DOCUMENT RESUME ED 329 862 CG 023 232 …DOCUMENT RESUME ED 329 862 CG 023 232 AUTHOR Walz, Garry R.; And Others TITLE Counseling Futures. INSTITUTION ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 329 862 CG 023 232

AUTHOR Walz, Garry R.; And OthersTITLE Counseling Futures.INSTITUTION ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Personnel

Services, Ann Arbor, Mich.SPONS AGENCY Chi Sigma Iota, Athens, OH.; Office of Educational

Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.REPORT NO ISBN-56109-005-0PUB DATE 91CONTRACT RI88062011NOTE 95p.

AVAILABLE FROM ERIC/CAPS, 2108 School of Education, University ofMichigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1259 ($8.95).

PUB TYPE Information Analyses - ERIC Clearinghouse Products(071)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Counselors; *Counselor Training; *Futures (of

Society); Trend Analysis

ABSTRACT

This monograph was written to aid counselors as theycreate their own counseling futures. "Some Basic ConceptionsRegarding a Study of the Future" (Garry R. Walz), the first of sixchapters, identifies commonly used methods for assessing the futureand discusses six factors that can play an important role in one'sapproach to futurizing. "What Recent Survey Research Indicates forthe Future of Counseling and Counselor Education" (George N. Gazda)summarizes three surveys regarding trends in counseling and counseloreducation and then cites various changes and developments that wouldbe desirable for counseling in the future. "The Evolution ofCounseling" (Bruce Shertzer) looks at both positives and negatives incounseling, viewing the evolution of counseling during the next fewyears as a function of a larger society going through a difficultperiod in history. "Forces for Change in Counseling and CounselorEducation" (Garry R. Walz) identifies and discusses five forceshaving particular relevance for counselor education and supervisionand for counseling itself. "Nine Trends Which Will Affect the Futureof the United States" (Garry R. Walz) emphasizes developmentsrelevant to counseling, presenting nine trends and accompanyingsignificant factors related to each of the trends. "Future FocusedGeneralizations on Counseling" (Garry R. Walz) encapsulates ideas 0

images presented in this monograph into 12 succinct generalizatiorlabout counseling in the future. References are included. (NB)

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice or Educational Research and ImprovementEDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION

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f This document has been reproduced asreceived f- Nrn the person or organizationoriginating it

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Points Ot view Of opinions stted in this docu-ment do not necessarily represent officialOERI Walton or policy.

CounselingFutures

Garry R. WalzGeorge M. Gazda

Bruce ShertzerWith a Preface by Tom Sweeney

Sponsored by Chi Sigma Iota

ERIC Counseling and Personnel Services Clearinghouse2108 School of EducationThe University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI 48109-1259

Copyright CI 1991 by ERIC Counseling and Personnel Services Clearinghouse

All rights reserved.

ERIC Counseling and Personnel Services Clearinghouse2108 School of EducationThe University of MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan 48109-1259

Cover design and publication layout by Patricia Wisner

Editorial by Penny Schreiber

ISBN 1-56109-005-0

This publication was prepared with partial funding from the Office ofEducational Reseatch and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education under

contract no. RI88062011. The opinions expressed in this report do notnecessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI, the Department ofEducation, or ERIC/CAPS.

ERIE. 6

4

Dedication

This book is dedicated to

C. Gilbert Wrenn

who by his own examplehas inspired counselors around the world

to anticipate the future and celebrate change

t)

Ill

Table of Contents

Introduction viiGarry R. Walz

Preface ixTom Sweeney

About the Authors xi

Chapter 1. Some Basic ConceptionsRegarding a Study of the Future 1

Garry R. Walz

Chapter 2. What Recent Survey ResearchIndicates for the Futum of Counselingand Counselor Education 11George M. Gazda

Chapter 3. The Evolution of Counseling 27Bruce Shertzer

Chapter 4. Forces for Change in Counselingand Counselor Education 19Garry R. Walz

Chapter 5. Nine Trends Which Will Affectthe Future of the United States 61Garry R. Walz

Chapter 6. Future Focused Generalizationson Counseling 71Garry R. Walz

References 79

ERIC/CAPS 85

6 v

Introduction

There areat the very leastas many possiblefutures as there are people.

Anonymous

The old adage "to be forewarned is to be forearmed"is one that ER1C/CAPS has long subscribed to.Acquiring quality information prior to makingimportant decisions is "to be forewarned," and usingthe best available information in carrying out impor-tant actions and plans is "to be forearmed." Access tocutting edge information, be it from research anddevelopment or policy makers, is vital to effectivefunctioning, to professional viability in an informationsociety.

Information, no matter how vital or compre-hensive, may be more cumbersome than capacitatingunless it is in response to important goals. Like theperson who buys things because "...it was such aterrific bargain," unless you have important goals orknow what you need or want, you may end up with alot of information that you don't need, even wish youdidn't have.

That's where futuring, or more appropriately,imaging the future, becomes important. It helps you toreflect on, to prepare for events before their occur-rence. And that is why ERIC/CAPS has a long historyof developing publications and offering programs andconferences in futuring and counseling (see thereference section for some examples). Perhaps themost notable example was the collaboration betweenERIC/CAPS and ACES which led to the EPCOT

vii

'VW COUNSELING FUTURES

publication and conferenceThe ExperimentalPrototype of the Counselor of Tomorrow (Walz &Benjamin, 1983).

This publication grew out of the leadership of TomSweeney and the Chi Sigma Iota program on theFuture of Counseling offered in conjunction with theACES National Conference in St. Louis. In addition tothe papers which were drafted after the conference byDr. George Gazda, Dr. Bruce Shertzer and Dr. GarryWalz, a number of additional sections were developedto aid the user in reflecting and acting upon theirimages of the future. We are delighted to have ourcomrades in arms, the Chi Sigma Iota, sponsor thismonograph and join with us in encouraging coun-selors to "study" the future.

It is, in my judgment, absolutely true that "...thereare at least as many possible futures as there arepeople." This monograph is intended to help you inconstructing your own counseling futures so you canbetter prepare yourself for the future you envisage.

Happy futuring! With luck our futures will includethe opportunity to be together and share our thoughtsand feelings about the future.

Garry R. WalzDirector, ERICICAPS

Preface

Chi Sigma Iota Counseling Academic and Profes-sional Honor Society, established in 1985, now hasover 5,400 members and 100 chapters in this countryand abroad. Conceived as a society of professionalcounselors dedicated to excellence in preparation andpractice, it has sponsored a number of successfulactivities at both the chapter and international levels.

In conjunction with the National Board of Certi-fied Counselors (NBCC), CSI developed and helps todistribute a brochure which is frameable for use incounselors' offices on "client rights and responsi-bilities." This brochure was sent to syndicated colum-nists, licensing boards, chairs of counselors educationdepartments as well as all members of CSI andNCC's. It is available at cost through NBCC.

The Society has twelve distinguished scholars whodonate their time to speak at chapter functions. Theseinclude George Gazda, Joann Harris-Bowlsbey, JohnHolland, Kenneth Hoyt, John Krumboltz, BruceShertzer, Donald Super, Thelma Jones Vriend, GarryWalz, Clemmont Vontress, C. Gilbert Wrenn, andGeorge Wright. Some of these scholars have alreadygiven speeches at the CSI theme sessions "ScholarsAcross the Generations" at the AACD conventions,and the ACES National Convention in St. Louis onthe "Future of Counseling" was the impetus for theERIC/CAPS Counseling Futures monograph. In morethan one case, the scholars' efforts have helpedchapters establish scholarship and related funds forlocal use by the membership.

The Society also sponsors awards for excellence inresearch, academic pursuits and chapt r activities.

ix

X COUNSELING FUTURES

This year, in conjunction with chapter and societycontributions, we are again awarding ten fellowships

of $200 each for future leaders to attend the AACD

Convention and a special leadership training program

conducted by CSI President-Elect and AACD Past-President Rose Cooper. These awardees will alsoparticipate in the CSI business and recognition/initiation functions, and two will be selected as CSI

interns to work closely with the President andExecutive Director on special projects.

Currently, AACD staff are helping the Societyestablish a CSI Scholars Library Section in the AACD

Headquarters Library. In addition to ensuring that all

the major works of the CS! scholars are available to

all members of the profession, the CSI Executh eCouncil plans to make annual contributions to the

AACD Library.The Society also is offering three awards from the

ERIC/CAPS Center to further the research ofdeserving members of the Society. Awardees willreceive $100, $75 or $50 certificates for materials or

reference searches through ERIC/CAPS.For more information on membership or how to

establish a chapter contact: Dr. Tom Sweeney,Executive Director, Chi Sigma Iota, 313C McCracken

Hall, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701.

Tom SweeneyExecutive DirectorChi Sigma Iota

1.0

About the Authors

Garry R. Walz, Ph.D., is Director of the ERICCounseling and Personnel Services Clearinghouse andProfessor of Higher and Adult Continuing Educationat The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He is apast chair of the Department of Guidance andCounseling and the director of numerous fundedresearch and development projects and traininginstitutes in counseling and human services. A prolificauthor, he has also served as President of theAmerican Personnel and Guidance Association andthe Association for Counselor Education and Super-vision. He was honored in 1988 as a DistinguishedScholar by Chi Sigma Iota and was previouslyawarded the coveted Kathleen and Gilbert WrennHumanitarian Award.

George M. Gazda, Ed.D., is Research Professorin the Department of Counseling and HumanDevelopment Services and Acting Associate Dean forResearch in the College of Education at the Universityof Georgia in Athens. In addition, he is ClinicalProfessor in the Department of Psychiatry at theMedical College of Georgia. Dr. Gazda is past presi-dent of many associations including the AmericanPersonnel and Guidance Association and theAssociation for Specialists in Group Work (which heco-founded). He is the author, co-author or editor ofnumerous books and has published widely in pro-fessional counseling journals. He frequently acts as aconsultant for national and international organizationsand universities and has been the recipient of manyawards for research and service.

xi

Xii COUNSELING FUTURES

Bruce Shertzer is Professor of Counseling andDevelopment and Head of the Deparlinent of Educa-

tional Studies at Purdue University in West Lafayette,

Indiana. He is a trustee of the American Association

of Counseling and Development Foundation and a

past chairman of that organization. In 1986 theAmerican Association for Counseling and Develop-

ment bestowed on him their DistinguishedProfessional Service Award. He is author or co-author

of a dozen textbooks, editor or co-editor of 100monographs, and author of more than 50 journal

articles.

1 2

Chapter 1

Some Basic ConceptionsRegarding a Study of theFutureGarry R. Walz

How individuals view the future depends in part on themethods they use to access the future. Each method-ology has its own strengths and contributions but alsoits limitations and/or special perspective. Among themore commonly used methods are the following:

Writer/Artistic Perceptions of the Future

The most imaginative perceptions of the future arethose of writers and artists who typically give freereign to their creative processes unfretted by dataanalysis or other constraining forces. Not infrequentlyniters such as Jules Verne, Aldous Huxley, and H. G.Wells, as well as numerous science fiction writers, willforesee future events in great clarity long before theyoccurred to others. In many instances, the visions ofwriters have proved to be precursors of actual eventsand developments. Because they do not feel a need tobe held to the present "facts," futuristic writers canoffer a vision that is surprising in its scope and theaccuracy of characterization when later compared withactual developments.

1 3

How individualsview the futuredepends in parton the methodsthey use toaccess thefuture.

...the visions of[fiction) writershave proved tobe precursorsof actual eventsand devekp-ments.

1

2 CouNSRUNG FUTURES

In Imaging thefuture demo-graphics hasone distinctadvantage overall the othermethodsitspeaks to whatexists and is nowpresent and doestmt involveguesswork ortenuousprojections.

Becausemegatrendsreferencestrends that arealready evident,this method-ology possessessome of theadvantages ofdemographics

Demographic Images of the Future

Deniographics provide detailed and clearcut images of

some aspects of the future such as what the age andracial composition of our population will be at a givenpoint in time. In imaging the future demographics has

one distinct advantage over all the other methodsitspeaks to what exists and is new present and does notinvolve guesswork or tenuous projections. We canspeak with great clarity as to how many high schoolstudents there will be in a decade because thosestudents are now in elementary school. By carefullyanalyzing census demographic data we can describefuture needs and conditions with an accuracy unpar-alleled by other methods. It is therefore an indispens-

able tool in fashioning images of the future.

Megatrends

First developed as a tool for military intelligence,megatrends identifies trends or developments in oursociety a few key early adoption and high influenceareas ksuch as Florida and California, and to someextent in other areas as well) where what is occurringnow can be seen as a precursor of trends that willspread across the entire country. Because megatrendsreferences trends that are already evident, this method-ology possesses some of the advantages of demo-graphics (Naisbitt, 1982). The potential for error inthis method derives from generalizing about Americansociety as a whole based on isolated pockets of new

trends.

Futurist Perspective

In a literal sense futurists are not seers or forecasters.They are not interested in prophesizing what events ordevelopments will occur by a specific date. Instead

they wish to study alternative futures giving attentionto possible and probable futures. A favorite tool is to

1 4

Some Basic Conceptions Regarding a Study of the Future

develop future scenarios where given conditions anddevelopments or multiple scenarios or dynamicdescriptions of certain aspects of our culture are pre-sented for analysis and discussion and future planning.A preferred time perspective for futuristic planning isthe middle tem futurea period five to ten yearshence. A shorter time period offers no great advantagefor intensive study, and a time period of over 10 yearspresents real hazards for developing viable futureimages and scenarios.

Future Shock

Alvin Toffler (1972), the originator of the tenn "futureshock," is a futurist who has devoted himself to thestudy of change and its impact on human lives. It is hiscentral thesis that the acceleration of change is so greatthat unless man learns to control the rate of change inhis personal affairs as well as in society at large, hewill be doomed to massive adoptational breakdowns.His goal is to help people cope more effectively withpersonal and social (.I,) ve by better understandinghow man responds to .'ne,o, -0 and how we can developa strategy of adoption. lhilike many futurists whofocus exclusively on the direction of change Tofflerbelieves that the rate of change has important implica-tions, perhaps more important than the direction ofchange.

Seers and Assorted Soothsayers

Throughout time individuals ranging from tea readersand fortune tellers to famous prophets have claimed tobe able to foretell the future. While both the accuracyand the utility of their predictions am often in seriousdoubt, they have nonetheless contributed to an interestin predicting and analyzing the future. Many personswho originally had their appetite for thinking about thefuture whetted by soothsayers have gone on to moreserious and substantive study of the future.

1 5

A preferred timeperspective forfuturisticplanning is themiddle termfuturea perioefive to ten yearshence.

His goalToffler's] is

to help peoplecope more effec-tively with per-sonal and socialchange by betterunderstandinghow manresponds tochange and howwe can develop astrategy of adop-

believes the rateof change hasimportant impli-cations, perhapsmore importantthan the direc-tion of change.

4 COUNSELING FilTURES

This brief and modest review of different appmaches

to thinking about and viewing the future is notintended to be either comprehensive or definitive.

Rather, it is intended to provide a brief glimpse of thedifferent methodologies that exist for coming to know

the future and the nature of the views or images each

will project.

Futuring Concepts

Listed below are six concepts regarding a study of thefuture. They are intended to assist readers in betterunderstanding future analyses and how to use them.

1. How we access and view the future dependsto a rather large extent on the methods weuse.

A demographer may have a clear and distinct view ofthe future based on present knowns, while a futuristmay present a number of alternative images of the

The real chal- future and the implications inherent in each of them

lenge is to be for people in both the present and the future. Both

able to utilize views are valuable. The real challenge is to be able to

the unique utilize the unique perspective presented by each to

perspective develop meaningful generalizations about the future

presented by and to draw out the important implications of the

each (futuristic generalizations for counseling.method) todevelop 2. How we view the future not only affects howmeaningful we prepare for it, but also has a profoundgeneut

the fralizatiouture

ns effect upon how we act in the present.aboand to draw out Perhaps one of the reasons that many people dismiss

the important futuristic discussions as "fun and fantasy" is that they

implications of see such ruminations as beyond any present signifi-the general& cance. "Why should I be talking about something tenzations for years hence when I can't even get a firm grip on dailycounseling, problems and challenges?" could well be said by many

16

Some Basic Conceptions Regarding a Study of the Future 5

to explain their seeming reluctance to devote time todiscussing the future. In reality, our perceptions andfeelings of what the future will tring can have aprofound effect upon how we view and act in thepresent. Counselor educators who view life as stableand tranquil with few major cbr:itenges or changes willfocus their efforts upon programs that emphasizeknown truths and accumulated experiences. They willemphasize the refinement and improvement of presentcounseling methods and procedures. Conversely, coun-selor educators who view the future as something thatwill bring major challenges and changes are morelikely to monitor societal developments to assess newcounseling emphases. Information access, professionalrenewal and change agentry would be major nutri-tional items on the plates of counselor educators whoanticipate significant changes in the short- or middle-term future. Thus, two counselor educators who aresimilar in their views about theories and procedures incounseling could nonetheless act very differently wheninstructing or supervising counselors if their percep-tions of the future are at variance with one another.(Intertstingly, many of the seemingly circular discus-sions about goals and priorities in counseling would beminimized if we were more communicative regardingour views of the future.) In our efforts to understandthe expressed views and priorities of a particular coun-selor educator we need to address their concepts of andfeelings about the future as much as we need toanalyze the logic of their stated views.

3. Persons who intensively reflect upon andstudy the future frequently experience a tem-pering phenomenonthey pull back fromapparently justified expressions of majorchange and settle for expressing more con-servative less radical expressions of change.

In the act of discovery of "new truth" it is a commonphenomenon for the discoverer to be surprised or even

1 7

. our p^rcep-lions andfeelings of whatthe future willbring can have aprofound effectupon how weview and act inthe present.

...two counseloreducators whoare similar intheir viewsabout theoriesand proceduresin counselingcouldnonetheless actvery differentlywhen instructingor supervisingcounselors (ftheir perceptionsof the future areat variance withone another.

6 COUNSELING FUTURES

Out of fear ofbeing wrong orsubject toridicule, it is notuncommon for afuturist to hedgehis future bets.

3tartled by the departure of his/her findings fromconventional wisdom. Particularly on topics where thedata relevant to a particular inquiry are diffuse or evencontradictory, a new finding strongly at variance froman accepted or expected finding miy give the dis-coverer pause: "Is this right?" "Did I analyze the datacorrectly?" "Why are my findings such a departurefrom what others have found?" Several futurists I havepersonally known have confided in me that they soft-ened their findings, suggesting more modcA changethan was suggested by their analyss. In an informaldiscussion of megatrends, Naisbitt (1982) expressedthe view that were he to do it again he would havebeen bolder in his descriptions of how society wouldchange. Like many engaged in future studies he pulledback from his most "far out" findings and presentedsanitized, less radical trends. Out of fear of beingwrong or subject to ridicule, it is not uncommon for afuturist to hedge his future bets. While pulling backmay provide us with a greater sense of security it alsocan dampen the strength of our findings and lead tohomogenized findings that are palatable but lacking inthe spice that can cause a readjustment on the thinldngand behaving of others.

4. The actual process of futurizing, e.g., ofreflecting upon the changes that can/mayoccur and what implications those changes

A process which can have for a society, may be as valuable asassists people to the findings which result.rethinkpreviously held It has been said that strategic planning benefits anvalues and organization not only because it results in an actualbeliefs and to strategic plan but also because it causes people to dropmove their time old ways of thinking and come to grips with mattersperspective from that have for too long been pushed aside or ignored. Athe present to process which assists people to rethink previously heldtomorrow is no values and beliefs and to move their time perspectivesmall accom. from the present to tomorrow is no small accomplish-plishment. ment.

IS


Similarly, counselor educators who engage inintensive reflection and discussion about the future ofcounseling may be as far from a consensus as to whatthe future will be at the end of their discussion as whenthey began. But the process of thinking about tomor-row and the demands it will place on counselors isfully justified because it letals to thinking about coun-seling with a fresh perspective and with a new set ofgoals and outcomes in mind. Whether tne outcome isprogram change or constancy is not the issue--ratherthat what we do is future tested, that we have exam-ined what we are doing in counselor education andwhy we am doing it in the light of what we believe thefuture will demand of us.

5. A major difficulty is the intellectual natureof the futurizing process ant. he consistentfailure on the part of those engaged in futur-izing to internalize and act upon the con-clusions they reach.

It can be said that the future is akin to the weatheritis something we all talk about but don't do anythingabout. As a discussion topic, the future of counselinghas unlimited potential for either serious discourse orcocktail banter. Fine. But the payoff comes in usingthe insights gained from the study and discussion inconcrete and viable programmatic changes. Like aninspiring and captivating speech, futures discussionsdevoid of commitment to change and action aresatisfying but hardly helpful. The very nature of thetopic seems to engender more than the usual amount ofrhetoric over response. If the prelude (talk) becomesthe "pastlude" by default then futures discussions maybe more hurtful than helpful by giving the participantsa false sense of futureness and reduce any felt need forfurther discussion or changes in counselor educationprogram planning and action taking.

1 9

...the process ofthinking abouttomorrow andthe demands itwill place oncounselors isfully jusftfiedbecause it leadsto thinkingabout coun-seling with afresh perspectiveand with a newset of goals andoutcomes inmind.

Like aninspiring andcaptivatingspeech, futuresdiscussionsdevoid ofcommitment tochange andaction aresatisfying buthardly helpful.


6. Our goal should not be to attempt to predictor forecast what the future will be butrather to identify possible and probablefutures and then work towards what webelieve to be our preferred future.

In a real sense it is impossible to know the future.Forecasting what the futuro will bring is at best diffi-

...an emphasis cult. More importantly, an emphasis on predicting theon predicting future, on "being right" can easily lead to a reactivethe future, on stance. If great effort is put into forecasting events and"being right" conditions then not surprisingly the range of programcan easily lead options will be narrowed to those seen as respondingto a reactive to the predicted tronds and events.stance. A more desirable approach is to identify what are

possible futures (the range of different events andoutcomes which can occur) and probable futures (what

Given a knowl- are the events more likely to occur). Given a knowl-edge of what is edge of what is possible and probable it is possible topossible and bend all of one's efforts towards achieving that whichprobable it is is most desired. What is likely or not likely to bepossible to bend experienced in the future is important only in so muchall of one's as it informs the respondents as to the magnitudeefforts towards and/or difficulty of the task. It does not specificallyachieving that direct the choice of priority or goal. The inherent valuewhich is most of and need for the choice ts basic to what futuredesired. choices are made.

Summary

We have suggested that six factors can play an impor-tant role in our approach to futurizing. Each of the sixfactors is important in its own right but taken togetherthey exert a potent force upon the future-orientedbehavior of a profession or an individual program.

First, we suggested that the means used to accessthe future can determine whether the future is seen asinviting or hostile, desirable or enigmatic, predictableor random (e.g., demographics, forecasting, mega-trends, etc.). Dissimilar means for accessing the future

2. 0


are likely to produce dissimilar concepts of the futurewith implications and consequences for counseling.

Second, it was noted that the images we create ofthe future will likely be as important for their effectupon our behavior in the present a well as in thefuture. We may conjecture as to how we will behave inthe future based upon our present views but ourfuturistic views will have immediate and visibleeffects upon our behavior in the pirsent. Even thoughwe may be skeptical of the futuring process and howaccurate our visions of the future can be, it is nonethe-less important that attention be given to views andfeelings about the future for the implications it has forpresent counseling priorities and goals.

Third, note was made of the natural tendencywhen futuring to temper and downplay future imagesthat were at variance with conventional wisdom forfear of being seen as outlandish or foolish. Initiallyaudacious and innovative views can be expected to bebombarded by dissenting conventionality.

Fourth, it was suggested that the end results offuturing may not be as important as the process ofstruggling with and arriving at a vision of the future. Acounselor education program, an individual counselor,or even an entire profession that grapples with what itbelieves to be their future will be all the wiser andmore strategically positioned for the effort itself', irre-spective of whether it produces consensus or a specificdocument.

Fifth, caution was raised about an all too humanpredilection to equate unexamined expression offeelings with substantive exploration and dissection ofsignificant concepts. The greatest benefit will accrueto those individuals and programs who internalize theinsights and ideas gained from the futuring processand who seek specific means to take action on theirideas.

Sixth, finally and perhaps most importantly, bothas individual counselors and as a profession we needto consider the differences between responding in a

...both asindividualcounselors andas a professionwe need toconsider thedifferencesbetweeisresponding in areactive way tofuture forecastsas contrastedwith a proactivestance thatfocuses uponmaking apreferred futurehappen andbecome a livingreality.


reactive way to future forecasts as contrasted with a

proactive stance that focuses upon making a preferred

future happen and become a living reality.

22

Chapter 2

What Recent Survey ResearchIndicates for the Future ofCounseling and CounselorEducation

George M. Gazda

Trends in CounselingSurvey One

I shall summarize three surveys regarding trends incounseling and counselor education taken since 1980and then cite what I would like to see occur for coun-seling in the future. The first survey was conductedand reported by Daniel and Weikel (1983) in thePersonnel and Guidance Journal. This survey used theDelphi method and was based on an original responserate of 26% of 334 full-time doctoral level facultyrandomly chosen from approximately 1600 listed inCounselor Preparation 1980 (Hollis & Wantz, 1986).The first mailing of the survey was made in February1981. The 86 respondents (26%) generated 48 trendstatements. The second mailing to the 86 respondentsproduced a return rate of 79%. The second surveyrequested opinions concerning the probability ofoccurrence and the predicted time frame of theforecast statements. The third and final mailing to theoriginal 86 respondents produced an 80% responserate. During this survey the mean and modes for eachof the trend statements from the second survey were

23

I shall sum-marize threesurveysregarding trendsin counselingand counseloreducation takensince 1980 andthen cite what Iwould like to seeoccur forcounseling inthe future.

11


provided. The respondents were requested to pmdict

probability and time frame with the data provided.

In the data analysis, means welt used to determine

rank order of the statements by probability ofoccurrence. Modes were used to determine trendstatement probability consensus and time frame

consensus. Standard deviations were used to indicate

agreement among respondents. Tables 1, 2, and 3

summarize the survey results. They are reproduced

from The Personnel and Guidance Journal withpermission from the American Association ofCounseling and Development. Trends predicted in

Tables 1-3 can be compared with the next two surveys

for confirmation ordisconfinnation.

Trends in Courses, Degrees and Programs,Administration, Accreditation, Graduates,

Employment, Faculty, Practicum andInternship, Admissions, and Financial

AssistanceSurvey Two

Survey Two includes data from 493 of 582 identified

administrative units offering counselor preparation

programs reported in Counselor Preparation1986-89: Programs, Personnel, Trends (Hollis and

Wantz, 1986). The following table and summaries

are reproduced with permission of AcceleratedDevelopment, Inc.

Courses

Table 4 illustrates the top six most frequently added

courses for the 1984-87 period. The number of

courses dropped for 1984-87 was insignificant and

shows no trend.

2 4

Table 1"Highly Probable" Trends in Counseling and Peedicted Time of Occurrence

Probability

Trend Statement

Time FrameRankOrder Mean N Mode N

1 1.368 68 There will be an increase in gerontological counseling as a specialty 1981-85 622 1.397 68 There will be a new emphasis on career counseling through the life span 1981-85 603 1.403 67 Emphasis on counseling through the life span will increase 1981-85 604 1.426 68 There will be an increase in counseling with adult populations 1981-85 595 1.435 69 There will be an increased emphasis on the accreditation of counselor

education programs 1981-85 626 1.449 69 There will be an increased emphasis on continuing and in-service

education for counselors 1981-85 607 1.500 68 There will be an increase in mental health counseling as a specialty 1981-85 548 1.562 67 There will be increased use of computers and other technological

advances by counselors 1981-85 589 1.556 68 Federal and state funds for counseling services will continue to decrease 1981-85 58

10 1.567 67 There will be an emphAsis on counseling for special groups(i.e., minorities, women, marriage, divorced parents) 1981-85

11 1.581 62 A focus on preventive activities in counseling will be emphasized 1981-85 52

25

Table 2Probable Trends in Counseling and Predicted Time of Occurrence

Probability

RankOrder Mean N Trend Statement Mode N

Time Frame

1 1.582 57 There will be greater emphasis on the counselor's role as a consultartto parents, teachers, and others 1981-85 62

2 1.588 68 There will be more omphasis on counselor accountability 1981-85 613 1.638 6'; There will be art increased emphasis on post-masters training in

specialty areas (i.e., marriage, family, adult, alcohol) 1986-90 614 1.642 67 Journals in the counseling field will lx:come fewer and more expensive

to produce 1986-90 585 1.691 68 Counseling services will be provided to a greater extent within business

and industry 1986-90 596 1.716 67 There will be an incase in the use of media technology (i.e., television,

recorders, telephone) in the delivery of counseling services 1981-85 547 1.750 68 Professional counselors will supervise increasing numbers of peer

counselors and paraprofessionals 1986-90 558' 1.791 67 There will be an increased emphasis on holistic models of counseling 1981-85 579' 1.791 67 There will be an increase in cognitive-behavioral approaches to counseling 1981-85 58

10' 1.7.4: 67 Group counseling will be utilized tereater extent 1981-85 5211 1.826 69 Masters level training will consist of 60 semester hours with increased

field experience 1986-90 53

'For simplicity, these three tied rank items were arbitrarily given consecutive rank order number4.

Table 2 (continued)Probable Trends in Counseling and Predicted Time of Occurrence

Probability

Trend Statement

Time FrameRankOrdex Mean N

Mode N12 1.851 68 Counseling will become increasingly multidisciplinary 1986-90 5413 1.882 68 Counselors will be required to be certified or licensed by most states 1986-90 5514 1.926 68 Use of peer counseling will increase 1981-85 4815 1,940 67 Counselors will be included in a national registry 1986-90 5216 1.957 69 There will be a decrease in the number of counseloreducation programs 1981-85 54i7 1.985 67 There will be an increased awareness of chemical aspects and use of

chemotherapy in the control of behavior 1986-90 5018 2.000 68 Counseling services will shift to more private practices and clinics 1986-90 5419 2.015 67 Fewer counselors will be employed by the schools 1981-85 4420 2.029 68 Counseling will be widely accepted as a profession 1986-90 5521 2.045 67 There will be a continued movement toward a systems

approach to counseling 1986-90 4922 2.059 68 Counselini services will shift from the public school to other

community based providers 1986-90 4723 2.088 68 The faculty of counselor education programs will be required to be

licensed/certified and/or psychologists 1986-90 4424 2.101 69 There will be an increased emphasis on doctoral level training 1986-90 45

27

5

Table 2 (continued)Probable Tr Ends in Counseling and Predicted Time of Occurrence

Probability

RankOrder Mean N Trend Statement

25 2.118 68 Increasing numbers of paraprofessional counselors will be trainedin undergraduate or special programs

26 2.136 66 Counseling research will expand and professional organizations willorganize task foxes to improve research

27 2.162 68 Competency based standards will be employed in the certificationand/or licensure of counselors

28 2.176 68 Use of paraprofessionals in counseling will incmase29 2.261 69 Counselor education programs will shift toward becoming counseling

psychology programs30 2.269 67 More professional alliances will form and some existing APGA,

APA, and NRA divisions will merge31 2.303 66 Several divisions will secede from APGA32 2.420 69 Masters level counselors will become less employable33 2.529 68 Counselors will become eligible for third party payments from

insurance and/or government carriers

Time Frame

Mode N

1986-90 49

1986-90 43

1986-90 481981-85 42

1986-90 42

1986-90 401986-90 371981-85 35

1986-90 35

RankOrder

Table 3Improbable Trends in Counseling

.ibro

El

411

obability

Trend StatementAm N

1

2

3

4

. 448

2.515

2.609

2.899

67

66

69

69

There will be more growth in elementary school guidance and counseling services with morestates mandating elementary counselors

There will be a change in the role of the school counselor with that role emphasizing "studentcounseling"

There will be a shift of preparation programs from he university setting toward communitysettings (i.e., agencies, business, and industry)

There will be less distinction and less "turfism" amcng mental health professionals as theymerge into a related corps of helping professionals

2 9 0.

:744

18 COUNSELDTG FUTURES

The Ph.D.degree continuesto increase incomparison tothe Ed.D.

Table 4Rank Order of the Top Six Courses Added

in 1984-1987 (1986 Data)

Rank Content Area

1 Marriage & Family Counseling 1122 Substance Abuse 101

3 Legal & Ethical Issues 524 Career & Life Planning 415 Multicultural Counseling 406 Consultation

ibtal 381

Degrees and Programs

Degree and program changes based on 1986 data areoccurring but are few in number. The Ph.D. degreecontinues to increase in comparison to the Ed.D.Counseling Psychology was the most frequently listedaddition to program changes in majors. A correspond-ing increase appears to be occurring in the number ofprograms that are dropping counseling and guidancedegrees/programs in education. Other trends are asfollows:

1. The number of hours required to completeThe generic programs is increasing and correspondingly theterm "coun- one-year graduate program for counselor prepa-seling" is being ration is disappearing.modified by the 2. The generic term "counseling" is being modi-addition of tied by the addition of prefixes such as "mentalprefixes such as health," "marriage and family," "school," etc.,"inental health," and likewise more than one major at the mas-"marriage and ter's degree level is being offered.family," 3. Rehabilitation counseling is decreasing in"school," etc. . . . offerings.

30

What Recent Survey Research indicates for the Future of Counseling 19

Administration

The titles of administrative units were found to be con-tinuing to change but not as much as reported in the1983 data. Causal factors were not determined throughthe survey. An increased number of programs arebeing discontinued, the majority of which were thosepreparing school counselors.

Accreditation

Accreditation is continuing to increase with APA,CACREP, CAMFTE, and CORE leading the way. In1983, CACREP had accredited a total of 22 programscompared with 47 in 1986; whereas APA had acotd-ited a total of 37 counseling psychology programs in1983 and 47 in 1986. AAMFT (CAMFTE) hadaccredited 13 programs in 1983 and 34 by 1986. Con-sistent with the decrease in rehabilitation programs,CORE had accredited 76 programs in 1983 versus 75in 1986.

The increasing emphasis on accreditation is affect-ing programs by determining the program contentmore than faculty determine it. Likewise, accreditationstandards are affecting titles in majors by reducingthem in number. Also, minimum criteria reflectedthrough accreditation standards are becoming maxi-mum standards for programs. Overall, the trend istoward more counselor education programs seekingaccreditation.

Graduates

The following trends in the number and kinds ofgraduates have been determined:

1. The ratio of women to men (with the exceptionof student personnel , higher education) isapproximately 3 to 2 and indications are that itwill continue at this rate.

3 1

The increasingemphasis onaccreditation isaffectingprograms bydetermining theprogram contentmore thanfacultydetermine it

The ratio ofwomen to men(with the excep-tion of studentpersonnel inhighereducation) esapproximately3 to 2 andindications arethat it willcontinue at thisrate.


2. Full-time equivalent faculty has begun to showa decrease since 1980 with a correspondingincrease in nonprofessional ranks such asadjunct, visiting, and lecturer. This trend maybe reflected in the increasing numbers of sitesupervisors of practica and internships who arebeing given faculty status.

Practicum and Internship

The average The average number of clock hours required fornumber of clock practicum and internship shows a continuing increase

howl required and, although non-accredited programs are increasing

for practicum their required clock hours, theirs are still less thanand internship accredited programs. Clock hour requirements forshows a practicum and internship continue to vary dependingcontinuing upon ftmction and setting, but there is a shift towardincrease..., more requirements being completed in settings similar

to students' projected employment. However, a shift insettings has occurred without a change in account-ability of the counselor preparation administrativeunits. The trend, also, is for internship site personnel todo the supervision at the doctoral level except for mar-riage and family interns. Psychology related degreeprograms rely more heavily on site personnel to do the

Inasmuch as the supervision than do other program emphases. Inas-trend is for much as the trend is for more practicum and internshipmore practicum placement and supervision to be done outside theand internship department, it is expected that accreditation of prac-placement and ticum and internship sites will become a necessity,supervision tobe done outside Admissionsthe department,it is expected Summarized below are the trends and/or conditions ofthat accredi- admissions requirements:tation of practicum and

- 1. The most frequently used standardized test is

internship sites the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

will become a 2. For doctoral programs, the GRE total average is

necessity.approximately 1000 with 500 verbal and 500quantitative. (Doctoral program requirements

r4 9

What Recent Survey Research Indicates for the Future of Counseling 21

are higher than for master's and verbal require-ments are slightly higher than quantitative.) Theminimum test score required often dependsupon other admissions information such as ahigh GPA in coursework which may be a com-pensation for lower test scores.

3. In addition to test scores other criteria are beingrequired for admission. These criteria varywidely from institution to institution but there isa trend of requiring two or more items fr0111 thefollowing: prior work experience, interviews,prior courses, prior GPA, and letters of recom-mendation. Of these items just cited, priornumber of courses in areas such as psychologyand/or counseling continues to vary consid-erably from program to program; GPA averagesin both undergraduate and graduate coursesvary significantly from program to program;letters of recommendation are increasinglybeing used by programs and three letters seemsto be the typical number required; interviewsare increasingly being required; work experi-ence is becomine, an admissions requirementfactor with doctoral programs in general requir-ing two years and master's programs requiringfrom one to two years.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance continues to be made availablewith increasing dollar amounts. Assistantships, loans,and fellowships in that order of frequency are themajor sources of financial aid.

Trends in Faculty PositionsTurnoverSurvey Three

Survey Three was completed and published by Whiteand Hernandez (1988) in Counselor Education and

33

. . there is atrend [foradmission] ofrequiring two ormore items fromthe following:prior workexperience,interviews, priorcourses, priorGPA, and lettersof recom-mendation.


Supervision. A 25% random sample of faculty wastaken from Hollis and Wantz directories of 1971-74,1980-83, and 1986-89. The survey covered a 15-yearperiod from 1971-1986. The sample consisted of 72pubholy funded and 22 privately funded institutions(62 granted masters degrees and 32 granted bothmasters and doctoral degrees). Data for a six-year pro-jection period were collected from the 94 departments.They were asked to project full-time equivalent (FrE)departures for the periods 1987-89 and 1990-92 andto establish absolute gains and losses for each period.The results are summarized as follows:

Faculty Trends 1971-86

1. Both transitional volatility and overall depart-ment size tended to decrease in the 1980's.

Faculty Projections 1987-1992

1. Slightly less than one-half of the programs(47.6%) regardless of size, were projected tohave one or more faculty departures between1987-89 and 64.2% between 1990-92. (Themost frequently expected departure was 1.0

FTE.)2. Projected absolute changes by institution's fund-

ing basis showed no differences. (Most chair-persons hoped to maintain FTE faculty size.)

The percentageof women in Trends for Womenc ounseloreducation 1. The percentage of women in counselor educa-

departments tion departments increased quite steadily from

increased quite 10.7% in 1971 to 26.1% in 1986. Women also

steadily from seem to have substantially greater prospects of10.7% in 1971 to finding positions in counselor education in the26.1% in 1986. next few years.

34


Other Trends

1. Faculty members in counselor education werebecoming older from 1971-1986similar toother disciplines.

2. Tenure-eligible positions were predicted to beessentially unchanged for 1987-1990 and1990-1992.

License Importance

1. Persons preparing for counselor educationfaculty positions will be at a substantial disad-vantage without license eligibility.

Mobility of Counselor Educators

1. Program departure from 1974-83 showed that 8of every 9 persons who left a faculty positionapparently left counselor education as anoccupation.

2. The probability of relocating to another coun-selor education program tends to decrease as thepresence in one program continues.

In summary, (1) the percentage of women incounselor education increasld by 2 1/2 times since1971 and further increases seem to be virtually certain;(2) a very mild increase in positions over losses isprojected more for 1990-92 than for 1987-89; (3) ifprojections prove to be true, counselor education as anoccupation and as a higher education discipline maybe stabilized.

From the point of view of a person with aspira-tions to become a counselor educator, datadeveloped hem suggest some basis for opti-mism, but some cautions as well. Prospects forentry seem to be improving, especially forwomen, and very definitely for persons eligiblefor some sort of a practitioner license. . . With

35

Personspreparing forcounseloreducationfaculty positionswill be at asubstantialdisadvantagewithout licenseeligibility.

Programdeparture from1974-83 showedthat 8 of every 9persons who lefta facultypositionapparently leftcounseloreducation as anoccupation.

24 COUNSI3L1Nri FUTURES

only about 1 in 5 people who left counseloreducation over the most recent 6-year perioddoing so to retire, planning only to be a coun-selor educator would seem to be very risky.(White & Hernandez, 1988, p. 87)

What Gazda Would Like to See forCounseling in the Future

First: Much better training programs withmore comprehensive training and higher skilllevels.

To accomplish this will require fewer but better staffedand regulated programs, better selection cf trainees,longer training programs, greater use of technology,increased use of competency in evaluating skillsdevelopment.

Second: More and better research on processand outcomes in counseling with increasedreplications

To accomplish this will require more interdisciplinaryresearch and greater financial and professional com-mitment to research, and the application of different

...counselor research models such as a combination of quantitativeeducation will with qualitative research.need to becomebetter informed Third: Increased emphasis on preventiveabout life span modes of counseling interventionsdevelopmentmodels and To accomplish this counselor education will need todevelop more become better informed about life span developmentcomprehensive models and develop more comprehensive life/sociallife/ social skills skills training programs. Ideally, implementation oftraining these programs will occur initially in pre-school andprograms. early elementary school curricula with continuing

3 6


instruction throughout the first 12 years of schoolingas well as in higher education and adult life.

Fourth: More involvement and impact bycounselors and counselor educators on thedevelopment of better systems for schooling

To accomplish this counselor educators must takegreater leadership in teacher education programs. Theymust become more active in pressing for changes thatwill make our educational system more effective forall, thereby eliminating a win-lose situation where athird of our population become education casualties.Practicing counselors in the schools must also consultwith and train teachers and administrators in creating amore effective learning environment.

Fifth: More counselor involvement in the entirehealth and wellness movement

Counselors need to become more knowledgeableabout the relationship between physical and mentalhealth and take the lead in instituting a holistic healthmodel.

Sixth: Reassertion of counselor's role in careerdevelopment and choice

In order to accomplish this sixth goal, counselors mustbecome even more expert than in the past in careerdevelopment theory, occupational/job changes, andvocational and aptitude assessment.

Seventh: Increased scope of counselorspecialties/emphases

Add to the current specialties new specialties orincreased involvement in certain relatively new spe-cialties such as counseling the aged, counseling thedying, employee assistance counseling, cross cultural

(Counseloreducators] mustbecome moreactive in press-ing for changesthat will makeour educationalsystem moreeffective for

Counselors needto become moreknowledgeableabout therelationshipbetween physicaland mentalhealth and takethe lead ininstituting aholistic healthmodeL

26 COUNSIMING FUTURES

counseling, marriage and family counseling, health

..involvementcounseling; consulting with self-help groups and

. medical teams, and participation in crisis intervention.in certainrelatively newspecialties such Eighth: Development and application of moreas counseling comprehensive theoretical modelsthe aged... mar-riage and family

Comprehensive, eclectic models such as Develop

counseling...

-

mental Counseling/Life-Skills Training that are

consulting withapplicable to prevention and remediation need to be

self-help groups implemented.

...and participa-tion in crisis Ninth: Increased utilization of technology inintervention counseling(must beemphasized]. Interactive video and other technology in both coun-

selor training, small group and self-counseling/blame-don, self-directed career searches, etc., hold muchpromise and need to be utilized much more extensively.

38

Chapter 3

The Evolution of Counseling

Bruce Shertzer

The task before us...the challenge...is to define thefuture of counseling. Gazing into the future tends todiminish troubling experiences and events of thepresent. When you look far into the future, persistentissues such as delivering cost effective counseling ordemonstrating accountability or articulating the iden-tity of counselors can begin to seem ephemeral. That'snot because the idea of the future is threateningRather the idea of the future amuses a certain sense ofawe, as if peering too far into it were intruding onforbidden ground. Who, in any case, can imagine theworld of ten years from now? twenty? Who knows ifthe world will exist then? Or even counselors? "Wherewill we all be," Kurt Weill's plaintive song inquires,"on Coronation Day?"

Many projections about the future, regardless ofwhether they are based on extrapolation, romanticthinking or systems thinking, rarely seem to workout. An example of the failure of extrapolators, thosewho predict the future from current and past k;evelop-ments, lies in the 1972 Club of Rome's (Meadows,1972) projection, based on historical trends, that theworld's population would outrace its food supply. Thatcatastrophe has not happened.

An example of the failure of predictions by roman-tic thinkers, those who create new life styles to change

39

Gazing into thefuture tends todiminishtroublingexperiences andevents of thepresent.

Many projec-tions about thefuture, regard-less of whetherthey are basedon extrapola-lion, romanticthinking orsystems think-ing, rarely seemto work out

27


The evolution ofcounselingduring the nextfew years mustbe viewed, atleast in part, asa function of alarger societygoing throughone of the mostdifficult periodsof its history.

Some 18,000counselors areNational Certi-fied Counselors.That represents12% of the esti-mated 150,000counselors inthis country.

the system, lies in Edgar Wisenant's (1987) predictionthat September 14, 1988 was the beginning of thefires, famines, plagues and sicknesses leading to theend of the world in 1995.

An example of the failure of systems thinkers,those who believe that transformations come becausethey are managed by humans who create the methodsto move from the present into a projected future, lies inthe Hunt brothers who reportedly sought to capture the

silver market in 1978.All that aside, some ideas about the next five years

of counseling can be extrapolated from its past andpresent. The evolution of counseling during the nextfew years must be viewed, at least in part, as a func-

tion of a larger society going through one of the mostdifficult periods of its history. It is a period aptlytermed by Baibara Ward (1979) as the "hinge of his-tory," because we swing from this, the 20th century,into the beginning of the 21st century.

What are the positives in counseling at present?These, in brief form, include:

1. Twenty-eight states have enacted counselorlicensuit laws. That represents an adoption rate of 56

percent in ten years.2. The national accrediting agency, the Council

for Accrediting Counseling and Related EducationalPrograms (CACREP), has accredited 52 counseloreducation programs. In its seven years of operation,CACREP has approved a little more than 10 percent ofthe 480 institutions conducting counselor education.

3. Some 18,000 counselors are National CertifiedCounselors. That represents 12% of the estimated150,000 counselors in this country.

4. The national professional association for coun-selors, the American Association for counseling andDevelopment (AACD), has 55,000 members, aboutone-third of the counselor force in this country.

5. There has been an expansion of counselorsemployed in non-educational settings, such as incommunity agencies, hospitals, hospices, business,

The Evolution of Counseling 29

industry, and governmental units. The rise in employeeassistance programs has been particularly noteworthy.

6. A final positive to be noted is that the Associa-tion for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)has accepted a draft statement of standards for certi-fying clinical supervisors.

What Are the Negatives in theCurrent Scene?

The first negative to be noted is that Herr (1984),Aubrey (1984) and many others were quick to pointout that most of the 25 or 30 national mports of themid-1980s aimed at bringing about school reform weitmostly silent about school counseling. These reportsaroused public interest in education and containedmany recommendations for improving the nation'sschools. Most recommendations emphasized theacquisition of basic subject matter skills and knowl-edge for economic well being. Herr (1984) and othershave rightfully asserted that these imports ignore thatschools must provide humane environments, thateducation is mow than the means to economic successand that schooling must be inclusive and fill the needsof all the children of all the people of this nation.Counselors are needed if both excellence and equityare targeted as outcomes of scnools. Schools forstudents of all ages, from early childhood through lateteen years, and all social classes, from the very poor tothe very wealthy, must be moit than places to developintellectual skills and acquire information, or youngpeople will not develop well personally.

Equity has not been a popular theme during thistime of emphasis on academic excellence above allelse. But it must be honored and the work of coun-selors represents the added ingredient to fulfill thevision of schooling in America. It is recognized thatacademic achievement can lead to and support a strongself concept and a fuller life. But many students cannot

41

...riost of the 25or 30 nationalreports of themid-1980saimed atbringing aboutschool reformwere mostlysilent aboutschoolcounseling.

(School reform]reports ignorethat schoolsmust providehumane envi-ronments, thateducation ismore than themeans to eco-nomic successand that school-ing must beinclusive....


A second nega-tive is that theCommission onPrecollegeGuidance andCounselingreleased itsreport thatexamined schoolcounseling andconcluded thatcounseling is a"profession introuble."

achieve academically without attention to and supportof their personal and emotional needs. No amount ofraised standards or calls for excellence without atten-tion to these needs will make good students of theseyoung people.

A second negative is that the Commission onPrecollege Guidance and Counseling (1986) releasedits report that examined school counseling and con-cluded that counseling is a "profession in trouble."That report stated that too often counselors wereassigned tasks that do not make use of their specialskills, that counselor-student ratios had risen beyond alevel at which counselors can perform effectively andthat public support for guidance and counseling haderoded. The first two conditions have been prtsent formany years, since the start of counseling. Somechanges, at least in the area of public support, havetaken place in many states during the past three years.The demnd for school counselors, particularly at theelementary school level, has become greater than thesupply. Money for helping "at risk" children hasdriven the demand and has led many school districtsthis year to employ people who do not have thetraining to function as counselors. The presumptionhere is that the consequences of doing that will betroubling for counselors in the years ahead.

A third negative is that little change has taken placein the persistent social problems that must be dealtwith. Alcohol and drug abuse; emotional, physical andsexual abuse; broken families; sexism; racism; andpoverty persist. Suicide rates for children and youthhave risen. Because these problems are ever present,much counselor effort goes into crisis managementand remediation and programs for prevention are shortchanged.

Finally to be mentioned is the uncertainty of theeconomy. Some economists predict that within thenext two years, the U.S. will experience, at the veryleast, a recession and others predict even more drastichard times. Economic hard times slow down changes

4 2


in counseling and healthy economies enable coun-seling changes to be more fluid. Given these positivesand negatives, what will happen in counseling duringthe next few years?

The search to establish an identity for counselorswill go on, although it is doubtful that it will be com-pleted in the next five years. When someone says orwrites that what is needed today in counseling is todecide who counselors are and what they do, a senseof distasteful weariness overtakes me. It is as though Iwere starting to see a badly scratched film of a poormovie for the fourth or fifth time.

Many have suggested that the counselor's identitylies within the boundaries of personal and cavterdevelopment. Ivey and Goncalves (1987), for example,suggest that the identity of counselors is *3 be ex-tracted from grounding in developmental theory,assessment of developmental behavior, end their appli-cation of developmental interventions. They assert thatthe counselor's orientation toward positive humandevelopment is the core that can be used to definecounselors so that they are distinct from psychologists;yet counselors would maintain an awareness of thebasic scientific approach.

Identifying how helping professionals, called coun-selors, differ from other helping professionals calledpsychologists, social workers and teachers, is crucialin establishing counselor licensure laws, obtainingfinancial support for counselors from legislators andother public policymakers.

The problem of counselor identity and establishingappropriate responsibilities and functions to be per-formed by counselors appears to be most acute inschool settings. Although the American School Coun-selor Association in 1974 has presented role and func-tion statements for school counselors at the elementaryschool (1974a), middle school (1974b) and secondaryschool (1974c) levels, those statements do not appearto have reached many school counselors, let alone thepublic at large. Some explain the gap between the ideal

43

When someonesays or writesthat what isneeded today incounseling is todecide whocounselors areand what theydo, a sense ofdietastefulwearinessovertakes me.

The problem ofcounseloridentity andestablishingappropriateresponsibilitiesant functions tobe performed bycounselorsappears to bemost acute inschool settings.


and reality by saying that school counselors have to

make do with the world as it is, not with what theymight like it to be. Perhaps in the next five years some

new force, idea or experience will be uncovered andbrought to bear upon who counselors are as helping

...effective professionals. In the meantime effective counseling

counseling professionals may not spend too much time searching

professionals for an identity but will simply live it.

may not spend During the next five years, some change will take

too much lime place in the services counselors deliver. The direction

searching for an of the change is to move from concentration upon

identity but will remedial to developmental, peventive services. That

simply live it. shift has started and will accelerate. More counselors

are spending more of their time on dm.., and alcoholeducation programs, suicide prevention programs,career development, awareness of physical and sexualabuse, death and dying, health, stress management and

Although at the inoculation, and the like. Although at the present time,

present time, most counselors spend most of their time coping with

most counselors crisis situationshelping people with their trou-

spend most of blesin the next five years more counselors will

their time coping spend more time on prevention.

with crisis Changes to affirm a counselor's identity based

situations...in on advancing personal and career development andthe next five changes in the shift of counseling from remedial to

years more developmental will intensify as counselor education

counselors will programs change.spend more time And counselor education programs will change...

on prevention. slowly. It is believed here that the CACREF standoffswill specify, within the next five years, that entry-levelcounselor education is a two-year 60-semester hourprogram, with 1000 clock hours of supervised experi-ence. Now, during the past few years, various individ-uals and groups have recommended that counseloreducation institutions must add certain courses orparticular features to their programs. For example,Sampson and Loesch (1985) have recommended thatCACREP standards add computer literacy; Loesch(1983) more measurement; Haring-Hildore and Vacc

(1988) more emphasis upon scientific thinking and

4 4


pore research courses; Myers (1983) more geronto-logical counseling; Gladding, Burggraf, and Fenell(1987), Fend 11 and Hovestadt (1986) and others mommarriage and family counseling; Ponterotto and Casas(1987) more treatment of multicultural issues; Iveyand Goncalves (1987) more developmental theory,assessment and intervention; Stadler and Paul (1986),more instruction on ethical and legal issues; Brown(1987) more career development; Brown, Pryzwansky,and Schulte (1987) more consultation courses;Ponterotto (1985) more psychophannacoloty courses;and Gladding (1985) suggests a course on counselinghistory.

This listing of courses and experiences to be addedcould go on and on. The trouble is that when theseindividuals speak to their case, they are persuasive.[I'm like the girl in Oklahoma who can't say no!] Andmany counselor educators must be persuaded, too, forHollis and Wantz (1986) reported that during 1984-1987, 965 courses were added and but 41 dropped.The most froquently added were marriage and familycourses. Pipes, Buckhalt, and Merrill (1983) havelabeled this situation the "psychology of more." Thequestion is if you add all of these necessary courses,what can be subtracted or taken out of a counseloreducation program? If that question is not answerable,the only recourse is that CACREP standanis specifythat it takes five academic years of graduate educationto prepare counselors!

The model of counselor represented in counseloreducation will change. The model in most entry-levelprograms, whether CACREP approved or not, hasbeen that of a practitioner whose primary mode ofoperation was individual behavioral processes. manyprogram descriptions suggested that individual behav-ioral processes were not the exclusive mode of opera-tions because both personal and career developmentcan be advanced (and sometimes better) throughgroup, curricular and other psycho-educational experi-ences, those processes never seem to emerge very

4 5

...V you add allof these neces-sary (counseloreducation)courses, whatcan be sub-tracted or takenout of acounseloreducationprogram?


For many yearsschool coun-selors have beensaying to coun-selor educatorsthat the "clinicalmodel"...wasnot sufficientfor the responsi-bilities assignedto them or thegoals theysought toaccomplish.

The hope is thatwithin the nextfive years thisissue of semesterhours, degrees,course work andcounselorcompetencieswill be clarified.

strongly once practice was started. For many yearsschool counselors have been saying to counseloreducators that the "clinical model" (their label forindividual behavioral processes) was not sufficient forthe responsibilities assigned to them or the goals theysought to accomplish.

During the next five years, change in the model ofcounselor will be to that of the practitioner-scientist.The practitioner part of that equation will continue toreceive the heaviest emphasis and it will change to apractitioner of developmental, preventive and mentalhealth emphasis. The scientist part will emerge andbecome stronger as programs move to 60 semesterhours. The expanded time will make it possible toprovide more research courses Ind research experi-ences. Vacc's and Barden's (1988) ideas that thescientist part speaks to not just research and accounta-bility but to the application of scientific thinkingappears to be charting the direction that will be taken.

The direction counselor education is moving inappears to be patterned after the model of clinicalpsychology and other professions: Entry into the coun-seling profession can come only after the award of thedoctorate degree. Lanning (1988) says counselor edu-cation is in danger of becoming a clone of psychologyeducation. Traditionally, doctorates have been earnedwith about 60-70 semester hours of graduate coursework plus certain other experiences. Now, 60 semesterhours of graduate work in counselor education earns astudent a master's degree. The hope is that within thenext five years this issue of semester hours, degrees,course work and counselor competencies will beclarified. Linked to this issue is the question of whereand how counselor specialization is to be treated incounselor preparation programs. Some, if not most,counselor education programs have treated the em-ployment settingschool, college, hospital, agency orindustryas denoting specialty. Now the dimction ofspecialization appears to be changing to that of clientproblems or characteristics: career counselors, mental

413


health counselors, addictions counselors, gerontologi-cal counselors, marriage and family counselors. Again,the amount of time in a two-year program to bedevoted to specialization needs to be clarified. Howmuch time, course work and other experiences areneeded for preparing a generic counselor and howmuch to provide any semblance of specialization?

Clearly the trend is for counselor education duringthe next five years to incorporate marriage and familycounseling as either required or optional courses, or asdegree or specialty concentrations. Further, counseloredLcation institutions probably will remain highlyvariable in how they respond to cross-cultural ormulti-cultural issues. Some institutions will createcourses, others will organize short-term workshops orother special learning experiences for the purpose ofextending counselors' cultural sensitivity, knowledgeor competency.

Further, as Hollis and Wantz (1986) noted in thecounselor preparation directory, practicum and intern-ship, long held as the capstones of preparation, wereno longer being directly supervised by faculty. Rather,direct, day-to-day supervision is being provided bycounseling professionals in agencies and other units.That trend will continue. Hollis and Wantz point outthat these supervisors not only determine the majorexperiential components of counselor training but havea large input into who practices and how.

One other trend that will continue strongly duringthe next five years is the diversity that exists in coun-seling. Diversity, rather than uniformity, is reflected inhow counseling is defined, how it is provided.Diversity is reflected among the 480 or so counseloreducation programs, although perhaps less so amongCACREP accredited institutiOtit. Diversity is presentin the mosaic of counseling theories available toexplain client behavior and interventions. The tensionsand stresses associated with this diversity willcontinue. Therefore, it could be said that the diversitythat exists represents a splendid misery, for out of the

4 7

Diversity, ratherthan uniformity,is reflected inhow counselingis defined, howit is provided.

...the diversitythat existsrepresents asplendid misery,for out of thetensions andstresses itgenerates maycome creative,usefulapproaches toguide any visionof the future ofcounseling.

36 COUNSELING FUMES

tensions and stresses it generates may come creative,useful approaches to guide any vision of the future of

counseling.

What is most What is most impressive, at least to this observer, is

impressive, at that today's counselor educators are teaching compe-

least to this tence more successfullycompetence in responding to

observer, is that clients, in gathering information about the client's

today's situation, in mastering the details of managing a client

counselor load and in producing client changes. The techni,Ial

educators are skills achieved by current counseling graduates appearteaching compe- to surpass their counterparts of 10 or even five years

tence more ago. Competence in technical skills leaves open the

successfully. . . . essential question of "competence to what end?" Stu-dents come to graduate edv-Ition with high expecta-tions. And yet, all too often, they become enmeshedwithin narrow routines and organizational grooves towhich counselor preparation sometimes appears to beexcessively devoted. Little time is left to ponder life'sambiguities, oilemmas, commitments.

Whenever the future of counseling is addressed, theinherent implication is that all must do better in thefuture than they are doing at present. Present effortsare thought of with less than complete enthusiasm.Because of this, I feel a strong need to conclude thispresentation in a more optimisrc fashion. This observ-

er is neither highly disappointed nor ashamed aboutprogress that, to date, has been made in the delivery of

Counseling is counseling or the preparation of counselors. Counsel-

strong and ing is strong and getting stronger. Although recog-getting nizing the obvious fact that much more remains to be

stronger....it done, it should also be recognized that counselors haveshould also be accomplished a great deal under what, at best, haverecognized that been difficult conditions. An appreciation exists forcounseors have thos -/ho have worked and continue to work toaccomplished a advance counseling.great deal under Uppermost in my mind in concluding this state-what, at best, ment about the future of counseling are lines fromhave been Shakespeare's Henry IV spoken by the boastfuldifficult Glendower and the clear-eyed Henry Hotspur "I canconditions, call spirits from the vasty deep." bragged Glendower.

48


"Why, so can 1, or so can any man," replies Hotspur,"but will they come when you do call for them?" Thetransformations in counseling that we are calling forhere--will they ever come?

4 ;)

Chapter 4

Forces for Change inCounseling and CounselorEducation

Gam R. Walz

In our previous discussion we enumerated differentapproaches to futuring as well as some of the possibleoutcomes of futuring. Also, we sketched out a numberof outcomes and effects of futuring upon thoseengaged in reflecting upon the future of counseling.Individually and collectively these six factors willcontinue to influence how counseling msponds to thefutureincluding both immediate and long-termeffects. In particular we wish to make the point thatwhether or not counselor education or counselingprograms deal directly with the issue of the future,willy nilly views and feelings about the future, and therole of counselors and counseling in that futurr, willhave significant effects upon how counselors aretrained and how they practice counseling both in thepresent and the foreseeable future. The new publi-cation Changing Contexts for Counselor Preparation(Hackney, 1990) came out of a desire by the Associa-tion for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)to examine the new social and educational contexts inwhich counselor preparation is being offered anddoing something about "charting the future" for coun-selor preparation.

5 0

...views andfeelings aboutthe future, andthe role ofcounselors andcounseling inthat future, willhave significanteffects upon howcounselors aretrained and howthey practicecounseling bothin the presentand the fore-seeable future.

39


Socio/professional forces are a different source ofchange and they are impacting upon counseling andthe decisions we make or do not make regarding thepreparation and practice of counselors. Each of thesefonts in varying degrees has the potency to affect thefuture of counseling. In 9 for the 90s: CounselingTrends for Tomorrow, Benjamin and Walz (1989)focused on nine issues they believe will be central tocounseling in the nineties. These nine issues include:Learning to Learn, Life Transitions; Technology;Computers and Counseling; Demographic Trends andTheir Impact on Counseling; Marketing; StressManagement; Resource Resourcefulness; ChangeAgentry; and Personal Empowerment. Perhaps asmany as a dozen forces can be identified as havingparticular relevance for counselor education andsupervision and counseling. For purposes of this paperonly five will be discussed here: (1) CounselingResearch and Development; (2) Marketing; (3)DemographicsTowards 2000 A.D. and Beyond;(4) Generation and Use of New Knowledge; and (5)The Shifting Personal Development Paradigm.

Counseling Research and Development

Major improve- Major improvements in counseling in our society havements in coun- typically been driven by the actions of the federalseling in a,ur government in responding to an identified nationalsociety have need. The public and private counseling and guidancetypically been institutes of the sixties were in iesponse to Sputnik anddriven by the the need to identify and assist gifted students as aactions of the means of meeting the challenges posed by Russianfederal govern- space achievements. Millions of dollars were appro.ment in priated to improve the preparation of counselors andresponding to an counseling and testing programs in public schools. Theidentified impetus given to expansion and inprovement of coun-national need. seling and guidance led to a period of unsurpassed

growth in counselor education programs and school-based guidance and counseling programs. Can we look

5 1

Forces for Change in Counseling and Counselor Education 41

forward to future federal transfusions of support andfinancial resources? Are there emerging nationalinitiatives which bode well for counseling? Do thenumerous proposals for educational reform identifycounseling as a significant component of a nationalinitiative for education? Does counseling occupy animportant role in U.S. Department of Educatio.iresearch and development initiatives either present orproposed?

Unfortunately, the answer to all the above ques-tions would have tf.. be a resounding "No!" Whetherone speaks of the activities of national educationresearch centers funded by the U.S. Department ofEducation, regional education laboratories or basicresearch grants, counseling is all but ignored. Further,the proposals for educational reform make only slightreference to counseling if mention is made at all. Evenin proposed federal programs for major social ills suchas alcohol and drug abuse the role of counseling isperipheral; and if ieference is made to counseling it isnot clearly stated that the counseling be provided bycertified counseling professionals. Admittedly thereare many instances wheie resourceful counseling pro-fessionals have obtained funding for research anddevelopment programs but it would appear to be inresponse to their resourcefulness and savvy rather thanan expression of support for counseling. Harsh as itmay seem, the truth is that with a few exceptions,major sources of funding for new initiatives in coun-seling, particularly at the federal level, have all butdried up. Research and development as it now exists incounseling is almost exclusively a product of doctoraldissertations!

The danger in this situation is that the funuingneeded to promote innovative developments in thedesign and delivery of counseling am unavailable andcounselors may increasingly rely on "old wine in oldbottles" with a "new label" here and there. At a timewher the need is greater than ever before, and growingexponentially, counseling is without the resources

52

Harsh as it mayseem, the truthis that with afew exceptions,major sources offunding for newinitiatives incounseling,particularly atthe federal level,have all butdried up.


needed to develop the knowledge and competenciescommensurate with the human problems that currentlyexist and are only likely to worsen.

As a force for Force for Change: As a force for change the coun-change the seling research and development effort is a small light

counseling providing only the dimmest illumination for thoseresearch and looking for new directions and ideas. The prospects fordevelopment either dramatic or gradual change is not bright. For theeffort is a small immediate future it appears counselors will have tolight providing find their way on their own, unaided by basic researchonly the and development support from other sources.dimmestillumination forthose looking 2. Marketingfor new direc-tions and ideas. It may seem unusual, if not bizarre, to include the

concept of marketing as a force for change in coun-seling. The usual practice is to focus on educationaland social ills (e.g., drug dependency, school dropouts)and suggest that if counseling is to be a viable pro-fession, it needs counselors who are prepared to beresponsive to the broad array of social iiis which afflict

The concept of Americans of all ages. The concept of marketing as amarketing as a potent force determining how counseling develops ispotent force with rare exception ignored in counselor education anddetermining how practice (Walz, 1985). "Cars and cereals are productscounseling to market, not counselinga professional service," isdevelops is with a traditional iesponse. This line of reasoning, however,rare exception ignores the burgeoning activities of the high priests ofignored in professionalization, doctors and lawyers who aggres-counselor sively market their services to the public. Their activi-educaition and ties simply reflect the changed conditions in ourpractice. society that legally allow and fmancially demand that

professional practitioners communicate to the publicand potential clients the services which they canprovide which will be of help to them. In a phrase,they market their professional services: sometimesdiscreetly and with taste; at other times blatantly andwith little regard for substance.

r0,3


Basic to marketing activity is the undisputable factthat we live in a market-driven society. Market forces,the needs and desires of people for particular goodsand services, play a major role in the choices availableto people. Though energy conservationists and thegovernment would like for people to drive small cars,people desire the feel of a large car and the image itprojects. Manufacturers are irresistibly influenced toupsize cars after each energy cnmch.

In a comparable though less recognized develop-ment, marketing forces are exerting a powerfulinfluence on the delivery of education and the helpingservices. Almost without exception, recommendedreforms in public education contain a provision forproviding greater freedom of choice for parents andtheir children as to where they go to school, the courseof study they pursue, and whether the school is publicor private. Expanding educational options, e.g., avoucher system, is actually a means of injecting educa-tion with more competitivenessof establishingmarket conditions where the deliverers of educationmust "woo and win" the minds and pocketbooks ofparents and students. The successful schools will bethose that are the most effective in attracting andkeeping students in their schools, be they public orprivate, non-profit or for-profit.

The marketing forces operating in counseling andthe human services, though less well articulated, areno less important or real. They are preaent in a varietyof forms. First, is the choice increasingly available toschools and organizations of the type of "deliverer"they desire for responding to student and/or parentalneeds, e.g., at-risk students, pregnant teenagers, drug-addicted stOents. The lines between specialities suchas ,:acial work, school psychology, and school coun-seling have been blurred to the extent that they com-pete for the same funds to offer assistance to specialpopulations.

A second choice is the emerging "self help"approaches where individuals look for help and

5 4

Basic tomarketingactivity is theundisputablefact that we livein a market-driven society.

Expandingeducationaloptions, e.g., avoucher system,is actually ameans of inject-ing educationwith more com-petitiveness....


In the mostbasic terms,seldom canmarketing turna weak programinto a winningone....

information from peers rather than seeking the services

of a professional specialist; or they may network withothers with similar needs and interests. A third choice

is the programmed interventions which through the useof technology, e.g., computer software, telecommuni-cations, VCR's, and interactive computer networks,provide specialized technical assistance to persons ona wide variety of topics and needs. The point is that anincreasing array of choices are available to thoseseeking counseling-oriented assistance. There's morethan one game in town!

The most successful services will inevitably bethost- individuals/programs that most effectively meetthe needs and interosts of their clients. Traditionally,counseling has operated in a restricted choice environ-mentyou made use of the counselor/counselingoffered to you or you didn't obtain counseling. Or youmay have exercised a choice regarding a counselor ora particular program but the information available toyou regarding your options was limited because therewas only a minimal effort to market these services.Frequently the rationale here is that good counselingprovides its own marketing. Clients will know about,recognize, and respond to quality without any specialmarketing efforts. However true this point of viewmay have been at one time, it lacks credence whenother attractive helping servic. aggressively promotetheir strong points. In the most basic terms, seldom canmarketing turn a weak program into a winning one,but strong programs can considerably enhance theirappeal to and the responsiveness of clients.

Marketing as discussed here is defined as a eon-selods effort on the part of a developer to offerservireeproducts which respond to the needs andinterests of special client groups. Marketing involvesan active communication with client groups to assistthem in making informed decisions that serve both theclient and the offerer. Inducing a client to take actionswhich are not i his/her best interest offer short-termbenefits for the offerer, and in the long haul are more

55

Forces for Change in Counseling and Counselor Education 4!

hurtful than helpful to everyone. Crass and unfoundedemotional appeals also frequently fall on deaf ears.

If, as is being suggested, marketing can improvethe match between client and services, and drawclients to a strong rather than a weak program, thequestion becomes, "how can we best market coun-seling?" Three points are worth emphasizing here.First, research has demonstrated that the two mostimportant factors in a service's success are its quali-tative superiority over competing services and itsuniqueness. Attention to these two factors alone canmake the difference between wide public acceptanceof a high quality serv'ce or an "also ran" helpingservice.

A product/service life cycle is a second importantfactor in marketing. All products go through a lifecycle similar to humansleft to normal aging aservice will experience the life cyle of growth to decaycharacteristic of living entities (Walz, 1988). Market-ing efforts need to be directed at the life stage aparticular product or service is in. One of the hardesttasks is to terminate a service when it is in a decliningstate and rejuvenation may require valuable resourcesbetter allotted to new product development andintroduction. A third factor is the potency oftechnology for turning around an otherwise stagnant ordeclining service. The introduction of computer-assisted career guidance, for example, did much torejuvenate and bring new verve to an otherwise stablecounseling specialty. Alert counselors desirous ofprofiting from this marketing research might well seekout all available evidence that former clients liked andbenefited from their counseling, that the counselingoffered special featuros, e.g., computer assistance notavailable from other sources, and was tailored to theneeds/interest: of different groups. It is probable thateven this basic marketing effort could serve to setapart the counseling service from other services andincrease its utility and attractiveness.

5 6

...the two mostimportantfactors in a(counseling]service's successare its qualita-tive superiorityover competingservices and itsuniqueness.

Marketinge,fforts need tobe directed atthe life stage aparticularproduct orservice is in.

46 COUNSELING FIXTURES

Strong (coun-seling] programswill get strongerthroughmarketingwhereas weakand unmarketed"strongprograms" willbe passed by.

Force for Change: If I were to choose one central

point in this discussion of marketing it is that in aconsumer era when clients have the opportunity tomake choices regarding the number and type ofservices they utilize, effective marketing is a must.Strong programs will get stronger through marketing

whereas v.zak and unmarketed "strong programs"will be passed by. Some of counseling's strongestcompetitors, e.g., social work, are mounting extensivemarketing programs which are contributing to theirsuccessful entry into new fields and activities. Unlike

many professional specialities, the public has anunusually large array of options in the counselingarena. Counseling, which traditionally has received a

poor press and is regularly negatively viewed in both

the public media and professional publications, is par-ticularly disadvantaged in a free choice climate. Both

local and national marketing efforts could serve thetwin purposes of enhancing public judgments regard-ing counseling and focusing counselor attention onrefining what services they are prepared to offer towhom. As we move towards a society in which op-tions and choices mom frequently characterize assis-

...anything less tance to persons, anything less than a committed

than a marketing effort locally and nationally will spell

commilled disaster for the future growth of counseling.

marketing effortlocally andnationally will 3. DemographicsTowards 2000 A.D.spell disaster for and Beyondthe futuregrowth of Any discussion of the impact of forces for change on

counseling, counselor education and counseling must give consid-

eration to people and the lifestyles they will lead.Population issues are importanthow many people,where they will live, and the distribution by age andethnic group, will strongly influence the type of coun-seling needed and how it should be offered. Preparingcounselors for a world that was, rather than equippingthem with the skills requisite for a world to be can

5 7


result in too many counselors of the wrong persuasionat the wrong time. Properly used, however, a knowl-edge of demographics can assist us to utilize "leadtime" to anticipate the needs and interests of popula-tion sub groups and to both prepare counselors andcounseling resources so we are ready when the needsarise.

Of paramount importance are five demographicswhich will play a major role in shaping the charac-teristics of the counseling client population and, hence,the skills and the perspectives they need to bring tocounseling. Knowing what it is that counselors need tobe able to do in turn shapes the goals and priorities forcounselor education. The five demographics and theimplications of each for counseling are listed below:

Working Women

Young girls today can expect to spend the majority oftheir adult years working outside the home. As such,career and educational planning for girls will assumefar greater importance than has occurred in the past.Of equal importance is the acquisition by young girlsof the employability skills and attitudes essential toperformance in the work force. A major considerationhere may be girls of ethnic backgrounds whereemployment by women is outside the traditional cul-tural and family norms. In all cases, young girls needhelp to overcome resistance and personal hangups todeveloping skills and talents in non-traditional areas(e.g., math, science, business) which can hinder theirentry into and progress in career tracks that lead tohigher level management and administrative positions.

Aging Population

The greying and wrinkling of the American populationis by now both a well established and well knowndemographic trend. The implications for counseling,however, have not received general recognition by

58

...career andeducationalplanning forgirls will assumefar greaterimportance thanhas occurred inthe past.

48 Cowl RUNG FUTURES

...adult develop-ment mustbecome a majorcomponent of allcounseloreducationprograms.

...a concerteddrive by theprofession toattract and pre-pare persons ofcolor to becomecounselors at alllevels and in allsettings shouldbecome apriority for thecounselingprofession.

counselors. Clearly, adult development must become a

major component of all counselor education programs.

Both the psychological and sociological characteristics

of adults and their needs for counseling should becovered. Preserving the self-esteem of adults, empow-ering adults, wellness in later life, the needs of parents

of adult children, and gerontological counseling are

topics that generally receive scant attention in coun-selor education today, but will become major consid-

erations in the emerging future.

Ethnic Mix

The coloring of the American population through thehigh birth rates of non-whites and high immigrationfrom both legal and non-legal non-white countries israpidly changing the complerion of the Americanpopulation. It is estimated that by the year 2000, white

males will constitute only 15% of the labor force.While some of the decline in white male representa-tion in the labor force is attributable to the increasingpercentage of working females previously discussedhere, the most pertinent explanation is the increasingentry into the labor force of non-whites. Two consid-erations seem paramount here. First, is the need to pre-

pare the predominantly white and female counselingprofession to understand the characteristics and needsof non-white students and adults, both male andfemale. It would seem that courses in multiculturalcounseling must assume a far larger priority than they

do today. Second, a concerted drive by the professionto attract and prepare persons of color to becomecounselors at all levels and in all settings shouldbecome a priority for the counseling profession.

Decline of the Middle Class

Long the stalwart of American society, the decline inthe numbers, power and influence of the middle classraises a number of interesting but difficult to answer

59


questions. Will the demise of the middle class (a majorsource of support for counseling) lead to decreasinginterest in and suppoi l. for counseling? Will the newgroups with power desire more culturally-bound, lessprofessionally-oriented assistance for themselves? Willit be harder to attract new candidates for counselingprepa ation programs? No clear answers have yetemergt,d for these and other questions, but it isprobable that the decline in the middle class posesimportant questions and may effect counseling con-siderably more than we currently understand.

Equally important to the topics we have touchedupon are demographic patterns of education andhousing, and the "so called" move to the sunbelt.These patterns are also likely to have important impacton preparation for the the delivery of counseling andshould be considered along with the other demo-graphic patterns.

The Generation and Use of New Knowledge

As we move as a society ever more fully into the infor-mation age, the influence and impact of any organi-zation, be it a corporate conglomerate or a profession,depends in large measure on how well it managesinformation. If information is power, as has beenrepeatedly voiced, then ready access to and effectiveuse of information can be a major variable in the suc-cess of an organization in achieving its goals. Theimportance of information doesn't stop with largeorganizationsthe capacity of an individual to acquireand integrate new information into counseling prac-tices may well make the difference between a coun-selor who is providing state-of-the-art services tohis/her clients and one who is relying upon archaicinformation and skills acquired during the initialcounselor education program.

Force for Change: In viewing the role that infor-mation will play as a force for change in counselor

60

Will the newcroups withpower desiremore culturally-bound, lessprofessionally-orientedassistance forthemselves?

...the capacityof an individualto acquire andintegrate newinformatien intocounselingpractices maywell make thedifferencebetween acounselor who b,providing state-of-the-art ser-vices...and onewho is relyingupon archaicinformation and


education, two factors seem paramount: (1) how

quickly new knowledge is generated and, (2) how well

do counselors acquire and use new knowledge.

The Generation of New Knowledge

By all accounts an extensive array of journals existwhich regularly publish relevant counseling infor-mationeasily 25 or more in number. In addition,there are numerous journals that are not specific tocounseling but publish information relevant for coun-

selors. It is not the intent of the writer here to makejudgments regarding the adequacy of the coverage ofthe topics or the quality of the articles in the journals.Suffice to say that there does seem to be a blend ofresearch-oriented materials and articles directedtoward practitioners. A substantial number of theresearch-oriented articks are the product of disserta-

tion research while the practitioner-oriented articles

voice the opinions and observations of the authors.Overall, an ample number of journals cover all but the

most esoteric needs and interests of counselors andcounselor educators.

Of particular Of particular importance for counselors is the exis-

importance for tence of an Educational Resources Information Center

counselors is the (ERIC) Clearinghouse devoted to the acquisition,

existence of an processing, analysis, and dissemination of information

Educational for counselors and student services specialiststheResources ERIC Counseling and Personnel Services Clearing-

Information house (CAPS) at The University of Michigan. ERIC is

Center (ERIC) now the world's largest educational database compris-

Clearinghouse.... ing nearly one million document and journal entries(Office of Educational Research and Improvement,1990). It is also the most frequently searched database

in college and university libraries. It offers an author an

altemative route to journals for disseminating ideasone that has the advantage of a quicker turnaround time

between submission and printing and a more liberalpolicy regarding length and writing style. It would


seem, thus, that the counseling profession, with a widearray of journals and an ERIC Clearinghouse devotedto its subject area, is very well covered in the area ofacquiring and disseminating information relevant tocounselors.

Counselor Acquisition and Use of NewKnowledge

It is a truism that a gap exists in education betweenwhat is known and what is done about what is known.It is one thing for there to be extensive sources ofinformation and effective means for its dissemi-nationit is quite another for the infonnation to beacquired and used by counselors. Benjamin and Walz(1989) in discussing the importance of counselorsbecoming resource resourceful, suggest that by takinga proactive stance regarding new knowledge the dinespent will be more than compensated for by incieasedeffectiveness n their counseling. They suggest twomain roles that counselors should adopt in knowledgeutilization:

Self-renewal. Most counselors endeavor to keep upto date on new ideas and developments which are rele-vant to their work. This in itself is a challenge. Most ofus have short lives and long reading lists of journalsand other useful resources which go unread andunapplied. While there is no easy solution to thisdilemma of responding to increasing demands forservice while trying to enhance one's own knowledgeand skills, it is clear that if counselors are to be viableboth individually and as a professional group, theymust give a real priority to seltrenewal. In fact, just tomaintain their competence in traditional specialtiesand responsibilities requires that counselors providetime for upgrading existing skills and acquiring newones. Like personal fitness and health, counselorscannot afford not to devote the time necessary toenhance their psychological and professional knowl-edge and vitality.

2

...the counsel-ing profession,with a widearray of jour-nals and anERIC Clearing-house devoted toits subject area,is very wellcovered in thearea ofacquiring anddisseminatinginformationrelevant tocounselors.

...by taking aproactive stanceregarding newknowledge thetime spent willbe more thancompensated forby increasedeffectiveness intheir counseling.


As a broker, thecounselor hasthe opportunityto intervene invery direct anduseful ways with!arge numbersof people, but isalso able to savethe timenecessary forlong-termcounseling withindividuals.

Counselors as knowledge brokers. People today

are increasingly taking personal responsibility for their

own development and wellness and relying less onothers for help. Counselors are in the vanguard ofthose who can provide information and assistanceabout strategies that can be utilized or additionalsources of information that are available. In this role,

counselors are truly knowledge brokers, individuals

who because of their own knowledge and expertise in

areas related to human development can help other

staff and parents design self-help programs and refer

them to other sources of information which will help

them to be successful in these programs. As a broker,

the counselor has the opportunity to intervene in very

direct and useful ways with large numbers of people,

but is also able to save the time necessary for long-

term counseling with individuals. Many students andadults do not need the extended time of the counselor,

rather, they need help in clarifying their needs; they

need to be pointed in the right direction, and to bemade aware of the resources available to help themself-manage their development. More so than anyone

in the educational sphere, counselors both by knowl-edge and disposition are ideally suited to perform this

role.Two new developments promise to be of great

assistance to counselor educators and counselors in

aiding them to both acquire and use new knowledge

more effectively. The first, the ERIC/CAPS CounselorEducation Partnership Program offers a wide variety

of ERIC resources for counselor education programs,

e.g., ERIC database searches, reduced cost for allERIC/CAPS publications and workshops in return forthe programs' instruction of new counselor education

students in how to use ERIC, and the regular submis-

sion of materials for the ERIC database. Whether in

preparing course materials, developing a proposal for

research and development funds or completing therequisite search before writing a book or article,

bft

Forces for Change in Counseling and CounselorEducation 53

knowledge of how to use ERIC can be an enormousbenefit to counselors.

A second exciting development is the availabilityof ERIC on CD-ROM. The CD-ROM versions ofERIC are menu driven, making it far easier for newsearchers to locate infonnation. The cost for a searcn isalso likely to be far less (as it is not done on-line) andfaster, as a user receives immediate feedback on theoutcomes of the search either on the monitor or on aprintout.

The Shifting Personal DevelopmentParadigm

Cast your eye about any bookstore and you ate likelyto note large sections devoted to what is variouslycalled "Self Improvement," "Self Help," or "PersonalDevelopment." Comprised of both audiotapes andvideotapes as well as highly attractive softcover bookswith catchy titles, these "self-help areas" in bookstoresare designed to respond to the burgeoning demand forresources for a "do it yourself" population. Out of anaversion to the high price (and lack of satisfaction?)with the services of professionals, consumers areincreasingly turning to resources that will help them tofix their own faucet, repair a broken relationship, ormake a million. Present in all of these self-help booksis the prevailing idea that the basics ilecessary to doalmost anything can be quickly learned and that thepower rests with the doer"I'll do it my way!" Inconversations with bookstore owners, the authorlearned that self-improvement is one of the mostrapidly growing areas in bookstore sales and is appar-ently recession resistant--people such as early retirees,the unemployed, or anyone just desirous of gettingahead eagerly seek out e4ch new offering.

Though not clearly recognized as such, we areexperiencing a paradigm shift in how people prepamthemselves for undertaking major life tasks, e.g.,

6 4

A secondexcitingdevelopment isthe availabilityof ERIC onCD-ROM.

Present in all ofthese self-helpbooks Ls theprevailing ideathat the basicsnecessary to doalmost anythingcan be quicklylearned....


11111=11Mil...we areexperiencing aparadigm shiftin how peoplepreparethemselves forundertakingmajor life tasks,e.g., choosing acareer, locatinga job, orovercominggrier loss.

The newpersonaldevelopmentparadigm is stillin its infancy.

choosing a career, locating a job, or overcoming grief

or loss. Whereas at one time people sought pro-fessional assistance and with it a "prescription" forresponding to a problem or need, the new pattern for

many is to seek resources (both human and material)which they use to prepare themselves for responding

to the challenge or need in their own way. With this

personal development paradigm shift also comes animportant shift in how counselors are perceived and

used. The career planning and placement center pro-vides a good illustration of how the shift is occurring.

The popular book What Color is Your Parachute by

Richard Bolles (1989) was instrumental in the change

in the role and function of career planning and place-

ment centers. This book taught the user a methodology

for preparing for and undertaking a job search anddiminished the role of traditional one-on-one career

counseling.Several important features can be noted in the per-

sonal development paradigm shift:

The responsibility for and the major decisionsregarding "what to do when" are made by theperson undertaking the change.Professionals (counselors, career specialists,etc.) are perceived as sources of informationand sounding boards, not as prescribers.External resources such as books, audiotapes,videotapes and computer software are regarded

as important sources of information and assis-tance for acquiring "how to" skills.A key element is networldngconnecting withpersons with diverse talents ) d experienceswho can provide emotional support as well astechnical expertise to a person as they cope.

Force for Change: The new personal developmentparadigm is still in its infancy. New advances in multi-

media configurations that increase the facility for therapid transmission of data and visual images and offer

the user a interactive capability with a variety of

65


soprces (counselor, computer, and databanks) arelikely to speed experimentation and dissemination ofthis new paradigm. A shift in what the counselor needsto know and do in this counseling paradigm isobvious. It has been suggested that the counselor in thenew career center (as contrasted with the previousCareer Planning and Placement Center) will have as aprimary focus the creation of networks for collegesophomores and juniors involving faculty, employers,and students. The major focus will be on providinginternships or field experiences which facilitate bothcareer choices and placement based on employer andstudent familiarity with each other as a result of aninternship (Casella, 1990).

How will this new paradigm impinge on the prepa-ration and performance of other counselors? It isperhaps too early to say in any definitive ways. But thepotential for major influence is clearly present. Cer-tainly it will call for counselors who are skilled inunderstanding and using a variety of media and whoare comfortable "brokering" an array of mediaresources through formal and informal client networks.The new counselor role will be one that demandscounselors whose specialty is more that of a "personallearning specialist" than a "clinical counseling pro-fessional."

Computers and Technology

Few forces for change in counselor education havebeen as visible and frequently discussed as that ofcomputers. Their omnipresent nature in society and thedramatic manner in which they are changing both thebusiness world and our daily life naturally lead us tolook for equally pervasive changes in counseloreducation and counseling practice. In fact, in the early1980s it was not unusual to hear informal discussionsby counselors about the "computer peril" or the antici-pated takeover of counseling and the displacement of

66

Certainly it [thenew counselingparadigm]will call forcounselors whoare skilled inunderstandingand using avariety of mediaand who arecomfortable"brokering" anarray of mediaresources....

...in the early1980s it was notunusual to hearinformal discus-sions by coun-selors about the"computerperil" [incounseling]....


...the para-mount counselorinterest was notin computersper se, but ingaininginformationabout computersoftware.

..the greaterthe cognitiveemphasis of theapproach, thegreater thepotential foreffectivecompwintervention....

counselors by computers. An analysis of the impact of

computers upon counseling was undertaken by Walz,

Bleuer, and Maze (1989) using as criteria the number

of journal articles, ERIC documents and AACDprogram sessions related to computers in counseling.

Their analysis showed a gradual buildup in interestculminating in a peak in 1985, with a substantial andcontinuous decline in the late 80s. Their review of the

data led them to conclude that there was a con-siderably diminished interest in speculative articlesabout the use of and potential for computers in coun-seling. A greater interest appeared to exist for empiri-

cal research on "...the impact of computers on coun-

seling outcomes" (p. 409). They concluded that the

paramount counselor interest was not in computersper se, but in gaining information about computer soft-

ware. It was as if the interest in computers as a newcomponent in counseling had reached a plateau andthere was a shift in interest to the use of specificcomputer software with identified counseling clients.In effect there has been a move from the theoretical,

"what is the potential of computers for counseling" to

the practical, "How can we make use of computers in

this specific counseling area."In assessing the potential effectiveness and use of

computers in counseling, Harris-Bowlsbey (1990) con-

cluded that the greater the cognitive emphasis of the

approach, the greater the potential for effective com-

puter intervention; and second, the greater the confine-

ment of the presenting problem, e.g., educational orvocational choices, "the greater the potential for the

computer alone or in combination with the counselor

to be an effective mode of intervention." (p. 215)

There is an understandable tendency to view thecomputer as an awe inspiring "superpower" and toovergencralize regarding its influence and impact.Walz (1990) has suggested that four characteristics ofcomputers will have an important influence upon theiradoption and use. First, they will generate bothpositive and negative outcomessome aspects of

6 '7


counseling will be performed better (handling data)while others will be performed less well (interpersonalinteraction). The same technology and process bringsabout both the gain and the loss. Second, the use of thecomputer increases the visibility of conflicts betweenchoices and valuesdecisions and choices are madesharper and mom clearcut than they were without thecomputer. Third, computer usage in counseling leadsto both greater depersonalization and individual-izationthere is an intense focus on a given individualby the computer (in& malization) but the focus is byan inanimate object (depersonalization). Fourth, thesocial setting in which the computer is used, be it aschool guidance program or adult counseling center,will strongly influence its use. "The computer as acomponent in a highly variable social setting isungeneralizable because it both shapes and is shapedby the particular program in which it is used." (p. 200)

The computer clearly has the potential to signifi-cantly affect the role of the counselor and the mannerin which she/he is prepared. But it is only a potential.The addition of computers to counseling and counseloreducation does not guarantee that the program will beeither more efficient or more effective. Several con-siderations are paramount in redefining the counselors'role vis-'.-vis the computer.

1. In light of the enormous potential of the com-puter, we must look to the avative redesign of coun-seling. There is a real danger that we will automate thestatus quosettling for doing what we do with a littlemore pizzazz and in a labor-saving mode, but withlittle significant change in how we define our role orintcract with clients. Physical scientists have usedcomputer programs as a way of testing the soundnessof their theories. We need to use computers to assessthc soundness of our counseling strategies and todetermine how we may better achieve our goals, usingthe computer.

2. We must define our developmental efforts as ajoint enterprise. Perhaps one of the most exciting

68

`The computeras a componentin a highlyvariable socialsetting isungeneralizablebecause it bothshapes and isshaped by theparticularprogram inwhich it isused."

We need to usecomputers toassess thesoundness ofour counselingstrategies and todetermine howwe may betterachieve ourgoals, using thecomputer.

58 COUNSELING FurtmEs

aspects of using the computer in counseling is theopportunity it provides for individuals to work togeth-

er as a teamclients, counselors, parents, and com-munity membersto design programs that best meetindividual and joint needs. In most of the areas inwhich counselors wott, signif4. ant others play a vital

Making those role in the movement from idea to action. Making

significant those significant others an integral part of the learning

others an environment is fascinating and potentially beneficial.integral part of Joint planning concerning the ways computers can be

the learning used to reach a variety of counseling objectives is

environment is likely to spark the interest of these various groupsfascinating and regarding computer use and help to ensure that objec-

potentially tives ate met.beneficial. 3. Many aspects of the use of computers in coun-

seling create uncertainty. Is them a synergism that willencourage students to become involved in otherlearning experiences, computer or otherwise? Will theincreased use of computers by students disturbparents? Will extensive use of computers enhance thecounselor role and encourage new, higher-levelpersonal interactions, or will counselors become merefunctionaries in an automated system? What effectswill computers have on the motivation of students andadults? Will they be encouraged to seek other learningexperiences and more computer interaction, or willthey be less inclined to seek out new learning chal-

Vital to the new lenges? We need to address questions such as these ascounselor role is we consider broad-term effects of computers ona willingness to clients. Vital to the new counselor role is a willingnessobserve, ideh to observe, identify, and assess behavior associatedand assess with computers, on the part of both those who usebehavior them and those who provide them. This must becomeassociated with an important subject of discussion and analysis as wecomputers, on move toward a computer-enhanced counselor role.the part of both 4. Emerging research in cognitive science tells usthose who use that dialogue is a particularly meaningful way forthem and those students to learn, especially when it is followed bywho provide regular practice. This suggests a learning model notthem. unlike typical counseling interactions and may mean

,6


that subject-oriented education prograBas will bemoving closer to the style of the counselor. This is anexciting opportunity for counselors to influence educa-tional processes, leading toward discovery learningand individual planning and decision making. Thecomputer may be the instrument for breaking down themassive walls of isolation erected by counselors overthe years, prohibiting or limiting their interaction withother educators and the community. The computer canbe the means for achieving coalescence. Counselorsmay be in a position to expand their influence in areasfar wider than the traditional counseling realm (Walz,1990).

Force for Change: Counseling today is still trla-tively untouched by technology. Although tape andvideo recorders and programmed instruction are aregular part of most counselor pttparation programs,they are infrequently used in day-to-day counseling.The computer, however, offers a new vision for coun-selorsthe opportunity not only to do better what theynow do, but to redefine what counseling is and how itis delivered. The ultimate effectiveness of tomorrow'scounselors will depend somewhat on advances in thedevelopment of hardware and relevant software, butmost of all on personwarethe attitudes and feelingsof counselors about the adoption of a powerful newtool. It will require their giving up some of what theyhave done well in order to take on new means andgoals. The most important new role for counselors inthe use of computers may well be a sense of creativerisk-taking that encourages, stimulates, and models forclients a change in viewpoint regarding the counselingexperience and how to use it.

The computer,however, offersa new vision forcounselorstheopportunity notonly to do betterwhat they nowdo, but toredefine whatcounseling isand how it isdelivered.

The most impor-tant new role forcounselors inthe use of com-puters may wellbe a sense ofcreative risk-taking....

Chapter 5

Nine Trends Which Will Affectthe Future of tole United States

Gam R. Walz

United Way Strategic Institute

We have identified six specific forces for change incounseling. Each of these forces is seen as havingdirect and strong influence on the future of counseling.There are also, of course, numerous sources of influ-ence which will work to shape and mold the future ofthe United States and indirectly, counseling. A par-ticularly compelling view of the future is contained ina report titled, What Lies Ahead: Countdown to the2Ist Century (United Way Strategic Institute, 1990).The report has been condensed and mfocused here toemphasize developments especially relevant to coun-seling. Nine trends and accompanying significantfactors related to each of the trends are presented. It ishoped that these trends will serve as a backgroundagainst which the more specific counseling "snap-shots" of the future can be viewed.

Following discussion of these nine trends is apresentation of 12 Future Focused Counseling

The material in this chapter was adapted from an article bythe United Way Strategic Institute in the July-August 1990issue of the The Futurist magazine.

71

There are...numeroussources of influ-ence which willwork to shapeand mold thefuture of theUnited Statesand indirectly,counseling.

61


Generalizations. They seek to encapsulate the manyideas and images presented in this monograph intotwelve succinct generalizations about counseling in thefuture. Their purpose is to assist counselors in inter-nalizing and acting upon the information that has beenpresented. As such, the generalizations will serve toheighten our awareness of counseling futures.

1. The Maturation of America

The United The United States is leaving behind its obsession with

States is leaving youth and moving to a mom realistic era which will be

behind its both a more responsible ime and one more accepting

obsession with of diversity.youth andmoving to a Significant Factorsmore realisticera. . . U.S. population growth will slow but will also

grow older as the median age continues to riseThe proportion of middle-aged Americans (35-54) will increase sharplyThe proportion of Americans over 75 willincrease dramaticallyThe baby boomlet will slow in the mid-1990'sCollege student populations will continue to ageColleges and universities will increasinglyrecruit Americans age 65 and over as studentsA better educated labor force will be necessaryto increase U.S. productivityBusinesses will increasingly offer skillful olderworkers flexible hours and retirement options toreverse the trend towards early retirement

2. Mosaic Society

Increased ethnic diversity, rising levels of education, agro-ving population of elderly individuals and morepeople living by themselves are illustrative of trends

72

Nine Trends Which Will Affect the Future of the United States 63

moving America away from a "mass society" towardsa dynamic, ever-changing mosaic society.

Significant Factors

There will continue to be greater proportionalgrowth among minoritiesU.S. population growth will increasingly befueled by immigrationAlternative educational options such as year-round schools and magnet schools will beofferedThe urban minority underclass will continue togrow but their economic situation will not beimprovedThe labor force will be increasingly multi-lingual and multiculturalWomen's representation in top positions in busi-ness, government, and education will sub-stantially increaseChildcare benefits and flexible hours will bemore available in the workplaceSpecial interest groups will grow in numbersand influenceTechnological advances will lead to greatercustomization of products and services to meetthe special needs and interests of individualsand groups

3. Redefinition of Individual andSocietal Roles

There will be less clearly defined borders defining theroles of the public sector versus the private sector andindividual versus institutional responsibilities. Thefederal budget deficit will constrain both federal andstate action on social problems and with reduced bud-gets government will increasingly turn to the privatesector for assistance in responding to social issues.

73

The urbanminorityunderclass willcontinue to growbut theireconomicsituation will notbe improved

The federalbudget deficitwill constrainboth federal andstate action onsocialproblems....

64 COUNSELING FUTUIU3S

Individuals are taking on a greater share of respon-sibility for their health and careers. People have lostconfidence in the quality of the services of largeinstitutions and will rely more on their ability to makeinformed decisions and to act on their own.

Significant Factors

Wellness will be Wellness will be an increasingly importantan increasingly focus in the lifestyles of Americansimportant focus The self-help movement will continue to growin the lifestyles Referenda will increasingly be held to reachof Americans decisions on a wide variety of issues

State government influence and initiative onsocial issues will increase while that of thefederal government will declineThe traditional roles of government and busi-ness will be blurred as business spending andinitiative increases in the social area

4. The Information-Based Economy

Mcdor changes Major changes in the way people work, communicate,

in the way and play will be brought on by changes in informationpeople work, technology. The full blown information-based econ-communicate, omy will take many decades to develop, but willand play will be demand that we move in new and unknown areas.brought on bychanges in Significant Factorsinformationtechnology. There will be increasing concern about indi-

vidual privacy as electronic data banks multiplyElectronic devices will quicken the speed of lifeTechnological "haves" and "have nots" willdevelop in societyA new business elite will developthe highlyeducated, information and technologicallysophisticated "gold collar" knowledge worker

74


In some urban areas virtually every individualwill be using computers at home and in thework place by the year 2000Information technology will become increas-ingly important as a teaching and learning modeA mobile communications environment willdevelop that will provide round the clockaccessibilityInformation overload and a reduction in thequality of information will become increasinglyimportant concerns

5. Globalization

The movement of information, technology, capital, andideas around the world is increasing and leading to:(1) increased foreign ownership of U.S. finns and thepresence of U.S. firms in other countries; (2) a relativedecline in U.S. economic power, and (3) increasedglobalization of tastes and ideas in countries about theworld.

Significant Factors

U.S. prosperity will increasingly depend uponits prowess in international marketsU.S. jobs and industries will face growing com-petition from nations with cheaper labor costsand increasingly skilled labor forcesAmerican political leadership will face thedaunting task of developing a national con-sensus on the U.S. role in the global economywhich is no longer dominated by the U.S.Increasing globalization will decrease thesovereign power of individual nations

7 5

U.S. jobs andindustries willface growingcompetitionfrom nationswith cheaperlabor costs andincreasinglyskilled laborforces


There will alsobe increasedattention to thelink betweenpersonalbehavior anddisease risk.

6. Personal and Environmental Health

Quality of life issues especially those dealing with the

health of individuals and the condition of the environ-

ment will continue to emerge as key areas of public

concern. There will also be increased attention to thelink between personal behavior and disease risk. On

the average, American health has been improving with

the exception of the health of the poor and minorities,which will be a source of increasing concern for the

future.

Significant Factors

The practice of holistic medicine will increaseThe coverage, quality, and access to the U.S.health care system will continue to be chal-lengedIssues related to medical ethics will be ofincreasing concern

The AIDS The AIDS epidemic will grow in severity

epidemic will Resolving the issue of how to provide long-term

grow in severity care will become a major concernConcern about the effects of technology upon

workers health, e.g., computer terminals, will

growThe NIMBY ("Not In My Back Yard") willgrow as communities seek to avoid the burdenof "public services" such as socialservicefacilities and waste disposal

7. Economic Restructuring

Many factors... Many factors, such as global economic competition,

are forcing an deregulation, new information technologies, and

ongoing diverse and changing consumer tastes are forcing an

restructuring of ongoing restructuring of American business.

American Expressions of this restructuring are shown in the

business, following illustrations: small firms will be created in

76


unprecedented numbers; large corporations am cuttingmanagement layers and will become flatter, operatinglike networks rather than hierarchies; entire industriesare being globalized and all firms are having to reassesstheir organizational structure and their pmducts.

Significant Factors

The aging population and the growth of minori-ties will reshape consumer marketsThe rapid pace of technological change willcontinueSmall firms will continue to create a significantshare of new jobsAmerican corporations will continue to paredown their management layersU.S. population growth will continue to beconcentrated in the South and the West---thoseregions where economic growth is strongest

8. Family and Home Redefined

Many functions that were once handled predominantlyby families, e.g., meal preparation, are increasinglybeing offered 19 services by commercial concerns. Atthe same time, activities formerly available onlyoutside the home, e.g., viewing movies, have beenbrought into the home through videos and cable.Information technologies also have made it possiblefor more consumer services such as banking to bemanaged at home and to enable more Americans torun businesses and work at home.

The family, however, is becoming a diverse insti-tution with many single-person households, single-parent families, and two-income families. In a rapidlychanging world, the family will be a source of sta-bility, but it needs help from the outside to survivesuch as child care.

7 7

Americancorporations willcontinue to paredown theirmanagementlayers

In a rapidlychanging world,the family willbe a source ofstability, but itneeds help fromthe outside to

68 COUNSELING FUTURFS

111111=M111111111

After a decadeof concentrationon business andeconomicgrowth, thepublic agenda isswingingdecisively in thedirection ofsocialconcerns....

Significant Factors

Family households will continue to outnumber

nonfamily householdsThere will be a slowing in the growth of single-

person householdsThe divot= rate will declineThe growth in the number of childless, marriedcouple households will slowThe increase in the number of male headedsingle-parent families will slow but will still be

highThe number of self-employed will growIncome inequality among families will increase

with two income households gainingTechnology at home will lead to an indeter-

minate work day

9. Rebirth of Social Activism

After a decade of concentration on business andeconomic growth, the public agenda is swingingdecisively in the ditection of social concerns, such aspervasive homelessness, lack of affordable housing,social tension, and child poverty. There also will beless tolerance for business actions that the publicperceives as harmful to society.

Significant Factors

Family violence will remain a major problemVioince by young people will increaseHome and community security will continue asa major source of concernConcern over substance abuse will continueLocal issues that impact upon home and com-munity will take precedence over nationalissues

78

Nine Trends Which Will Affect the Future of the United States

P iy, homelessness, and poor single-parenthouseholds will increaseCoalitions between business, government,education, and the nonprofit sector will emergeto address social problemsEntrepreneurial activities directed at solvingsocial problems will become more widespread

Poverty,homelessness,and poor single-parenthouseholds willincrease

Chapter 6

Future Focused Generaliza-tions on Counseling

Garry R. Walz

The nine forces which are working to reshape Americawill produce a different, probably a far differentAmerica than the country we know today. Some of theenvisaged changes have a high probability of occur-rence based as they are upon demographic or broadsocial movements. Others are highly speculative anddepend upon the action or a lack of action by thepublic and the country's leadership.

It would seem that the best use of the reshapingforces is not as precise bammeters of the future, butrather as images of the future, more or less accurate,that can be used to position counseling to have agreater impact on the future of which it will be a part.Using the nine reshaping forces and the significantfactors associated with them, as well as the thoughtspresented here in the papers by Gazda, Sheitzer, andWalz, 12 future-focused counseling generalizationshave been constructed. These generalizations arepresented as stimulants to further thought and action.They are driven by needs and goals both for societyand the counseling profession. Some are directedprimarily towards counselor education, while othersare generic to counseling. In all cases, though, theypresent a preferred future behavior, or position for

S

It would seemthat the best useof the reshapingforces is not asprecise barom-eters of thefuturi, butrather as imagesof the future....

71


counseling. Because they do "stake out a position"

they reflect values and goals for counseling. As such,

the generalizations will provoke discussion and dis-agreement by some. Such an outcome is passionately

Some of our sought. Some of our finest moments have occurred

finest moments when we openly and forthrightly explored our differ-

have occurred ences. It is when we refuse to examine past beliefs and

when we openly new ideas that we make our biggest mistakes and miss

and forthrightly our greatest opportunities. So counselors are encour-

explored our aged to reflect upon and respond to the following

differences.... generalizations.1. Counselors will need to become knowl-

edgeable about adult development and skilled inthe use of counseling (individual and group) withadults. The groying of the U.S. population with thelarge increase of Americans over 35 documents theneed for adult counseling on a purely actuarial basis.Additionally, adults have both the means and theinclination to seek assistance when faced withimportant choices and/or problems. With the dramaticincrease in the proportions of Americans over 75, itwould behoove more people to prepare themselves asgeronotological counselors. Most importantly, thefailure to offer adequate adult counseling can impingenegatively on the child= of disaffected adults.

2. Counseling outcomes research will berequired both by those footing the bill for counselortraining and counseling services ("is it worth it?")and individual clients who as discriminating con-sumers will be asking whether it makes a difference

or not. Basic research on fundamental counseling

...there is a questions is still sorely needed, but increasingly there

pressing need is a pressing need for research that establishes thefor research that credibility of counseling and the desirability ofestablishes the schools, colleges and agencies continuing to offer it.

credibility of 3. Of central importance will be the need for

counseling..., counselors at all levels and in all settings to expand

their focus and activity beyond that of individualsto a perspective that leads them to seek to workwithin the family setting. It is clear that the family

81

Future Focused Generalizations on Counseling

will become a source of stability and education foryoung and old. Counselors, whether they be employedin schools or adult agency settings need to becomfortable with and prepared to work with entirefamilies. To provide for family and marriage coun-seling will likely require major changes in how andwhem counseling is offeredchanges which may beall for the good for counseling.

4. The recruitment strategy to attract newcounseling trainees to counselor education pro-grams needs a drastic new look to attract studentswho are: older, of color, dressed differently, speakwith an accent, and of more evenly divided gender.The typical counselor education student today is white,young, and female. While this pattern continues toproduce many fine counselors, a strong need exists forcounselor "matches" with older, male clients frommulticultural backgrounds.

5. Both research and client testimonials speakto the effectiveness of peer counseling and clientnetworking. The demands for their use willincrease. Despite the clear evidence for their effec-tiveness, these counseling interventions am strangelyslighted in the usual counselor preparation program.With increasing demand and diminishing resources,they offer a means for counselors to maintain theirability to be helpful with clients despite limitedresources.

6. Social marketing, or the strategy forchanging public behavior for societal betterment,will need to be employed if counseling is to be aviable player in the contest for who wins publicsupport. Too few people today know about,understand, or support counseling services, primarilybecause too little has been done to inform them.Simplistic public relations campaigns offer little ofvalue to counseling but a systematic social marketingcampaign undertaken both nationally and locally canhave an important impact upon how the public viewsand responds to counselors and counseling.

8 2

...a strong needexists for coun-selor "matches"with older, maleclients frommulticulturalbackgrounds.

a systematicsocial marketingcampaignundertaken bothnationally andlocally can havean importantimpact uponhow the publicviews andresponds tocounselors andcounseling.


The realpotential oftechnology toimpact oncounselors andcounseling isstill largelyunrealized.

7. Computers and technology offer highlypromising contributions to the counseling process,but greater preparation in and a willingness toundertake creative experimentation with com-puters and technology will be necessary for them tohave a sizeable impact on counseling in the future.Two decades of work with computers in counsclinghas still left technology a "bit player" in the counselingdrama. The real potential of technology to impact oncounselors and counztling is still largely unrealized. Itwill take either dramatic technological breakthroughsand/or a larger commitment by counselors to usetechnology for there to be a large increase in the use oftechnology in counseling. A continued commitment toexplore and experiment with technology is needed lestcounseling lose the inviting progress made to date.

S. A major and persistent challenge for coun-selors will be their ability to establish a compre-hensive and systematic plan for their professionalrenewal, including the updating of extant knowl-edge and skills as well as new knowledge and skills.It is probable that the half l(fe of a counselor's pro-fessional knowledge today (the time at which half of aprofessional person's knowledge is no longer viable) isfive years or less. Both the needs of our clients andnew developments in the itlevant counseling knowl-edge base are occurring with such rapidity that areliance upon what was learned in the basic counseloreducation program (and haphazardly updated afterthat) will lead a counselor to be "half dead" in lessthan a decade. This can be a particularly uniortunatescenario if the counselor is also a counselor educator

The key to who, because of his/her knowledge obsolescence, is

counselor offering counseling students "dead" informationrenewal is a before they even initiate their counseling ewers.futuristic and The key to counselor renewal is a futuristic and

planful planful approach to professional renewal. Thereapproach to presently exists a compelling array of resources appro-professional priete for counselor renewal. Resources such as pro-renewal. fessional development institutes, counselor academys,

83

Future Focused Generalizations on Counseling 75

independent study, conventions, conferences, andERIC/CAPS workshops, if used in a planful fashion toachieve relevant personal and professional goals, couldrespond to the wide range of needs and interests ofindividual counselors.

9. It will be essential that contemporary coun-selors be personally committed to helping clientsgain an understanding of the strengths and benefitsof living in a multicultural society. With the rapidlychanging nature of our society, including our changingcultural composition, counselors will have to be appre-ciative of and knowledgeable about the emergingdiversity. It is of particular impohance that counselorswho gr" up "culturally sheltered" have first-handexperiences and interactions with people from avariety of cultures. Clearly, all counselors will need tobe cognizant of the importance of multiculturism andbe personally and professionally committed to acontinual multicultural renewal.

10. All professions, including counseling, willbe subjected to an intense scrutiny of the ethicaland legal behavior of its members. The trust thatpeople accord a profession will depend upon theoutcome of public scrutiny of the members of theprofession. Recent revelations of shocking displays ofthe betrayal of the public trust in such previouslysacrosanct professional areas as medicine, banking,accounting firms, and stock brokerage firms have putthe public "on guard" as regards the self-interestedbehavior of many professions. The apparent "moraldecay" and greed present in the dealings of highlyplaced officials in many spheres of American life, e.g.,government, business, and education, has led to newcalls for legislation and stricter external scrutiny ofsome professions. By all accounts, counseling haspoliced itself well. The future, however, will likelybring even more stringent "watchdogging" and itbehooves all counselors and counselor educators toachieve a heightened awareness of the importance ofethical behavior by themselves and their colleagues.

8 4

It is of partku-lar importancethat counselorswho grew up"culturallysheltered" havefirst-handexperiences andinteractions withpeople from avariety ofcultures.

...it behooves allcounselors andcounseloreducators toachieve aheightenedawareness of theimportance ofethical behaviorby themselvesand theircolleagues.

76 COUNSELING FIXTURES

By attendingmore to the self-help approachesfor personaldevelopment,counselors willnot onlybroaden thespectrum of helpthey provideclients but willalso enhancetheir value asknowledgebrokers....

11. Counselors' competence to an increasing

extent will be assessed by their skill in assistingclients to access and use self-managed developmentapproaches such asgoal directed self-learning,networking, peer co-tinseling, and mentoring. It has

been suggested that counselors often prioritize in their

work what they personally do best (as counselors)rather than what clients most desire. Thus, while some

school counselors may see individual counseling as

their professional imperative, large numbers ofstudents report that they want assistance in careerplanning; and after high school, educational employ-

ment and p;acement assistance. This example illus-trates a natural inclination of counselors to prioritizethat which predominated in their training, e.g.,individual counseling practicum or didactic courses oncounseling. Counseling will continue to be an impor-

tant part of all that counselors do but clients who areinterested in learning new self-managed developmenttechniques that are not driven by professional coun-selor education should not have to learn about them on

their own. By attending more to the self-helpapproaches for personal development, counselors will

not only broaden the spectrum of help they provideclients, but will also enhance their value as knowledge

brokers for clients who need information and assis-tance in choosing goals and resources, but who do not

need extended counseling.12. The future will bring an increasing need for

counselors to become assertive activists who usetheir knowledge and skills in the pursuit ofimportant social needs. The rising din of specialintemst groups clamoring for this or that program will

require that all human services specialists join together

in efforts to ensure that the public is aware of thepotential contribution of each specialty, and that anequitable sham of the resources be allocated to each.

By inclination and training, counselors may be momcomfortable shunning an activist role for a more pas-sive one. However, if they am to have the impact on

85

Future Focused Generalizations on Counseling

the educational institutions and the communities theyare associated with, they will need to spealc up and actfor what they believe is important on behalf of theirclients.

Conclusion

In the monograph A Futuristic Perspective forCounselors, Walz and Benjamin (1979) conclude bysaying:

In car racing parlance, a driver is "on thebubble" when he/she has the slowest qualifyingtime while other drivers are still waiting theirturns. If another driver posts a faster speed, thenthe driver on the bubble is bumped.

We believe that counselors are on the bubble,that they are in the midst of intense and aggres-sive competition with other special services andspecial interest groups who are clamoringtoward the inside track for money and support.The strident demands, the thrusting forward, theseeking for a way to outdo others blur the dis-tinctions between services and results in whatlooks like a whirring, deafening, tightly-packedgroup of antagonists jockeying for position.

Unless counselors can be seen as offering a dis-tinct contribution, their bubble may well burst,and they will be bumped by more aggressiveindividuals who know what they are about.Counselors possess the potential to help peopleof all ages move into the future with assurance,to know where to go and how to get there. Inthe race for survival in helping services, futur-ism may well be the super-charging elementthat counselors need to move off the bubble intothe pole position. (p. 28)

el' 6

...counselorsare on thebubble...theyare in the midstof intense andaggressive com-petition withother specialservices andspecial interestgroups who areclamoringtoward theinside track formoney andsupport.

Counselorspossess thepotential to helppeople of allages move intothe future v.";assuranct,know where togo and how toget there.


Looking back over a decade later at what waswritten then, some of the same sense of urgency pre-

vails. The stridency, however, appears diminished.Competition between the human services, e.g., coun-

seling and social work, seems less of an issue than the

need for counseling getting on with asserting its iden-tity and transforming itself into a more proactive and

The counseling impactful profession. The counseling profession is

profession is growing in substance and statureit need not act out

growing in of inferiority or fear. What may help it most is if each

substance and counselor thoughtfully images counseling futures for

statureit need him or herself. No one can give another a counseling

not act out of future. But we can create our own. If all counselors are

inferiority or actively engaged in creating their futures, thenfear. collectively counseling will be assuring itself an

important mle in the future. John Schaar has probably

said it well for all of us:

The future is not a result of choices amongalternative paths offered by the present, but aplace that is createdcreated first in mind and

will, created next in activity. The future is notsome place we are going to, but one we arecreating. The paths to it are not found butmade, and the activity of making them changes

both the maker and the destination.

0 7

References

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Aubrey, R. F. (1984). Reform in schooling: Fourproposals on an educational quest. Journal ofCounseling and Development, 63 , 204-213.

Benjamin, L., & Walz, G. (1989). 9 for the 90s:Counseling trends for toNrrow. Ann Arbor, MI:ERIC Counseling and Personnel ServicesClearinghouse, The University of Michigan.

Bolles, R. D. (1989). What color is your parachute?Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.

Brown, D. (1987). Teaching career and lifestyleconcepts: Meeting the CACREP standards. Coun-selor Education and Supervision, 27,132-138.

Brown, D., Pryzwansky, W. B., & Schulte, A. C.(1987). Psychological consultation. Boston: Allynand Bacon.

Casella, D. A. (1990). Career networkingThenewest career center paradigm. Journal of CareerPlanning and Employment, L(4), 32-39.

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Commission on Piecollege Guidance and Counseling.(1986). Keeping the options openRecommenda-tions. New York: College Entrance Examination

Board.Daniel, R. W., & Weikel, W. J. (1983). Trends in

counseling: A Delphi study. Personnel andGuidance Journal, 61, 327-331.

Fenell, D. L., & Hovestadt, A. J. (1986). Familytherapy as a profession of professional specialty:Implications for training. Journal of Psycho-therapy and the Family, 1, 25-40.

Gladding, S. T. (1985). History and systems of coun-seling: A course whose time has come. CounselorEducation and Supervision, 24, 325-331.

Gladding, S. T., Burggraf, M., & Fenell, D. L, (1987).Marriage and family counseling in counselor edu-cation: National trends and implications. Journalof Counseling and Development, 66(2), 90-92.

Hackney, H. (Ed.). (1990). Changing contexts forcounselor preparation in the 1990s. Alexandria,VA: The Association for Counselor Education and

Supervision.Haring-Hildore, M., & Vacc, N. (1988). The scientist-

practitioner model in training entry-level coun-selors. Journal of Counseling and Development,66, 286-289.

Harris-Bowlsbey, J. (1990). High touch and hightechnology: The marriage that must succeed. InE. R. Gerler, Jr., J. C. Ciechalski, & L. D. Parker(Eds.), Elementary school counseling in achanging world (pp. 207-217). Ann Arbor, MI:ERIC Counseling and Personnel ServicesClearinghouse, The University of Michigan.

Hays, D. G. (1981). Counseling and the future:Concepts, issues, and strategies. Ann Arbor, MI:

ERIC Counseling and Personnel ServicesClearinghouse, The University of Michigan.

Herr, E. L. (1984). The national report on reform inschooling: Some missing ingredients. Journal ofCounseling and Development, 63,217-220.

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Hollis, J. W., & Wantz, R. A. (1986). Counselorpreparation, 1986-1989: Programs, personnel,trends (6th ed.). Muncie, IN: AcceleratedDevelopment, Inc.

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Lanning, W. (1988). CACREP: An elite al* mative toelitism. Counselor Education and Sup... ,Ision, 27,295-297.

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9 0


Stadler, H., & Paul, R. D. (1986). Counselor educa-tors' preparation in ethics. Journal of Counselingand Development, 64(5), 328-330.

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Ward, B. (1979). Progress for a small planet. NewYotk: Norton.

White, A., & Hernandez, N. R. (1988). Positionturnover and volatility in counselor education overa 15-year peliod. Counselor Education and Super-vision, 28, 80-88.

Wisenant, E. (1987). 88 reasons why the rapture willbegin in 1988. Nashville, TN: World Bible Society.

ERIC/CAPS

Educational Resources InformationCenterERIC

ERIC is a decentralized nationwide informationsystem founded in 1966 and currently sponsoted bythe Office of Educational Research and Improvementwithin the U.S. Department of Education. It is thelargest education related database in the world. ERICis designed to collect educational documents andjournal articles and to make them readily availablethrough a number of products and services, e.g., theERIC database, abstract journals, microfiche collec-tions, online and CD-ROM computer searches, docu-ment reproductions, and information analysis publica-tions. The ERIC audience is equally wideranging andincludes teachers, counselors, administrators, super-visors, policy makers, librarians, media specialists,researchers, students, patents, and other educators andinterested persons.

Counseling and Personnel ServicesClearinghouseCAPS

CAPS is one of the 16 subject-oriented clearinghousesof the ERIC system. CAPS' exceptionally broadcoverage includes K-12 counseling and guidance,post-secondary and adult counseling services, andhuman resource development in business, industryand government. Among the topics addressed are:

85

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preparation, practice and supervision of coun-

seling professionalsdevelopment of theoretical constnictsresearch on programs and practicesinterviewing and testinggroup workcareer planning and developmentemployee assistance programs (EAPs)

training and developmentmarriage and family counselingstudent activitiesservices to special populations (substance abus-

ers, public offenders, students-at-risk)program evaluation

CAPS acquires literature in its subject area, pro-

cesses the infonnation into the ERIC database, andproduces a variety of subject-specialized materials. It

offers such products as monographs, special issues

papers, state of the art studies, computer search analy-

ses, bibliographies and digests. A quarterly newsletter(free upon request) features Clearinghouse activities,products, and articles on timely topics. CAPS' profes-sional staff also offers question-answering services,

computer searching of the ERIC database, on-site user

services with a complete ERIC microfiche collection

at the CAPS Resources Center, and national, state andlocal workshops on high-priority counseling andhuman services concerns. We welcome visitors and

mail or phone inquiries.

ERIC/CAPS2108 School of EducationThe University of MichtanAnn Arbor, MI 48109-1259(313) 764-9492

9 4

There is nothing permanentexcept change.

HeraclitusWhile the fnture exists,there will be hope.

Anonymous

You can never plan thefuture by the past.

Edmund Burke

This monograph describes the means available to us to study the futureand identifies and analyzes the forces impacting upon counseling whichwill influence what counseling will be like in the future. The future asdiscussed here is the near futurefour to five yearsand consideration ofit affects both present behavior as well as planning for the future yet toappear. Throughout the discussion the words choice, change and challengeare ever present. No clearcut prescriptions or predictions are offered.Rather, emphasis is placed on the need for all who would be viable coun-selors in the future to understand the importance, the imperative ofimaging a preferred counseling future.

The authors are eminently qualified to be mentors for other counselorspreparing for the future. All are past presidents of the AmericanAssociation for Counseling and Development, prolific scholars andacknowledged leaders in their profession. They present their thoughtshere not as a single voice but as thoughtful analysts who agree on somethings and disagree on others. Their ultimate mission is to engage readersin a study of the future rather than merely to seek acceptance of aparticular point of view or even a consensus about what the future canand should be.

if you, the reader, are inspired to reflect upon the choices presently beforethe counseling profession and to gain a clearer image of what you wantthat future to In, then the goals of Chi Sigma Iota and the authors of thismonograph will have been well met.

Tire future can't be foretold,bur UN conditions can beforetold.

H. (s. %%ells

rjEli71

I have been Over into the

,future and it works.--Lincoln Stetlens

The world's a scene ofchanges, and to he Constant,in Nature were inconstancy.

Abraham Cowley

ERIC Counseling and Personnel Services Cleainghouse

2108 School of Education

The University of MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan 48109-1 259

ISBN 1-56109-005-0 r IERIC1

Documents

DOCUMENT RESUME ED 329 862 CG 023 232 …DOCUMENT RESUME ED 329 862 CG 023 232 AUTHOR Walz, Garry R.; And Others TITLE Counseling Futures. INSTITUTION ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling