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JAMES L. MOORE III

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EHE Distinguished Professor of Urban Education

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Philosophy

My Philosophy on Teaching in Counselor Education

James L. Moore III, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Over the years, the United States has undergone numerous

changes and unfortunately many segments of society are

not functioning optimally. Many of the changes are, directly

or indirectly, related to economics, technological

advancements, and demographic shifts. Increasingly,

counselors (e.g., school, mental health, etc.) are being

requested to provide services and interventions that assist

people to function more effectively in our changing global

society.

My philosophy on teaching in counselor education is based on didactic, experiential, and

applied research experiences where students can develop the competencies and skills

essential to becoming professional counselors, advocates, and leaders in the 21st century. It

is important that counselor educators help develop students’ conceptual thinking skills and

nurture their inquiring minds about the art of counseling. In order to develop such helping

professionals, it is important that counselor educators are (a) well grounded in the “art of

counseling,” (b) knowledgeable of traditional and new cutting edge counseling practices

and techniques that enhance human development, and (c) capable of adapting and

teaching innovative practices and techniques to students.

As a counselor educator, I am fully aware of the importance of integrating technology,

research, and applied experiences in the classroom. In my opinion, the art of teaching in

counselor education is a tireless pursuit of exploration and discovery for both the instructor

and the students. It is not limited to mere readings and abstract conceptualizations nor is it

confined to only classroom experiences. It is a lifelong process where people and new

bodies of knowledge are constantly shaping the helping profession. Therefore, I believe

that my duty, as a counselor educator, is to design assignments and activities where

students can learn to think critically and analytically about not only what appears in

textbooks but also about the art of counseling. Such a pedagogical approach requires

students to “open up” and make connections with their life time experiences to determine

how these experiences might impede or enhance counseling relationships with future

clients. More importantly, this approach provides a basis for maximizing the potential of

students as individuals and as counselors. From this perspective, the curriculum, whether it

is in school or mental health counseling, should reflect multiple perspectives of human

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development and counseling. Such information is critical for helping counseling students

develop a keen awareness of appropriate or inappropriate practices for cross-cultural

populations.

As students progress through our counseling curriculum and, of course, build confidence in

themselves as counselors, they will gravitate naturally to theories and conceptual models

that embody their personal philosophies of counseling. It is conceivable that counseling

theories have different meaning for different people. Therefore, it is important that

counselor educators explain and demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of various

counseling theories. This is easily achieved through traditional forms of counseling

pedagogy, such as assigned readings, research projects, case studies, and various

experiential exercises.

The underlying premise of my teaching philosophy in counselor education is relatively

simple. It requires combining multiple intellectual, social, emotional, and practical learning

experiences to prepare future counselors for the rigorous demands, as well as the rewards

of being a counselor. Upon successful completion of their program of study, students

should demonstrate a high rate of competency in the following core counseling areas:

foundations, ethics, research, theories, human/career development, assessment, and cross-

cultural issues. Also, I believe that students should have every opportunity to succeed and

reach their maximum potential, and I further believe that counselor educators should make

every attempt to model professionalism and to guide students toward responsible

citizenship.

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