Lls the gatekeeping function of the profes sion in

lls the gatekeeping function of the profes-
sion. In this way, when individuals apply for licensing or
certi fi cation there is an assurance that, in addition to the
practice and knowledge competencies, the individual is
the embodiment of the qualities, principles, and habits
that typify the profession. However, once licensing or
certi fi cation is achieved and the practitioner is no longer
under the watchful eyes of gatekeepers, the potential
for the erosion of the values/attitudes competencies is
increased, unless ongoing supervision is obtained. Th us,
while knowledge and practice may be held in check with
independent activities like consulting the literature, the

ETHICS-BASED ISSUES AND CASES 413
C4. Consultative
Relationships
Counsellors ensure that
consultation occurs within
a voluntary relationship
between a counsellor and
a help-seeking individual,
group, or organization, and
that the goals are understood
by all parties concerned.
personal qualities that contribute to e ff ective practice may
be refractory to traditional continuing education methods.
Whether a boon or a bane, the recent developments
in the use of competencies to establish overall professional
competence has been widely endorsed (Rubin et al.,
2007). Th e shi ft to competencies has taken place against
a backdrop of sociocultural changes that include a better
informed public, increased pressures on licensing bodies
to de fi ne scopes of practice, and the movement towards
more knowledge-based interventions. Greater reliance on
established research (i.e., empirically based interventions)
for delineating practice guidelines and formal procedures
to monitor client progress (Miller, Duncan, & Hubble,
2004), represent two sides of a systematic and scienti fi c
approach to improving clinical performance. Embracing
a competency-based orientation may have great value,
especially to the lone practitioner for several reasons.
Competencies are both developmental and context
speci fi c and they take into account the practitioner’s level
of training and experience and his/her unique practice
environment (Rodolfa et al., 2005). Rodolfa and colleagues
(2005) suggest a model of professional development that
articulates the basic practice competencies that would
be expected of an entry-level practitioner but they also
add aspirational competencies that speak to the value of
continued education and lifelong learning. A reliance on
competencies promotes a culture of self-awareness, self-
monitoring, and self-assessment (i.e., meta-knowledge),
and when these practices are integrated into the work of
the counsellor, they bring accountability and integrity to
the service (Kaslow et al., 2004). However, this may be a
particular challenge for those in a private practice context
where formal reviews of performance are impossible in
the traditional sense and where supervisors may not be
available in person to provide unbiased objective appraisal
of a practitioner’s competencies. Practitioners must strive to
meet these challenges to remain within the ethical codes of
the profession.