ABSTRACT
Once we are thinking ecologically, there is no way to get around the complexity of the five phases of counseling (engagement, assessment, contracting, work, transition) and the many different stakeholders who must become involved. Each person or institution we introduce into the clinical work, whether actually present during a session or simply discussed, becomes another part of the multiple systems that must be engaged, assessed, and have their needs represented in the contract for service. They become part of the work, and if we’re successful, a support for the client’s smooth transition out of counseling.
