Abstract This paper studies how advocacy has infiltrated the counseling profession and affected the practice of talk therapy. The paper first defines advocacy within the counseling field and then examines the findings of a number of studies into its efficacy and applicability. The paper also calls for a new model of advocacy, which includes community involvement and developmental advocacy to help strengthen counselor's ability to improve patient's outcome for the future. The paper calls on counselors to help clients amend the communities in which they live, so that the community in turn also supports itself and the counselor's potential clients.
Introduction
New Framework For Advocacy
Research Supporting Premise
Conclusions
From the Paper "For one to promote a framework of advocacy in the counseling profession it is first important to understand what advocacy is. Home & Martin (1998) define advocacy as a method "based on the belief that individual or collective action must be taken to right injustices or improve conditions for the benefit of individuals or groups" (284). Lee (1998) also defines advocacy as "the process or act or arguing or pleading for a cause or proposal" (8). It requires that counselors take action. In recent years the issue of advocacy in counseling has drawn much attention. Much of this attention is meant to change the role of a counselor from a static to a functional agent responsible for changing any practices that might limit their client's opportunities for success (Lee, 2001). Many believe the idea of advocacy and the counseling profession is not compatible (Myers, Sweeney & White, 2002)."
