Counselling licensure in Taiwan.�

Abstract

Counsellor credentialing is one mechanism by which high standards of professionalism and ethics are upheld by counsellors, thereby protecting consumers of counselling services. Licensure is the most stringent form of counsellor credentialing, as it is a governmentally sanctioned credentialing and backed by law, regulating the title and practice of counselling. Licensure for counsellors in Taiwan is a relatively recent phenomenon introduced in 2001, while in the USA it has existed since the 1970s in some states. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the requirements for counselling licensure in Taiwan and to compare these with licensure requirements in the State of Ohio in the USA where counselling licensure has been evolving since 1983. Suggestions to strengthen and refine counselling licensure in Taiwan are presented and discussed.