Counseling Profession Challenges Regarding counseling as a profession, many challenges arise and are dealt with continuously. In my opinion, I believe one of the most important issues facing counseling is the lack of knowledge about what it entails. Within society, including media, counseling seems to be portrayed as a client laying on a couch seeking advice for problems. Not only do a large population of people believe counseling is simply advice giving, but that problems can be solved starting in the first session. Anyone who is somewhat educated of the counseling process knows it takes time to build rapport with the client and often takes several sessions to begin tackling solutions. Overall, the stigmas associated with counseling could be improved by educating society on how counselors operate from the wellness model and the process of counseling in general. Most counselors do a great job of educating new clients on how their process of counseling will go, but it would be helpful for people to know what to expect before …show more content…
If a counselor is only knowledgeable about their own cultural standards and beliefs, then they are only able to help the population sharing these same beliefs. As a counselor, one’s goal should be able to help as many people as possible, including cultures of all varieties. In the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2014) it states that counselors are urged to “actively attempt to understand the diverse cultural backgrounds of the clients they serve. Counselors also explore their own cultural identities and how these affect their values and beliefs about the counseling process.” The ACA also requires any counselor to take courses regarding multicultural counseling as part of their education process. With this in mind, it should show the importance of being able to work with a diverse client