Enhancing Counseling Gatekeeping with Performance Appraisal Protocols

Academic and site supervisors of counselors-in-training perform the important function of serving as gatekeepers to the counseling profession. Their endorsement of a trainee implies that the trainee is capable of carrying out the role of a counselor in an ethical and effective manner, without endangering clients. Limited guidelines and training in the gatekeeping function pose a problem for supervisors. In the quest for improved gatekeeping processes, the counseling profession may achieve greater clarity and fairness by incorporating performance appraisal protocols from the business and management fields.