Volume_4_Issue_3_Digest

TPC D igest 49 Saundra M. Tomlinson-Clarke is an Associate Professor at Rutgers University. Colleen M. Georges is an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers University. Correspondence can be addressed to Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke, 10 Seminary Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1183, saundra.tomlinson-clarke@gse.rutgers.edu . W ith a focus on helping people to resolve problems, the counseling profession has maintained an emphasis on growth, prevention and early intervention across the lifespan. With the publication of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-5 ), issues related to the appropriateness of diagnosis and the use of the DSM-5 within the counseling profession have reemerged. Concerns focus on the implications of the DSM-5 for counseling professionals who advocate prevention and wellness, and the impact of the diagnostic process on counseling ethical practice. In promoting counselor professional identity and reinforcing the consensus definition of professional counseling as empowering individuals, families and groups, teaching diagnosis and the DSM- 5 to counseling trainees requires a contextual understanding of people and their concerns. Providing counseling trainees with the learning experiences designed to foster knowledge and skills extends beyond exposure to the DSM-5 classification systems for categorizing behavior as disordered. Successfully integrating knowledge, skills, diagnostic practices and the DSM-5 into counselor DSM-5 : A Commentary on Integrating Multicultural and Strength-Based Considerations into Counseling Training and Practice – DIGEST Saundra M. Tomlinson-Clarke Colleen M. Georges