title: "A double-edged sword"? The professionalisation of counselling in the United Kingdom.
abstract: Drawing on interviews with practitioners involved in voluntary-sector counselling in Scotland, this paper explores contradictions associated with the professionalisation of counselling in the UK. Five meanings of the term "professional" are identified. Those in support of professionalisation aim to bring these different meanings into close alignment, whereas those with reservations point to tensions between at least some of these meanings and core values of counselling. In conclusion the paper reflects on the possibility that counselling might contribute to a reshaping of what it means to be a profession.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geography, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, Scotland, UK. liz.bondi@ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: Liz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bondi
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003376:Counseling / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards; D011361:Professional Competence; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D006113:United Kingdom; D014838:Volunteers