Ethical Considerations for Career Counseling

Running Head : CAREER COUNSELING AND ETHICAL ISSUES

Ethical Considerations in the Practice of Career Counseling

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November 2007

Introduction

Career counseling according to the National Career Development Association (2007 ) is the process by which individuals are helped in the development of a life-career special attention is given to the identification of what roles a career entails and how the said work roles affect the other life roles of the individual . Career counseling is a recognized field of specialization of the counseling profession and

br a career counselor has to have a minimum of master 's degree in the field of career counseling and is knowledgeable of the different theoretical frameworks in counseling and must have the training and skills to make use of assessment instruments in the counseling process (Brown , 2007 Career counseling is a relatively new specialized field and arose out of the need of adult workers and professionals who have experience work related adjustment problems and have affected the quality of life and relationships of the individual . Career counseling can be given to all individuals , from young adolescents who are trying to decide which career path to choose , for young professionals who are still not sure of what career they would want to be their profession and to middle age workers who have to deal with work related stress such as career misfit unhappiness at one 's work and those who are facing retirement (Blustein 2006 . Career counseling however tend to last for about 3 to 5 months wherein the counseling relationship is terminated once the presenting problem have been resolved and the client is now more able to decide and choose the best career path for them

The practice of career counseling like that of family therapy and psychotherapy is regulated by professional organizations . Organizations like the National Career Development Association , the American Counseling Association and the National Board for Certified Counselors (Harrington Harrigan , 2006 ) all work in the professionalizing the practice of career counseling as well as identify and impose the ethical guidelines in the conduct of career counseling and to certify career counselors who have the adequate training and knowledge to provide career counseling services . In this way , the career counselors adhere to ethical behavior and are also a protection against potential misuse and abuse of the career counseling relationship . Career counseling by its very nature involve the identification of the client 's problems and difficulties in finding fulfillment and satisfaction in one 's present career or career goals (Kapes , 2001 . Then appropriate career plans are drawn up which is in agreement with the unique needs and personality of the client , therefore the career counselor has to exercise a wide range of approaches and methods in the conduct of career counseling . Moreover the career counselor is expected to be able to provide services to the client such as psychological assessment , individual and group counseling , developing individual career plans , job hunting skills resume writing , improving human relations skills , decision making skills , and...