Counseling Specializations and Multidisciplinary Teams

Unit 6: Counseling Specializations and Multidisciplinary Teams

Kimyana Jones

COUN5004 – Survey of Research in Human Development for Professional Counselors

Dr. Suzanne Hanna

January 15, 2017

 Counseling Specializations and Multidisciplinary Teams

According to Whiteside (1993), students are reliant on their families for their mental, physical, and social well-being. Students who experience issues in the home are displayed through their behaviors in their social and school circles. Therefore presenting problems in the classroom. School counseling began as a vocational resource to students as they transition to the work field. Over the years school counseling has evolved into what it is today. Family counseling working collaboratively with the school counselors in an effort to promote successful school and family well-being. Having both counselors help to treat emotional and behavior disorders in the home and classroom. As the field of counseling continues to evolve and grow more specializations will team up in efforts to make sure that families and individuals alike are receiving the effective treatment that they need.

Impact of a Wellness Model

Myers et al. (2000) defined wellness as, the goal to achieving optimal well-being. Wellness is comprised of many aspects of one’s life. Wellness can be physical, spiritual, emotional, social or even psychological. Counselors seek to use wellness in therapy. Many models have been created however, the only evidence based model is the Invisible Self. The Invisible Self model is comprised of five core areas with mini subsets with each. The components are essential self, creative self, coping self, social self, and physical self.

Historical Perspective of Key Philosophies

According to Myers and Sweeney (2008), wellness provides strength based planning for assessing clients, assessing developmental issue, as well as outlining interventions to fix dysfunction and to increase growth (p 482). The idea of wellness goes back thousands of years and has become a key element in the counseling field. In 1989 the American Counseling Association agreed to take on the health and wellness of the counseling profession. The primary goal was to develop an increase in quality of life through social, emotional, physical, and spiritual development (Myers & Sweeney). These areas are always being studied to make sure that proper care based on a person’s race, culture, gender, and environment so that an adequate treatment plan can be written and executed for each client.

Key Concepts of Preferred Specialization

 During the 1930s and 1940s, the idea of marital counseling began to form (Shields, Wynne, McDaniel, & Gawinski, 1994). Because insufficient focus on the mental health and the primary focus being on relational problems in family and marriage it was not viewed as one of the mental health disciplines. However, because of insurance and government support it had to be viewed as such. Soon after this time period family therapy started to make its name known in the mental health discipline. The goal was to differentiate family therapy from mental health. According to Shields, Wynne, McDaniel, & Gawinski, (1994), in the early 1950’s and 1960’s professional and public acceptance of family therapy was very limited. Family therapy did however receive support from the mental health disciplines. As the years progressed those beginning family therapists began presenting their work at meetings such as the American Psychiatric Association. Family therapy had gained its strength within and eventually was successfully in becoming less involved from the perspective of the mental health field.

Key Concepts of another Specialization

In the 1900’s the profession of school counseling was initially termed vocational counseling. Its original purpose was for career counseling and development. It was to help with the transition from school into the work force (Lambie & Williamson, 2004). Schools counselors help implement a plan and strategy for students to be successful in the educational system. Counselors play a major role in developing and increasing areas of cognition, behavior, social, emotional, and mental wellness in children,” (Shanhnawaz & Ansari, 2012).

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