ABSTRACT
In addition to helping skills as discussed in the previous chapter, two other elements help differentiate professional counseling from other forms of communication and conversation: (a) professional training, which includes subsequent endorsement from the profession through certification, licensure, or both, and subscription and adherence to professional standards; and (b) reliance on the use of a theoretical model or rationale. Thus, professional counseling is a process of communication which, in some ways, is similar to that used by many in society. However, it also is different because it is guided by an explicit theoretical rationale, is developed in the context of specialized training, and is conducted within the context of professional standards.
