Professional Identity,

Ethics, & Basic

Techniques of
Counseling

EDC 543
Theories & Techniques of Counseling
Dr. Jason McGlothlin
University of Dayton
Professional
Identity
 5 Recognized Mental Health Professions
What are the Differences?
• Psychology
– APA CoA Accreditation
• Social Work
– CSWE Accreditation
• Psychiatric (General or Child & Adolescent)
– Acc. Council for Graduate Medical Education
• Psychiatric Nurses
– Nat. League for Nursing Accreditation Commission
• Counselors
– CACREP, CORE, & COAMFTE
 Professional Counseling is…

• The application of:

– Mental health
– Psychological or human developmental
principles
• Using such interventions as:
– Cognitive, affective, behavioral, & systemic
• Using strategies that address:
– Personal growth
– Career Development
– Wellness
– Pathology
 Professional Counselors:
What do we do?

• Promoting Educational Success

• Supporting Career Development
• Improving Mental & Emotional Well-Being:
– Anxiety, depression, etc.
– Substance abuse, etc.
– Family & relationship issues
– Sexual abuse / Domestic violence
– Eating disorders
– Social & emotional difficulties in terms of disabilities
and illness
– Death of loved ones
– Transitions
Counselor Work Settings

• Schools & universities

• Hospitals
• Mental health agencies
• Rehabilitation facilities
• Business & Industry
• Correctional
Institutions
• Religious Organizations
• Community Centers
• Private Practice
• Police Facilities
 Counselor TX Populations

• Children • Older Adults

• Adolescents • Couples
• Young Adults • Families
• Adults • Etc.
 American Counseling Association

• Mission Statement:
– To promote public confidence and trust
in the counseling profession.
• Identity Statement:
– The American Counseling Association is a
partnership of associations
representing professional counselors
who enhance human development.
• Vision Statement  
– To become recognized as the association
for professional counselors.
 Chronology of the 17 Specific
Divisions of ACA
• Association for Counselor Education & Supervision [1952]
• Counseling Association for Humanistic Education & Development
[1952]
• National Career Development Association [1952]
• American School Counselor Association [1953]
• American Rehabilitation Counseling Association [1958]
• National Employment Counseling Association [1966]
• Association for Multicultural Counseling & Development [1972]
• International Association of Addiction & Offender Counselors [1972]
• Association for Specialists in Group Work [1973]
• Association for Spiritual, Ethical, & Religious Values in Counseling
[1974]
• American Mental Health Counselors Association [1978]
• Counselors for Social Justice [1979]
• Association for Counselors & Educators in Government [1984]
• Association for Adult Development and Aging [1986]
• Association for Gay, Lesbian, & Bisexual Issues in Counseling [1988]
• International Association of Marriage & Family Counselors [1989]
• American College Counseling Association [1991]
 Requirements for Professional
Practice

• A master’s degree at
a minimum
• Licensure /
certification
– Usually with extensive
supervised clinical
experience
• Adherence to a Code
of Ethics (ACA)
 Council for Accreditation of Counseling
& Related Educational Programs
CACREP

• Formed in 1981
• A form of specialized accreditation
• Representative of ACA & its divisions
• Recognized by Council on
Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA)
• Accreditation in the United States:
– Non-governmental or Papal
– Voluntary
– Pursues quality and public accountability
– Self Evaluation
 CACREP (2001)
Common Core Curricular Areas

• Professional Identity
• Social and Cultural Diversity
• Human Growth and Development
• Career Development
• Helping Relationships
• Group Work
• Assessment
• Research and Program Evaluation
 Licensed Counselors?

• Over 80,000 professional counselors are licensed

or certified in 44 states and the District of
Columbia.

• State licensure typically requires a master's or

doctoral degree, two to three years of supervised
clinical experience, and the passage of an
examination.

• In states without licensure or certification laws,

professional counselors are certified by the
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).

• Participation in continuing education is often

required for the renewal of a license or
certification.
 National Board for Certified
Counselors (NBCC)
• Established in 1982
• Initially created by ACA
• Monitoring a National Counselor Certification
(NCC) system
• Identifies counselors who have voluntarily
sought to obtain certification while meeting
standards in training, experience, &
performance
• National Counselor Examination for
Licensure & Certification (NCE)
– Follows CACREP core curricular standards
• Certifies more than 31,000 counselors
 State of Ohio Counselor &
Social Worker Board

• Licensed Professional Counselor

(LPC)
– A graduate degree in counseling (degrees
in other disciplines i.e., Psychology, Social
Work and Marriage and Family Therapy are
not considered counseling degrees).
– 60 quarter or 40 semester hours of
graduate work
– 4500 hours of supervision (1500 may be
prior to Masterís degree)
– Exam - LPC (Offered only until December
31, 1998)
 State of Ohio Counselor &
Social Worker Board
• Professional Counselor (PC)
– A graduate degree in counseling (degrees in
other disciplines are not considered
counseling degrees).
– 90 quarter or 60 semester hours of
graduate work with coursework to satisfy
the content requirements and a minimum of
30 quarter or 20 semester hours in clinical
coursework.
– Exam - Effective January 1, 1999 offered as
the Professional Counselor Licensure Exam -
PCLE) No supervision required.
 State of Ohio Counselor &
Social Worker Board

• Professional Clinical Counselor

(PCC)
– Meet requirements for PC
– Exam - Professional Counselor
Licensure Exam (PCLE)
– 3000 hours (1500 yr. maximum) post
PC supervised experience registered
with the Board
– Clinical Field Evaluation
– No MAT or GRE scores required
Ethical
Issues
 “Codes of Ethics can
serve as a catalyst for
improving practice”
Hirlihy & Corey (1994)
 There are many
counseling codes of ethics
– But ACA is the Spring
Board!!!

This does create a problem with Unity!

 Reasons for Ethical Codes

• Protect profession from

government
– Regulate Itself!!!
• Control internal disagreements /
bickering
– Stability in the Profession
• Protect Practitioners from public
malpractice
 Unethical Behavior
(Levenson, 1986; Pope & Vetter, 1992; Swanson, 1983)

• Violation of • Sexual activity w/

confidentiality clt
• Exceeding one’s • Certain conflicts of
level of professional
competence interests – dual
relationships
• Negligent practice
• Claiming expertise • Questionable
one does not financial
possess arrangements
• Imposing one’s – Bartering &
values on a client Excessive Fees
• Creating • Improper
dependency Advertising
 ACA Code of Ethics &
Standards of Practice

• The Counseling • The Counseling

Relationship Relationship (cont.)
– Client Welfare – Sexual Intimacies with
– Respecting Diversity Clts.
– Client Rights – Multiple Clients
– Client Served by – Group Work
Others – Fees & Bartering
– Personal Needs & – Termination & Referral
Values – Computer Technology
– Dual Relationships
 ACA Code of Ethics &
Standards of Practice

• Professional • Professional
Responsibility Responsibility (cont.)
– Standards of – Public Responsibility
Knowledge of Ethics – Nondiscrimination
– Professional – Responsibilities to
Competence Other Professionals
– Advertising &
Soliciting Clients
– Credentials
 ACA Code of Ethics &
Standards of Practice

• Confidentiality • Teaching, Training,

• Relationship with & Supervision
Other Professionals • Research &
• Evaluation, Publication
Assessment, & • Resolving Ethical
Interpretation Issues
 Model of Ethical Decision Making
(Kitchener, 1984)

• Step 1: Develop Ethical Sensitivity

– Awareness is the Key!
• Step 2: Define Dilemma & Options
– What exactly is the problem?
• Step 3: Refer to Professional Standards
– What does the profession say?
• Step 4: Search out Ethical Scholarship
– Literature & Codes of Ethics saves you in court!!
• Step 5: Apply Ethical Principles to Situation
– Step back and look at the big picture for a single
course of action.
 Model of Ethical Decision Making
(Kitchener, 1984)

• Step 6: Consult with Supervisor & Respected Colleagues

by asking:
– What facts of the case seem most important to you in
determining the ethical alternatives?
– What have I not considered?
– Is my interpretation of the ethics code accurate?
– What other parts of the code are applicable that I have not
identified?
– What other books & articles do you know of that are
relevant to my decision?
– Does my analysis of the ethical principles appear sound?
– Is my evaluation of the most responsible options consistent
with your judgment?
– How would you resolve this dilemma?
– Why would you make that choice?
 Model of Ethical Decision Making
(Kitchener, 1984)

• Step 7: Deliberate & Decide

– Absorb the information from Step 6
• Step 8: Inform Supervisor – Implement
& Document Actions
– When ready to implement action – inform
supervisor & explain rationale
– DOCUMENTATION IS THE KEY TO IT ALL!!!
• Step 9: Reflect on the Experience
– Learn from what you did & reflect on how it
went.
BASIC Techniques
in Counseling
 BASIC COUNSELING
TECHNIQUES
• “Why” = Bad Counseling
• Pay attention to how you look:
– Arms
– Position in Chair
– Face
• Pay attention to how you sound:
– Tone of voice
– Rate of speech
• Counselor Matching vs. Opposite
Modeling of behavior
 BASIC COUNSELING
TECHNIQUES

• Empathy is a MUST!!!
• Reflection of Feelings:
– Parroting
– Paraphrasing
– Reflecting
– Summarizing
– Clarification
 McGlothlin’s Stages of Simple
Problem Solving
• Build relationship via empathy
• Identification of problem
• Explore feelings of client & others
• Explore options & past efforts
• Collaborate on a course of action
• Client & Counselor summarize
what has & will happen
• Follow-through & Follow-up
 Activities &
Discussion Topics
 Topics for Discussion

• Take a position of the issue:

“Counselors should be required to
undergo their own personal therapy
before they should become
practitioners”. Defend your position.
• List some of your personal strengths,
values, beliefs, past experiences, and
so on, that you think will work in your
favor in establishing a meaningful and
therapeutic relationship with clients.
How might these get in your way?
 Topics for Discussion

• If you were looking for a counselor

yourself, what characteristics would
you want?
• Discuss the possible therapeutic value
of developing a sense of humor.
When might humor be appropriate &
inappropriate in a session?
• If you were in a job interview, how
would you respond to the question:
“What do you consider to be the most
pressing & central ethical issue facing
counselors”?
 Topics for Discussion

• What are some clinical and ethical

issues you can see that are
associated with diagnostic
procedures. What do you think is the
appropriate role of diagnosis in
counseling?
• What questions do you have
regarding the counseling profession in
general?
• If you had a magic wand, what would
you be doing (in the counseling arena
in 20 years)?
 Intern Jack & the “difficult
client”
Jack, a counselor intern, is working in a university
counseling center, Mai-Ling, a freshman who came to
the US from mainland China with her parents 8 years
ago, has come for her first session with Jack and has
agreed to let him audiotape the session from his
supervisor. She states that she has come for help in
deciding whether to continue in her 2-year associate
degree program or switch to a baccalaureate program
in computer science. Jack, very much aware that his
supervisor will be listening for reflections of feelings
and other attending skills, asks Mai-Ling how she feels
about being confronted with this decision. She
responds by simply restating her problem. The session
continues in this fashion, with Jack probing for the
client’s feelings and the client responding in a
cognitive, content-oriented manner. After the session
ends, Jack determines to ask his supervisor how to
build rapport with this “difficult client.”
 Intern Jack & the “difficult
client”

• What is the problem in this

case?
• Not sensitive to cultural
differences
• High vs. Low context cultures
• How can this be avoided in
this case?
 Lynn, Elaine, & the Divorce

Lynn has been counseling Elaine, a 30-

year-old client. During this session, Elaine
states that she wishes she could just walk
away from her marriage, but she can’t do it
because it would traumatize her children.
Lynn, herself a child of divorce whose
father abandoned the family, further
explores Elaine’s fears for the children. At
one point she ways, “Well, yes, the
statistics do show that a lot of kids lose
touch with their fathers after divorce. It
would be really hard for them if that
happened. It could even have
repercussions well into their adult years.”
 Lynn, Elaine, & the Divorce

• What is the
problem in this
case?
• Transference?
• How can this be
avoided in this
case?
 The Parents will Know Marsha Takes Drugs!

Marsha, age 15, has been seeing her school counselor for
several weeks. Although Marsha’s parents & her teachers
have been concerned about her erratic behavior, Marsha
has asserted that she is “just moody.” Now, she admits
that she has been buying & using cocaine. After further
exploration, the counselor believes that Marsha has been
taking some serious risks, not only by using the drug, but
also by making her purchases from various dealers in an
unsafe area of the city. The counselor lets Marsha know
that , because of the danger her behavior is putting her
in, her parents will need to be informed. Marsha is
outraged. Even though the counselor had told her that
she couldn’t uphold confidentiality if her behavior posed a
danger to herself or others, Marsha insists it doesn’t apply
here. She says, “I know what I’m doing. I’ve been buying
coke for months now and nothing bad has happened to
me. I trusted you and now you’ve betrayed me. This is
sure the last time I’ll ever see a counselor!”
 The Parents will Know Marsha Takes Drugs!

• What is the
problem in this
case?
• Not sensitive to
cultural differences
• How can this be
avoided in this
case?
 Joseph, a Navajo Indian & Informed Consent

Joseph, a Navajo Indian who espouses the

traditions of his culture, is your prospective
client. During the initial interview, you want to
secure his informed consent, which would
include giving him information about the
implications of diagnosis and the potential risks
associated with counseling. You might make a
statement like, “Sometimes clients in
counseling seem to feel worse before they feel
better.” You might tell Joseph that, based on
the symptoms he has described, he seems to
be suffering form depression.
 Joseph, a Navajo Indian & Informed Consent

• Multicultural issues in ethics &

informed consent
• Beliefs about wellness
• In traditional Navajo culture, it is
believed that language has the power
to shaper reality and control events.
Thus, in following your standard
information consent procedures, you
could be creating the reality for
Joseph that he is depressed and will
feel worse for a while.
 Soo Jung & Post Partum Depression

Soo Jung is a 22-year-old Korean American

who is brought to the counseling center by
her husband. During the intake interview, she
tells you that she has been having crying
spells, has lost her appetite, and is not
sleeping well. She gave birth to her first child
two months ago. When you suggest to Soo
Jung that she may be experiencing post-
partum depression, she becomes very upset
and says, “Why are you telling me this? You
need to talk with my husband.” Because the
counselor did not include her husband in this
discussion, the client may be interpreting the
counselor’s action as attempting to
undermine her marital relationship.
 Soo Jung & Post Partum Depression

• Multicultural issues in ethics &

informed consent
• Not a claim of dominant values
• Korean Americans are significantly
more likely than European Americans
and African Americans to hold a
family-centered model of decision
making about health issues.
 The End!!!

EDC 543
Theories & Techniques of Counseling
Dr. Jason McGlothlin
University of Dayton