Over the past forty years, there has been a major evolution in the counseling profession. The rising consumer desire in the industry has been given credit for this. The historical event that has had a major impact on the identity of the profession of mental health counseling is the new point of emphasis in this essay.
The American Mental Health Counselors Association's founding in 1976
More than 40 years ago, was a career-defining event for mental health counselors. The primary aim of AMHCA was to promote the identity of mental health counselors and characterize them as unique professions (History Of The Field » Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine Program | Boston University, 2017). Those that had passion in the career and had the urge to join it were supposed to be qualified with the necessary credentials, and this is still applicable in the current labor market (Erford, 2010). Apparently, this historical event has since played a significant role in the professional development of the profession as well as boosting its public reputation.
Current labor market and prediction of future of the profession
The counseling profession has seen its reputation grow over the years. Currently, in the U.S., on average, 13% of the graduates each year end up in the profession, unlike two decades ago when the figure was low. This has been contributed by the promotion of the career field by bodies such as AMHCA that currently boasts of licensure law in all the 50 states in the country (Home - American Mental Health Counselors Association, 2017). The increase in the skilled workforce with qualifications in various counseling areas is an indication of the sustainable growth that the profession is enjoying. In the next five years, it is expected that the counseling profession will stand out as one of the most adored and respected careers.
Conclusion
From the above argument, it is clear that the counseling profession has undergone an immense transformation over the years. One of the historical turning points that have played a role in the shaping of the profession was the foundation of the AMHCA. In the future, this will turnout as one of the most prestigious careers across the globe.
References
Erford, B. (2010). Orientation to the counseling profession. Upper Saddle River: Merrill.
History Of The Field » Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine Program | Boston University. (2017). Bumc.bu.edu. Retrieved 11 September 2017, from https://www.bumc.bu.edu/mhbm/about-us/history-of-the-field/
Home - American Mental Health Counselors Association. (2017). Amhca.org. Retrieved 11 September 2017, from http://www.amhca.org/home
