Health Counseling: An Emergent Specialization

Abstract

Health counseling is a legitimate specialization that focuses on the development of skills and resources for optimal psychophysiological functioning (i.e., wellness). This emerging specialization, however, lacks the formal recognition required to advance within the developing interdisciplinary field of behavioral medicine. The authors address the problem and promise of professional recognition for health counseling.

Counselor Education—Quo Vadis?

“…School and community mental health counselors are more alike than different and share many skills necessary for competent delivery of services, 2. Counseling skills are generalizable across a variety of settings, including schools, community agencies, industry, and the health professions (Southern & Hannaford, 1981).…”