WK3Assgn1_Cohen_J

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Apr 3, 2024

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1 The Past, Present, and Future of Counseling Jack D. Cohen School of Counseling and Human Services , Walden University COUN-6100-41: Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling Dr. Jeff Logue, LPC December 17, 2023

The Past, Present, and Future of Counseling Counseling is a caring profession that strives to assist people to achieve their mental health, well-being, education, and professional goals. However, counseling is dynamic and diverse, reflecting practitioners' and clients' attitudes, ideas, and opinions. In this paper, I will assess the counseling field's philosophical foundations, historical development, and future advancements. Additionally, I will take the existentialist Austrian psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Viktor Frankl, and speculate on Frankl's perspectives regarding present developments and future technology trends within the counseling profession. Present The field of counseling is unique among mental health specializations due to its fundamental tenets, historical development, and current emphasis on helping individuals (Erford, 2018). Counseling is a process that involves the client and the counselor working together effectively. The purpose of professional counselors is to assist clients in identifying goals and potential solutions to problems that cause emotional distress; they also seek to improve communication and coping skills; they work to strengthen self-esteem; and they promote behavior change and optimal mental health. (American Counseling Association, 2019). Counseling differs from other helping professions such as psychology, social work, and psychiatry in several ways. First, counseling focuses on the wellness and strengths of clients rather than their pathology or deficits. Second, counseling emphasizes the developmental and preventive aspects of human behavior rather than the remedial or curative ones. Third, counseling values the collaborative and egalitarian nature of the therapeutic alliance rather than the hierarchical or authoritative one. Fourth, counseling respects each client's diversity and 2

uniqueness, and cultural context rather than imposing a universal or normative perspective. The philosophical underpinnings of the counseling profession can be traced back to the humanistic movement in psychology that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. Humanistic psychology challenged the dominant paradigms of behaviorism and psychoanalysis that viewed human beings as passive, determined, and fragmented. Humanistic psychology proposed a holistic, optimistic, and creative view of human nature that emphasized self-actualization, freedom, responsibility, and meaning. Some of the influential figures in humanistic psychology were Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, Rollo May, and Viktor Frankl. Their ideas influenced the development of various counseling approaches such as person-centered therapy, existential therapy, gestalt therapy, and logotherapy. Past Suppose I gave Viktor Frankl the initial segment of my paper. Considering this, I believe that he would be moderately surprised, however largely agree with what I wrote. Existential therapy and logotherapy, both grounded in the notion that the search for meaning in life is the primary motivator for human beings, were both pioneered by Frankl, who played an integral part in both fields. Frankl felt that meaning can be discovered in three different ways: by producing a work or performing an act; by experiencing something or coming into contact with someone; and by the attitude that we take toward pain that cannot be avoided (Frankl, 2014). Additionally, Frankl stressed the significance of freedom, responsibility, and dignity in the human experience. Frankl would likely agree with my characterization of counseling as a specialized connection that enables individuals from various backgrounds to achieve their goals. 3

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Furthermore, he would appreciate my emphasis on the well-being and capabilities of clients, rather than prioritizing ideas that treat their pathology or shortcomings. Nevertheless, he may express doubt about my choice of the phrase "mental health" as he favored the word "mental hygiene" to prevent the labeling of normal human responses to abnormal circumstances as pathological (Frankl, 1988). Frankl strongly disputed the notion that mental hygiene should be dependent on a state of tensionless stability and balance. Instead, he contended that the pursuit of a meaningful goal reinforces mental hygiene amid the struggle. Additionally, he may question my premise that therapy is mostly preventive rather than curative, as he holds the belief that counseling can aid clients in recovering from their existential wounds and discovering meaning in their suffering. Future How technology develops in the future is going to significantly impact the counseling profession as a whole. For counselors and their clients, technology can present both opportunities and difficulties. Some opportunities include increasing the availability of counseling services for marginalized populations; improving communication and collaboration between counselors and other professionals; offering advanced tools and resources for assessment, intervention, and evaluation; enabling online learning and professional growth; and developing new methods and platforms for delivering counseling, such as telehealth, e- counseling, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, etc. Likewise, several difficulties arise in the context of online counseling, including maintaining ethical standards and legal regulations, safeguarding client information, addressing the digital divide and cultural competence concerns, managing potential risks and harms associated with technology use, evaluating the effectiveness 4

and value of technology-based interventions, and striking a balance between the humanistic values of counseling and the technological demands of society. As a counselor, it is essential for me to continually embrace technology as an important component of my profession, while also being cognizant of its advantages and drawbacks. In my personal and professional life, I have appreciated and had a desire to grasp knowledge and experience in the ever-evolving technology field. As technology expands, I will need to constantly update my knowledge and skills on how to use technology effectively and ethically. Also, I will need to advocate for social justice and equity in access to technology for all clients, as there have been many studies noting the various issues of the digital divide for marginalized groups. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), approximately 54.8 percent of global households have access to the Internet and estimates show that it could take an estimated $240 billion to bridge the digital disparity in the United States alone (Kloza, 2023). Ultimately, I will integrate technology into my counseling practice to enrich, rather than supplant the indispensable human connection that is vital in the counseling process. Conclusion This paper covered counseling's philosophy and practice. Counseling is unique and desirable because of humanistic concepts like personal development, freedom, responsibility, and meaning. Counseling respects people's complexity and culture. Counseling requires constant innovation and analysis training. Technology will change counseling, giving counselors and clients new opportunities and difficulties. Technology must be used to improve counseling while respecting ethics, social equality, and humanism. According to Viktor Frankl, “When we cannot change a situation, we must change ourselves.” Counseling can be a fulfilling career that helps many people change. 5

References American Counseling Association. (2019). What is professional counseling ? American Counseling Association. https://www.counseling.org/aca-community/learn-about- counseling/what-is-counseling Erford , B. T., & Bardhoshi , G. (2018). Becoming a professional counselor: Philosophical, historical, and future considerations. In B. T. Erford (Ed.), Orientation to the counseling profession: Advocacy, ethics, and essential professional foundations (3rd ed., pp. 3– 34). Pearson Education. Frankl, V. E. (2014). Man’s Search for Meaning . Beacon Press. Frankl, V. E. (1988). The will to meaning: Foundations and applications of logotherapy . New American Library. Kloza, B. (2023, February 3). Solutions to the digital divide: Moving toward a more equitable future . Connecting the Unconnected. https://ctu.ieee.org/solutions-to-the-digital-divide- moving-toward-a-more-equitable-future/ 6

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