20/20: A Vision for the Future of Counseling The New Consensus Definition of Counseling www.counseling.org/kaplan

Bradley T. Erford, PhD President American Counseling Association berford@loyola.edu David Kaplan, PhD Chief Professional Officer American Counseling Association dkaplan@counseling.org

20/20: The Future of Counseling Has to do with vision Has to do with the year 2020 Has to do with Counseling!

Constructing a Definition of Counseling Purpose: To promulgate a definition of counseling endorsed by the profession of counseling in the United States. No consensus definition had yet to be created or endorsed.

Methodology The Delphi Method

20/20: A Vision for the Future of Counseling The Consensus Definition of Counseling

Bernice B. Brown of the Rand Corporation wrote the first published brief describing the The Delphi Method. She wrote: “The Delphi Method is used for the elicitation of opinions with the object of obtaining a group response of a panel of experts…. The technique puts the emphasis on informed judgment (September, 1968).

“Fidelity to the Delphi Process requires that a group utilize the “top ranked statements” which rose by consensus to the top of their respective lists to craft the wording of the statements which will then be presented to the whole committee for approval and public dissemination.”

Strengths of Delphi Technique Rapid consensus. Participants can live anywhere in the world. Avoids group-think. Flexible with no set meeting times, only an agreeable deadline. Information can be very powerful in predicting future trends and events. Gain consensus on a large scale (provincial to national to global). Cost effective. More detailed than typical survey responses.

Limitations of Delphi Assumes that all raters are experts. Some delegates may have been chosen for leadership experience, rather than task expertness. Quality of responses depend on panel. Researchers must choose participants selectively. Time consuming. This process is rarely used by researchers/agencies. Panel may lose interest in topic if consensus is not reached within reasonable time. Panel may lose cohesiveness overtime. Interactions between participants and researcher are not face-to-face, depending on subject matter this fact can hinder or assist in information gathering.

Method Application Two-round Delphi used to identify conceptual elements Round 1: Seven workgroups (of ~4-5) Each constructed a definition aimed at public and politicians Each definition rated on Likert-type scale List the most frequent terms/concepts Round 2: Construct a new definition using the terms/concepts from Round 1 Rate the second round definitions Construct a final definition Tweak until consensus is reached

RESULTS The Definition of Counseling: First Round Delphi Entries

Counseling is the application of mental health, psychological, human development, or family systems principles and interventions to help clients adjust their thoughts, feelings, or actions in order to address issues of personal growth, wellness, career development, or pathology.

Professional counselors create purposeful relationships designed to assist and empower individuals, families, and groups to address life challenges.

A professional counselor is a graduate degreed professional trained to work with individuals, groups, and families in various settings. Professional counselors assist clients of all ages with normal developmental, career, and relational concerns as well as those who suffer from serious mental health problems using evidence-based and best practices to provide ethical, multiculturally sensitive care.

Professional counseling is a humanistic and ethical practice that occurs in the context of relationships that promote human development.

Using evidence-based practices, counseling helps people via prevention, education, and treatment, promoting wellness throughout the lifespan.

Counseling - helping people deal with life's challenges throughout the lifespan!

Counseling: a profession assisting people toward lifelong mental health, educational, and career goals.

Counseling is a professional relationship through which credentialed and regulated counselors assist and empower individuals, families, and groups, and communities to prevent and/or address life challenges; foster human development; and advocate for wellness, human dignity, and social justice in a healthy society.

Counseling is a process that utilizes a professional relationship to empower others, while promoting wellness.

Three highly rated definitions

Professional counselors create purposeful relationships designed to assist and empower individuals, families, and groups to address life challenges. Counseling - helping people deal with life's challenges throughout the lifespan! Counseling: a profession assisting people toward lifelong mental health, educational, and career goals.

Common Words Across the Definitions wellness                        empower/ment   profession/al        lifespan                         relationship

Delphi Round 2 Crafting new workgroup definitions using the highly rated definitions and common words

Most Highly Rated Round Two Definition Counseling involves professional relationships designed to assist individuals, families and groups toward mental health, wellness, educational and career goals.

Final (tweaked) Consensus Result Counseling A professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education and career goals.

29 Organizational Endorsements (93.5% of participating entities) ACA ACA MWR ACA NAR ACA SR ACA WR AACE AADA AASCB ACC ACCA ACEG ACES AGLBTIC AMCD AMHCA ARCA ASERVIC ASGW C-AHEAD CACREP CORE CRCC CSI IAAOC IAMFC NBCC NCDA NECA NRCA

Two participating organizations have declined endorsement Counselors for Social Justice American School Counselor Association

20/20: A Vision for the Future of Counseling The New Consensus Definition of Counseling www.counseling.org/kaplan