According to Granello (2012), Becoming a counselor is much more than logistics—it is a pathway of personal growth, development, and learning. Granello (2012) stated, “In general, professional counselors help clients identify goals and potential solutions to problems that cause emotional turmoil, seek to improve communication and coping skills, strengthen self-esteem, and promote behavior change and optimal mental health” (p. 44). Granello (2012) stated, “Regardless of the setting, professional counselors are trained to help people with personal, family, social, environmental, educational, and career decisions” (p. 44). Hodges (2011) declared, “To flourish, the counseling profession must chart a bold, progressive, global, strategic course …show more content…
There were 22 distinctive concerns which it has been categorized into seven issues which the counseling profession need to focus on in order to be able to continue to strengthen its foundation of the future of Counseling. Kaplan and Gladding (2011) stated, “The delegates came together to deliberate about pressing issues within seven consensus strategies areas such as: strengthening identity, presenting ourselves as one profession, improving public perception/recognition and advocating for professional issues, creating licensure portability, expanding and promoting the research base of professional counseling, focusing on students and prospective students, and promoting client welfare and advocacy.” The strengthening of those seven consensus strategic areas will facilitate the process of healthy development of counseling …show more content…
Kaplan and Gladding (2011) emphasized, “This endorsement has reflected the maturation of a profession that is acting collectively and proactively to engage in long-term strategic planning to strengthen and unify the Counseling profession.” Kaplan and Gladding (2011) said, “This commitment will help to solidify the identity of professional counseling for the general public and for legislators.” Reactions In my opinion, it is critical for the counseling profession to recognize and to adapt due to ongoing trends that are happening now such as aging of the population, diversity of the population, evolving technology, rapid expansion of knowledge, the pressure of performing ethically and within legal boundaries, and advocacy on specific social issues. Roy T. Bennett said, “It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.” If we want to grow as a professional counselor, we need to be willing to acknowledge diverse perspectives from diverse counseling organization(s) and be adaptive through the changes within the counseling profession as we discover what we need to do to strengthen our professional identity as a