ABSTRACT
The author continues his theses regarding the importance of staying vibrant and current in one’s career. In illustrating trends in the counseling profession, he emphasizes data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as supporting documentation. Fortunately, the numbers are very positive for the counseling profession, though some counseling subtypes such as addictions and mental health counseling are higher. Later in the chapter, the author addresses the impact of technology on the profession and offers his thoughts on counseling as an emerging global profession. Furthermore, he discusses how advanced operating systems could create artificial counselors and counselor educators. The author explores potential future considerations such as whether a virtual counselor could actually and ethically counsel clients. Would the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educated Programs (CACREP) actually allow a virtual counselor educator to count as a faculty member in accreditation standards? The line between science fiction and counselor realities may not be so distinct in this rapidly evolving future.
