CNSL 6400 Professional Foundations of Counseling

Orientation to the counseling profession with emphasis on philosophical, historical, psychological, and organizational foundations of professional practice. The course broadly examines the major tenets of the counseling profession: advocacy and multicultural counseling, licensure, professional associations, ethical/legal issues, crisis intervention, consultation, supervision, outcomes, research, and the counseling process, with diverse applications across the life span, settings, and specialties.

Registration Name

Professional Foundations

Lecture Hours

3

Lab Hours

0

Credits

3

Offered

Online: Fall

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of this course, students will:

1. Understand the history and philosophy of the counseling profession and its specialized practice areas.
2. Explore the multiple professional roles and functions of counselors across specialized practice areas.
3. Recognize counselors’ roles, responsibilities, and relationships as members of specialized practice and interprofessional teams, including (a) collaboration and consultation, (b) community outreach, and (c) emergency response management.
4. Examine the role and process of the professional counselor advocating on behalf of and with individuals receiving counseling services to address systemic, institutional, architectural, attitudinal, disability, and social barriers that impede access, equity, and success.
5. Discuss the role and process of the professional counselor advocating on behalf of the profession.
6. Investigate professional counseling organizations, including membership benefits, activities, services to members, and current issues.
7. Review professional counseling credentialing across service delivery modalities, including certification, licensure, and accreditation practices and standards for all specialized practice areas.
8. Analyze legislation, regulatory processes, and government/public policy relevant to and impact on service delivery of professional counseling across service delivery modalities and specialized practice areas.
9. Examine current labor market information and occupational outlook relevant to opportunities for practice within the counseling profession.
10. Evaluate ethical standards of professional counseling organizations and credentialing bodies, and applications of ethical and legal considerations in professional counseling across service delivery modalities and specialized practice areas.
11. Implement self-care, self-awareness, and self-evaluation strategies for ethical and effective practice.
12. Understand the purpose of and roles within counseling supervision in the profession.