed.”
Similarly, education and training is required to become a Registered Play Therapist (RPT); however, some counselors practice Play Therapy without certification. This is a sensitive subject in professional counseling circles as some believe the training is too expensive. Please, ask your counselor about their qualifications!
What Professional Guidelines do Counselors Abide By?
Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) must follow the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics to retain their licensure.
- The first and foremost guideline is to “respect the dignity and promote the welfare of clients.” It is the counselor’s responsibility to keep accurate records, devise successful treatment plans, and integrate positive social supports.
- An ethical counselor provides informed consent, meaning the client is given any and all information about their treatment, their rights, and their responsibilities on day one (and on a continuing basis). When working with young clients, assent must be given prior to all services.
- Developmental and culturally sensitive counseling is a component of all ethical counseling. Counselors must adjust their services to accommodate all clients. Ethical counselors respect diversity and personal values; they should not prioritize their own values and beliefs nor impress them onto a client.
- Counselors are prohibited from having dual relationships with clients, meaning business, romantic, and familial ties should not cross over to the counselor-client relationship and vice versa.
- Importantly, counselors are not allowed to distribute client information to outside parties without the client’s express consent. Rather, counselors must protect their clients’ confidentiality and privacy. The only exceptions to this guideline are instances of “serious and foreseeable harm” and “legal requirements.” Prior to treatment, clients will sign a form agreeing to share information with their insurance company and with other professionals/staff working at the location (who are all bound by HIPAA).
The 2014 Code of Ethics has 24 pages filled with ethical and legal obligations for counselors–please review them for yourself to better understand the counselor’s role and responsibilities.
MIND the First Step 