4.
Existential Therapy
● Rollo May, Victor Frankl, Irvin Yalom.
● Focus on meaning, responsibility, choice, anxiety, death, authenticity.
● Frankl created Logotherapy (“will to meaning”).
4. MODERN INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY (1950s – 2000s)
1. Cognitive Revolution
● 1950s–70s → Rise of Cognitive Therapy.
● Aaron Beck → Cognitive distortions, schemas, collaborative
empiricism.
● Albert Ellis → Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).
This gave rise to CBT, now the most researched form of psychotherapy.
2. Family & Systems Therapy
● 1950s → Mental illness viewed in the context of relationship patterns.
● Virginia Satir, Murray Bowen, Minuchin (Structural Therapy).
3. Multicultural & Feminist Therapies
● 1970s–90s → Recognition that culture, gender, social power, and
oppression influence mental health.
● Therapists began integrating cultural sensitivity and social justice.
4. Integration Movement
● Therapists realized no single school works for everyone.
● Eclecticism and integrative psychotherapy became common.
● Development of common factors (e.g., therapeutic alliance).
5. CONTEMPORARY COUNSELLING LANDSCAPE (2000s – Present)
1. Third Wave Therapies
Modern CBT innovations:
● Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) (Jon Kabat-Zinn)
● Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
● Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) (Linehan)
● Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) (Hayes)
● Focus on acceptance, mindfulness, values, and emotional regulation.
2. Trauma-Informed Approaches
● Growth of PTSD research.
● EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) by Francine
Shapiro.
● Somatic Experiencing (Peter Levine).
3. Neuroscience Integration
● Brain imaging → Better understanding of emotion regulation,
memory, developmental trauma.
● Therapies now integrate brain-based strategies, polyvagal theory (Stephen
Porges).
4. Online & Tech-Based Therapy
● Tele-counselling, apps, AI companions.
● Accessible mental health services, remote therapy tools.
5. Indigenous & Culturally Specific Therapies
● Renewal of interest in Yoga, Meditation, Ayurveda, Buddhist mindfulness,
African community healing, Native traditional practices.
TOPIC 3: Counselling as a Distinct Profession
4. Teaching–Learning Materials
● Professional body guidelines (APA, ACA)
● PPT on professional roles
● Case examples
● Ethical dilemma handouts
5. Lesson Content (Teacher Notes)
Introduction
Counselling has emerged as an independent profession with defined roles and ethical
guidelines.
Main Content
Professional Identity
● Defined knowledge base, skills, and responsibility.
● Focused on mental health, well-being, and growth.
Differences from Other Roles
● Not guidance, teaching, mentoring, or psychiatry.
● Requires specialized training and supervised practice.
Core Professional Elements
● Ethical practice
● Confidentiality
● Theoretical knowledge
● Skills in assessment and intervention
● Multicultural sensitivity
Work Settings
● Schools, colleges
● Hospitals and healthcare
● Corporate and HR settings
● NGOs and rehabilitation centres
Historical Context and Identity
The profession grew out of the progressive guidance movement of the early 1900s, which
emphasized prevention and purposefulness, focusing on helping individuals avoid bad
choices and find meaning in their activities. Historically, this meant that guidance (helping
people make wise choices) was the primary focus, but now guidance is just one part of this
multidimensional profession.
Counseling has historically worked to define itself as a distinct profession:
• Legal Recognition: Counseling did not have a strong enough identity to be legally
recognized as a profession until 1971 in an Iowa Law Review Note. Virginia was the first
state to pass a professional counselor licensure law in 1976. By 2010, all 50 U.S. states, plus
Puerto Rico, Guam, and the District of Columbia, legally regulated the practice of
counseling.
• Distinction from Other Fields: Counseling has evolved from diverse disciplines, including
anthropology, education, law, medicine, psychology, and sociology. While many other
helping professional groups use and practice counseling procedures (such as social workers,
psychologists, and psychiatrists), being a counselor is distinct.
• Identity Building: The profession galvanized its identity in the 1980s and 1990s through
standardized training, certification, and licensure. In 1984, the American Personnel and
Guidance Association (APGA) changed its name to the American Association for Counseling
and Development (AACD) to reflect the changing demographics of its members and the
settings in which they worked. In 1992, counseling was included for the first time in the
health care human resource statistics compiled by the Center for Mental Health Services and
the National Institute of Mental Health, putting it on par with other mental health specialties.
Professional Requirements and Competencies
To be recognized as a professional helper, counselors generally possess specialized advanced
degrees (master's or doctorate) and have completed supervised internships.
Education and Training
• Accreditation: The accrediting body for counselor education programs is the Council for
Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Graduation
from a CACREP-accredited program provides advantages in obtaining admittance to
accredited doctoral programs, meeting licensure and certification requirements, and securing
employment.
• Core Knowledge: Professional counselors must demonstrate knowledge in core areas,
including human growth and development, group work, counseling theories, professional
orientation, career development, ethics, social/cultural foundations, and appraisal.
Credentialing
There are four levels of professional credentials, with certification and licensure holding
considerable prestige:
1. Inspection: A state agency periodically examines a profession's practices for consistency
with public safety, health, and welfare.
2. Registration: Practitioners submit information to the state about their practice, often
voluntarily.
3. Certification: A process granting recognition for meeting predetermined qualifications,
protecting the professional's title. The main national body for this is the National Board for
Certified Counselors (NBCC), which awards the National Certified Counselor (NCC)
credential.
4. Licensure: A statutory process granting permission to engage legally in a given
occupation and/or use a particular title and perform specified functions, which is almost
exclusively a state-governed process.
Professional Activities and Trends
Counseling is a lifelong process that includes engaging in professional activities beyond
formal education:
• Continuing Education (CEUs): Counselors must obtain CEUs annually to stay up-to-date
on theories and practices and maintain credentials.
• Advocacy: Effective counselors promote the profession and actively espouse client
concerns to correct injustices and improve conditions for individuals and society, which is a
component of social justice.
• Theoretical Framework: Effective counselors adhere to defined systems of counseling,
such as the developmental/wellness approach (focused on positive growth and prevention)
or the medical/pathological model (focused on the diagnosis of disorders using the DSM).
• Supervision and Consultation: Counselors must acquire skills in supervision and
consultation, which are interactive and evaluative processes used for professional
development and ensuring client welfare.
• Ethics and Law: Counseling is governed by ethical codes and legal standards, which
promote professionalism. The ACA Code of Ethics helps regulate the profession and protects
both clients and practitioners.
A major theme in the profession is the strong focus on wellness, defined as a way of life
oriented toward optimal health and well-being, integrating body, mind, and spirit.
Analogy: The counseling profession can be viewed like a newly established city. It started
with simple "guidance" roads (the progressive guidance movement) and grew rapidly,
necessitating the creation of a clear "city charter" (the consensus definition) and organized
"governing bodies" (ACA, CACREP, NBCC). To live and work there, citizens (counselors)
must possess specific "licenses and credentials," constantly "update their knowledge"
(CEUs), and serve in specialized "districts" (specialties like career or mental health
counseling) while actively working to improve the entire metropolitan area (social justice and
advocacy).
Summary / Conclusion
Counselling stands today as a structured profession with clear goals, ethics, and
responsibilities.