Chi Sigma Iota

Current Student Insights
Exemplar Fall 2009

What types of professionals from related helping disciplines (e.g., social workers, educators, psychiatrists, psychologists) do you anticipate working with as a counselor? What skills might you need to collaborate and communicate with other professionals?
How can the counseling profession improve training for interdisciplinary practice?

Kirsten Wirth

Omega Sigma Eta

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

It has been my experience, as a counseling intern, that in today’s service arena, the position of the professional counselor is about changing systems and helping individuals with new coping strategies within those systems. Such service calls for collaboration in the most unusual places. As a student, I have not only worked with other counseling professionals and social workers, but have found myself collaborating with immigration professionals, budget professionals, and even hospice professionals. Looking to the future, I can only begin to imagine the varied and diverse opportunities for collaboration that will take place.

The counseling profession can improve training for interdisciplinary practice by allowing students more opportunity for service learning experience during their education. My experience as a student coupled with the real life application through service learning has shown me that that these lessons are typically the most difficult and often best learned. These “real life” lessons are those that I anticipate will stay with my throughout my professional career.

Kelli Lasseter
Chi Theta Chapter
Jacksonville State University

It has been my experience that in order to effectively address the many complex needs of today’s client, it is imperative to collaborate with each of the helping disciplines. I do not anticipate for this change once I begin my own counseling practice. Developing linkages with others within the helping professions serves to ensure seamless service delivery for the client. These collaborative relationships also serve to build the counselor’s integrity with other professionals in addition to potential clients.

A clear understanding of the services provided with collaborating professions is an essential skill. Too often, clients present with needs beyond to scope of the services provided by the counseling professional. When this occurs, it is crucial to know the services provided by the other helping disciplines. For example, I am presently employed with a community-based agency that provides free substance abuse counseling services for indigent populations. The needs of the targeted population of vast in scope and require a plethora of services before effective intervention can begin. It is at this point that we refer to our referral list of collaborating partners to assist the client in navigating through the system. These collaborations are based on mutual understanding of the services each profession provides.

Training modules designed with a multicultural “teamwork” approach to counseling would greatly improve training for interdisciplinary practice. The ACA Code of Ethics clearly outlines the importance of collaboration within the counseling community and with other helping professionals. Students and professionals alike could only serve to benefit by participating in training that focuses on the development of collaborative relationships. Additionally, following a multicultural “teamwork” approach develops counselor integrity as helping professional; a must if effective intervention is to occur.

Carla D. Chugani

Gamma Eta Omega

Florida Gulf Coast University

In addition to working with other helping professionals traditionally associated with counseling practice (psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, etc.), I hope to be fortunate enough to collaborate with attorneys, judges, mediators, parenting coordinators and several types of physicians during the course of my career. Counseling students should be taught to value and respect the many benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration in providing multifaceted perspectives which often lead to the most effective and comprehensive solutions. As counselors, we already have a multitude of problem solving tools at our disposal. Counselor training can be further augmented by helping students learn to use these tools not only with clients, but with other professionals as well. For example, institutions with social work and counseling programs may cross-list one or more courses and require course work to be completed in groups composed of one student from each discipline. Students participating in such interdisciplinary educational exercises will learn how to collaborate with individuals from diverse professional backgrounds while simultaneously increasing knowledge as they learn from one another throughout the collaborative process. Early education regarding the advantages of interdisciplinary collaboration for clients can help counseling students prepare to work well with other professionals in the interest of providing holistic treatment that meets the highest standard of care.

Kara Rasberry Brooks
Chi Theta Chaper
Jacksonville State University

I work with social workers, lawyers, and law enforcement as I am employed as a counselor at a non-profit organization that deals with child sexual abuse. Social workers report the abuse to law enforcement and our agency. Law enforcement then provides an investigation, if necessary, after an interview of the child has been conducted at our center. The case is then presented before the District Attorney’s office to identify whether or not a crime has been committed and to determine if there is sufficient evidence to prosecute.

In order to effectively collaborate and communicate with other helping disciplines, creative problem solving, mutual respect, and an understanding of each profession is needed. Although we all have different responsibilities and protocols to follow, our problem solving skills must be inventive and resourceful. At times each helping profession may disagree as to which direction a child’s case should go, but each must respect the others opinions and professions as well. Each profession has its’ own set of responsibilities, roles, and ethical considerations. This makes it paramount for counselors to have a clear understanding of what each professional’s task include.

My first experience with interdisciplinary professionals took place at my internship site as a Master’s level student. Practicum and internship requirements should entail that a counselor-in-training must collaborate with other professionals in an interdisciplinary setting for a set number of hours. The code of ethics for other key professions should be reviewed in counselor’s ethic courses. If a counselor is unaware of another helping professional’s code of ethics in which they are working with, then it is their responsibility to review. Training new counselors for interdisciplinary practice should include a mock training experience. This illustration provides an on-hands demonstration of how multiple professionals collaborate together to proficiently treat a client. Collaboration allows professionals to meet the ever-changing complex needs of clients.

Current Student Insights
Exemplar Spring 2009

What current developments in the counseling field motivate you? Which worry you? How will these trends impact your future as a professional counselor?

Student	Chapter	University
Dan Turk	Delta Gamma	University of South Florida
Jennifer L. Danese	Rho Alpha Mu	Pennsylvania State University
Author Unknown
Sarah Kresge and Carly Scarton	Rho Alpha Mu	Pennsylvania State University
Author Unknown
Stephanie F. Dailey	Sigma Phi Sigma	Argosy University-Washington, D.C.
Ariel Winston	Chi Epsilon	Georgia State University
Cassandra R. Armato	Delta Gamma	University of South Florida
Rosemary Menarchem	Lambda Iota Beta	Long Island University-Brentwood
Michelle Nerish	Chi Sigma Mu	Montclair State University

Dan Turk

Delta Gamma Chapter

University of South Florida

The current focus on social justice inspires me due to my passion for social activism and motivating people for change. My zeal for victims? rights and ensuring that they receive the proper help, not only in navigating their emotional and physical trauma, but also in the criminal justice system and the new world in which they live after their victimization, are a perfect fit for a counselor with an eye for social justice.

Within this development, however, I am concerned that some populations are not being afforded granted the attention they deserve. Most of us are aware of inequalities forced upon people with differing abilities, diverse cultures, various sexual orientations and disparate socioeconomic statuses. However, few of us think of the needs and rights of populations such as victims of sexual violence, human trafficking, identity theft or stalking.

While clearly, survivors of these crimes will be faced with emotional struggles for which our training as counselors prepares us, I feel we as counselors would better serve our clients if we actively sought training and education about these crimes and their after-effects. Rather than solely helping the client through their emotional turmoil, the social justice counselor will aid in preventing the trauma from occurring in the first place. I believe my opportunity to make an impact on the world of counseling lies within building upon my training as both a victims? services practitioner and a counselor in order to bridge the gap between victims? services and counseling.

Jennifer L. Danese

Rho Alpha Mu Chapter

Pennsylvania State University

I am thrilled to have experienced an Elementary Student Assistance Program (ESAP) on a weekly basis at my practicum site. One of the first, this certified staff has completed several years of formal training and has become a strong collaboration and consultation team. ESAP is a special program that assesses needs of at-risk elementary students and forms/implements action plans. Needs assessment, school based interventions, crisis intervention, and outside referrals can be made through the multidisciplinary program. The ESAP team produces extraordinary and profound effects for the students it serves. I am eager to establish or become involved in ESAP programs throughout my career as an elementary school counselor.

I am also motivated by the increased trend of implementing the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model. It supports school counselors in shaping students in academic, personal/social, and career domains. The ASCA National Model outlines the school counselor?s position and ideal time allotments for responsibilities, including advocacy. I especially appreciate the recommended counselor-to-student ratio for the indented purpose of counselors serving all students effectively. I am concerned, however, that this ratio is merely an ideal. Yet, I maintain counselors are accountable for the wellbeing of every student in the school where the number one responsibility of the counselor is to the students. As a professional counselor, I will strive to put the model into action and truly be a counselor for all.

It is an exciting time to be a future elementary school counselor for these reasons, among many. Currently, there is great opportunity to make a difference in the schools and lives of children for motivated and enthusiastic counselors.

Author Unknown

The counseling impression attaches immense importance to learning in the field. The emphasis on lifelong learning within the counseling community motivates me to continue to strive to know more, to experience more, to share more, and to achieve more. Lifelong learning is a key component in both personal and professional growth and is essential if one wishes to maintain intellectual, multicultural, and professional competence.

With the economic crisis comes a great deal of worry. The counseling field is irrefutably experiencing the impact of the elimination of the comfortable. There is angst, confusion, exasperation, and several other troubling descriptors that could be used to reference the apprehension on the mind of not only future professional counselors, but of professionals by and large, who are waiting anxiously on the horizon.

Truthfully, I am uncertain if there will be a position available for me to begin my future as a professional counselor. Keeping in mind the need for lifelong learning for personal and professional growth, continuing my educational career and sharpening to the tools imparted upon me are the likely result of the worry afforded in current times.

Sarah Kresge and Carly Scarton
Rho Alpha Mu Chapter
Pennsylvania State University

Currently, we are seeing the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) model being implemented in schools. The prospects of this trend are exciting. The ASCA national model will create a formal standard for counseling programs on a district level. Through the creation of such standards, program effectiveness can be measured on an individual and national level. Implementing the ASCA model in schools has the potential to create a common language, which may allow for more efficient collaboration between school counselors, other professionals, and school stakeholders. It is important to aid students in their personal/social, academic, and career development, which are the primary components of the ASCA model. To accomplish the primary components, ASCA utilizes individual counseling, group counseling, and classroom guidance. The balance of this approach allows the school counselor to be a counselor for all students.

Although there are many benefits to implementing the ASCA national model, there may also be some draw backs. Family involvement in school based activities, teams, and programs is an area in which many schools need improvement. The ASCA national model does not emphasize the importance of family participation. If ASCA had chosen to address this problem, it may have changed on a national level. In many ways the ASCA national model is a ?one size fits all? solution. It does not accommodate the needs of schools and students on an individual basis.

The schools in which we are hired may or may not employ the ASCA national model, because of this we are not entirely sure what to expect. If the ASCA national model is in place there will be a structured counseling curriculum to follow. On the other hand, without the model we may find ourselves making many difficult changes in order to aid all students in their personal/social, academic, and career development.

Author Unknown

In 2001, I graduated with my first degree in Psychology. During my undergraduate studies, I never once heard mention of expressive therapy. Less than two years later, I received my master?s degree in Psychology. Still, I had no knowledge of expressive therapy. It wasn?t until my post-graduate studies in counseling in 2006 that I discovered the expressive modalities. Now, it seems that I meet more students who know about expressive therapy than those who do not. My admittedly anecdotal and novice observation is that these creative means of conducting counseling are growing in popularity. There seem to be more books, papers, and graduate schools in this discipline than ever before. Even a large section of the professional community in which I work appears to be on this bandwagon. Indeed, the new psychiatric hospital in the area has two expressive therapy rooms, two expressive therapists, features art therapy creations as the screensavers on computers, and even publishes an annual expressive therapy calendar for the public. It is hard to deny that, at least within my community, expressive therapy is growing in popularity.

When asked to define what changes in modern counseling motivate me, I immediately considered the increasing acceptance of these nontraditional modalities. To be sure, counselors have used expressive techniques since before my time. But it seems to me that the field is really beginning to appreciate the healing and transformative power of the creative process. So, in a time during which counselors are burdened by increasing case loads and decreasing finances, what inspires me most is the knowledge that there remains room for creativity in the counselor?s work. At every opportunity I find to use these expressive modalities, I find myself grateful to be a part of a profession in which the counselor is challenged creatively?not just intellectually.

Stephanie F. Dailey

Sigma Phi Sigma Chaper

Argosy University-Washington, DC.

Change is an ongoing process in the life of any profession. It is motivating and troublesome, exciting yet alarming. However, particularly in the field of counseling, transformation promotes growth. Without it we would remain stagnant, failing to recognize the impact of sociopolitical, economic, and cultural factors within our world. Two current counseling developments which support this change process are globalization and the expansion of our empirical research base.

Looking at globalization, innovations in technology are breaking down boundaries which traditionally separated populations. Widened communications, more efficient travel and increased access to technology, particularly the internet, have shifted how counselors approach, treat and follow up with clients. This transformation demands that counselors learn, at times hastily, how to meet the multicultural needs of individuals in differing environments. Exhilarating and worrisome, technology is an important gateway for otherwise isolated or reticent populations. But we must approach this development with caution and remember that accessibility does not mean awareness! New modalities present challenging obstacles (e.g. ?virtual intimacy?) for counselors. As professionals we must evolve and respond appropriately to the opportunities of globalization and remember that what works today might not work tomorrow.

The second motivator which greatly impacts the future of counseling is the expansion of evidence based practice. Used to stimulate current counseling practices, research fuels intentional and efficacious clinical practice based on improved client outcomes. Critics claim that this movement discredits the importance of a positive therapeutic alliance. I find it worrisome that some would suggest such polarity. Whereas I support the therapeutic alliance as being the single most important factor related to change in counseling, I find it troublesome to question evidence based treatment. Encouraging critical thinking and using evidence based practice is not only ethical, but exciting as it encourages new counselors to develop their own empirical ?footprint?!

Ariel Winston

Chi Epsilon Chapter

Georgia State University

I am ecstatic to learn about the new developments and components of multicultural counseling and competencies. Being a minority individual, I believe that it is necessary to constantly educate fellow counselors and others about minority populations and those whose cultures may be different from our own. History has not been very accommodating to clients who do not ascribe to the white, western, and male demographic categories. I am equally delighted to hear about the social justice/advocacy direction of counseling. Multicultural understanding is the first step and social justice/advocacy, for individuals who may be silenced, seems to be the next step in a well-rounded counseling profession.

In my love of multiculturalism and social justice, I worry about the illegitimacies concerning individuals who may not wholeheartedly support these concepts. There are pushes to become advocates and culturally competent, but I prefer to have passionate counselors participating. Clients can see and feel when a counselor is not being authentic. I see more harm in mandating all counselors to jump on the bandwagon if they may be racist, elitist, discriminatory, etc.

My future as a professional counselor is grounded in multicultural theory and competencies. I feel that there are pieces to every individual that make him or her unique. Culture can be one or many of these pieces and it is my job, as a good counselor, to learn about and encourage understanding. Advocacy is an aspect that will professionally be more subjective. I will fight for causes in which I am passionate, as well as important situations in which my clients encounter throughout my professional career. But, I will not advocate for causes in which I wholeheartedly do not believe in because I feel that enthusiasm is an integral aspect.

Cassandra R. Armato

Delta Gamma Chapter

University of South Florida

Technology has undoubtedly made its footprint on our everyday lives: e-mail, instant messaging, texting, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and now Google Latitude. While all of this instant access to and dissemination of information has opened our world to a level of communication that would otherwise not have been possible, the majority of users are unaware of the malicious ways in which these technologies can be implemented to exploit others or even themselves. Who are these people? They are not only the parents of the children in our schools, but also our school administrators and school board members. Even worse, which ones among them, and among us as counselors, know nothing at all about these invasive technologies? Children are teaching adults about Internet use, when it is the adults who should be teaching the children. The need to bridge this generation gap motivates me to prepare to educate my future school community on Internet safety and on the necessity for policies to address Internet misconduct.

In 2008, Jesse Logan (18) committed suicide after being tormented in school due to an ex-boyfriend sending her naked picture to hundreds of students? cell phones. Earlier that year, Victoria Lindsay (16) was severely beaten by six of her friends for the purpose of posting the video on MySpace and YouTube. Despite the obvious atrocity of these initial acts, I worry about our preparedness to counsel these children who are revictimized by the awful reality that once something is disseminated digitally, it will never completely be erased.

As a future professional school counselor, I will continue to educate myself on the latest technologies and be proactive in designing and implementing policy so that victims are not left feeling powerless in a school system that has no means by which to punish offenders when the law cannot.

Rosemary Menarchem

Lambda Iota Beta Chapter

Long Island University-Brentwood

The current trend of counselors in recommending the many growing avenues of health and wellness support services, such as meditation, yoga, and nutritional guidance, focuses on treating the whole individual. Good counseling in general takes into account each patient?s physical and mental health, genetic predispositions and environmental influences. The emphasis today to take a preventative approach to disease and mental illness can encourage and teach self-responsibility for mental and physical health care.

These current developments have motivated me through my own personal experiences of a holistic approach to well-being. The high stress, fast paced world where technology has infringed upon our thoughts and quiet time, and high action and violence have become an accepted norm has taken its toll on the health and well-being of mankind. It is all about aggression, attainment, and accomplishment. It has very little to do with accepting, contentment, personal peace and joy, and fulfilling lifestyles.

Along with the outside world being chaotic and confused, the inside world of humanity has become deficient and neglected. Through deterioration of the soil through overuse, depletion, and pesticides, and the addition of chemicals, toxins and preservatives to the food chain, the human condition and specifically the health of the mind has gradually deteriorated over time.

With both of these changes in the human condition, there will be increasing need for mental health support. It is both comforting and inspirational to know that there are many areas developing in a variety of fields a counselor can suggest for the continual education and development of a client. There are inspirational speakers, laughter yoga workshops, nutritional counselors, exercise coaches, and meditation clinics.

It worries me, however, with the variety of services available, there may be people who will not receive the right mental health counseling support. I believe the key to good counseling is the holistic approach to mental health and wellness. Encouraging the awareness of one?s potential, and the unleashing of his/her obstacles, can come from personal specialized knowledge attained through counseling.

As we move into the future, the rapid developments of physical and mental health and well-being can open up a range of possibilities for the future of counseling. People will expect and want to think, feel and function better. We are on the cusp of a new era.

Michelle Nerish

Chi Sigma Mu Chapter

Montclair State University

The new generation of counseling professionals will be facing a challenge much different from their predecessors. The rapid growth of the geriatric population is a less familiar territory that will impact the future of necessary counseling awareness. Therefore, it is in our best interest, as well as our clients? best interest to be knowledgeable of this growing change in society.

This rising population and changing societal dynamic will affect counseling in all settings. For example, in community counseling agencies, hospitals, etc., there will likely be an increase in matured clients coping with the demands of aging, as well as, their older sons and daughters handling the added responsibility of caring for them. In the school setting, there may be more multi-generational families living in one home where children and adolescents may need counseling to assist in handling issues involved as a result to this environment.

As an upcoming graduate, this development both worries and excites me. I think, as a counselor, it is an exciting time to enter the field and engage in this moment of change. I believe that being prepared for the upcoming skewed population will enable me to be a more informed and proficient counselor.

On the other hand, this transformation is fast approaching. Because of this, I contend that based on curriculum and CACREP standards, this topic is not addressed sufficiently. This, in turn, may inhibit the work and competency of new counselors. Therefore, I believe it is our duty to better inform ourselves about the needs and demands of the highest growing age group. In doing so, not only do we remain current on the needs of our clients, but we are also prepared to add our own thoughts and approaches to help shape future counseling practices in relation to this population.