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       I think the thing that stood out most to me from the section of the chapter on ethics was that effective practice is ethical. I believe we as future counselors look at effectiveness as a research-based procedure or series of steps that we follow accurately to achieve the desired outcome. In fact, much of effectiveness happens within a far grayer area as part of ethics. Ethics will help us determine the best manner in which to treat our clients; when we are being ethical, we will realize the greatest gains in our counseling endeavors. I understand where the ethical concepts of social justice and action may be considered to be controversial, yet I do not consider them to be so. I believe that as counselors we are called to be advocates for our clients, and I do not feel that this is negotiable. During sessions, when issues of social justice and advocacy come up, we are directed by ethics to be clearly on the side of our clients and put our own beliefs and feelin...

One of the main things that stood out to me from Chapter 1 in the text was the discussion concerning the terms ‘concern’, ‘issue’, ‘challenge’, ‘disorder’, and ‘problem’. The author points out that using the terms ‘concern’, ‘issue’, and ‘challenge’ place the client in a situational context and alleviates some of the responsibility from resting solely on the individual for their concerns (p. 8). The terms ‘problem’ and ‘disorder’ indicate pathology and fail to acknowledge the client’s strengths. One of the other things I found interesting in the chapter was the discussion of microskills and the depiction of the hierarchy of those skills. It provides us as future counselors with a guide to the necessary skills so that we can identify our strengths and weaknesses and work to ensure our proficiency of each microskill. My biggest concern is developing cultural humility and intentionality. I am not certain I understand what it looks like, and I am unaware whether or not I am currently at le...