A Counseling Primer: An Introduction to the Profession

This introductory, professional orientation text is intended for use by beginning counseling students and can serve as a review for students at internship stage and those in early practice. It covers Standard One, Professional Orientation, one of the eight core areas of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) curriculum. Guindon has structured the text around the series of "W" questions - Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. In so doing, the text quickly orients readers to who counselors (and clients) are, what counseling actually is, where and when it is practiced, and why counselors choose the profession. The text also presents very basic attending and communicating skills (the 'how' of counseling) that will form the foundation of the rest of the coursework and training for the beginning counselor.