ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the following select facets of that kaleidoscope which have shaped the counseling profession: The vocational guidance movement, the mental health counseling movement, the ongoing development of professional identity, and the influence of federal legislation. It deals with a brief review of current issues and trends in the counseling profession. The Great Depression, with its loss of employment for millions of people, demonstrated the need for career counseling to assist adults as well as youth in identifying, developing, and learning to market new vocational skills. At the University of Minnesota, E. G. Williamson and colleagues modified the work of Frank Parsons and employed it in their work with students. This is considered by some to be the first theory of career counseling, and it emphasized a directive, counselor-centered approach known as the "Minnesota point of view".
