Chapter Two

Literature Review This chapter presents a review of literature related to effective counselor characteristics (ECC) and admission requirements, and procedures. First, research on the characteristics of effective counselors is presented. Second, graduate college admission requirements and procedures are examined. Third, professional development and standards of preparation are investigated. These three areas relate to the threefold purpose of this study, which is to identify effective counselor characteristics (ECC), describe existing admission requirements, and develop a framework for a standardized set of admission requirements for assessing prospective counseling students. This study is based on the fact that (a) many aren’t sure, and cannot agree on, what the characteristics of effective counselors are or should be, (b) personal-emotional characteristics of effective counselors are usually minimally addressed or absent in admissions, and (c) there is not a framework for a standard set of admission requirements. Characteristics of Effective Counselors Effective Counselor characteristics (ECC) are just one general area related to “good” counselor performance. Research has shown that counselor competence and effectiveness is unavoidably tied to a counselor’s personality (Smith, 2003). This researcher and others (Bergin & Garfield, 1994; Loesch, 1995), believe that “effective” counselors have unique and identifiable personal characteristics, and that if identified, those characteristics could be used as selection criteria for prospective counseling students. These personal characteristics are often referred to as common factors and are credited with having a significant role in therapy. Loesch (1995) reports that the investigation into common factors has continued because of the