Abstract
The mental health service delivery system in Canada is complex and the need for services is growing faster than the development of methods and programs to address these. Masters-level counsellors are increasingly called upon to play important roles in the treatment of mental health concerns, yet both the public and other allied professionals (psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, medical practitioners) remain unclear about the role and functions of counsellors. The purpose of this study was to describe the essential characteristics of the counselling profession in Canada as revealed through perceptions of counsellors themselves. A web-based survey on counsellor professional identity was developed and distributed to all members of the Canadian Counselling Association with a 22.9% return rate. Results indicate that counsellors’ roles are diverse and that they are generally satisfied with their choice of profession. However, they do not believe that the profession of counselling as a whole has a solid identity. Implications for the counselling profession in Canada are discussed.
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Notes
A copy of the questionnaire may be obtained from the first author (NG). This study is part of a project entitled “Counselling in Canada: Setting the Stage for a 21st Century Service Delivery” funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
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We would like to thank the Canadian Counselling Association for their collaboration in this project.
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Gazzola, N., David Smith, J. Who Do We Think We Are? A Survey of Counsellors in Canada. Int J Adv Counselling 29, 97–110 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-007-9032-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-007-9032-y