COUNSELLING IN THE CANADIAN SCENE

Abstract

At a time when our society is making almost shattering shifts in life styles, work, values and institutions it is vital that those of us who work with people get perspective on what we're doing, where we've been and where we may be heading. This is especially true for counsellors, whose basic concern is the meaning of life, to take stock and to discover our alternatives. As we review the development of counselling services in Canada it becomes obvious that we've been reacting to events instead of planning. But in the general sweep of developments we have moved through three main stages: giving educational guidance, bandaiding personal problems and groping toward preventative procedures and competence. We're now trying to grasp the intricacies of developing human potential - and we sometimes feel it's a race with social breakdown.