ABSTRACT
The legal considerations for the counseling profession not withstanding, counseling is essentially a self-regulating profession. That is, although the number of litigations in which counselors are involved is increasing, the fact remains that a relatively small proportion of counselors are ever involved in litigation. Thus, while counseling activities must be conducted within applicable legal standards, counselors far more frequently look to professional rather than legal guidelines for their counseling activities. The professional guidelines which serve as the basis for counseling activities are known as ethical standards.
