Characteristics Effective Counselors Share

Characteristics Effective Counselors Share

Sonya Adams

Liberty University

Abstract  

With the need for mental healthcare on the rise professional counselors are needed now more than ever. Professional counselors need to practice effectively in order to meet the needs of their clients. In his book “A Brief Orientation to Counseling Professional Identity, History, and Standards” Author and veteran Professional Counselor Ed Neukrug, attributed nine distinct characteristics to effective counselors. Effective professional counselors possess nine distinct characteristics. Neukrug attributed the following nine characteristics: empathy, genuineness, acceptance, wellness, cultural competence, the “It” factor, compatibility with and belief in theory, competence, cognitive complexity. In his thesis titled “Stable Personality Characteristics of effective counselors: The Counselor Characteristic Inventory, Verl T. Pope also presented the characteristics of effective counselors. Pope attributed the additional characteristics of tolerance for ambiguity and flexibility.

        Despite seemingly great societal advances the United States’ nation is experiencing a great increase in mental health care need.  Based on the United States bureau of labor’s statistics job projection for mental health professionals are expected to increase by 1.6%. Though mental health jobs are increasing many states are decreasing their mental health care facilities. Therefor the need for effective counselors is even greater. In order to meet the needs of the ever expanding mental health patient population counselors must possess effective counseling characteristics. Ed Neukrug is a 30 year counseling veteran. In his book titled “A Brief Orientation to Counseling Professional Identity, History and Standards”, Ed Neukrug covers the nine characteristics he attributes to effective counselors. Neukrug lists the following...