Lesson 2:

Professionals and
Practitioners in
Counseling
At the end of this module, I can:
 Show an understanding of the role and functions of

counselors.
 Identify competencies of a transformative counselor.
 Enumerate specific work areas in which counselors can be

employed.
 Identify the rights, responsibilities, and accountabilities of

counselors.
 Distinguish the ethical from the unethical behaviors among

counselors
 The Professional Counselor
 Counseling is a profession that allows you to help
others manage their responses to life’s challenges. It is
a career that provides you an opportunity to assist
others in developing their potentials and to encourage
personal growth and learning.
 The Professional Counselor
 To better understanding the counseling profession, we
begin by differentiating who are professional counselors
and who are the informal helpers. Professional counselors
are licensed and trained in providing helping strategies to
assists the clients. They are expected to maintain a high
degree of objectivity in doing their job. To do this
effectively, they must not have a personal involvement
with their client.
 The Professional Counselor
 Counselors are guided by the rules and
regulations or what is called Code of Ethics.
Cognizant of the role of counselors in the
Philippines, the Guidance and Counseling Act of
2004 was promulgated to support the
improvement, advancement, and protection of
the guidance and counseling profession.
 The Professional Counselor
 Counselors use strategies and techniques to promote
the client’s growth and development. For example,
the counselor may apply cognitive strategies to help a
client who has low self-esteem. By using self-talk
technique (a cognitive approach in counseling), the
counselor will help the client evaluate his or her
thoughts about himself or herself and figure out
thoughts which are helpful or not.
Characteristics of professional counselors:
1. They have acquired knowledge, skills, and
competencies through formal and specialization
training.
2. They are guided by standards of professional
practice and laws.
3. They are formally identified as members of the
helping profession, competent in promoting growth
and personal change in their clients.