ABSTRACT

Every profession requires training and a mastery of skills. Education in the field of mental health requires professionals to gain knowledge and skills to work effectively and objectively with clients. This type of work demands that the clinician be proficient in identifying their own self-of-the-therapist or person-of-the-therapist issues that might impact their work. This chapter begins with a brief exploration of the history of counseling with a specific focus on couples counseling. The chapter continues with a review of literature on the process of counseling and the many variables that have been researched as elements that might impact the success of that process.