TPC-Journal-V3-Issue1

21 The Professional Counselor \Volume 3, Issue 1 basic human needs. When assessing and diagnosing addictions, the focus is typically drug and alcohol dependency behaviors; however, PAs may mimic some of the same characteristics. Such characteristics include loss of control, compulsive behaviors, efforts to stop the compulsive behavior, loss of time, preoccupation, inability to fulfill obligations, continuation of the behavior despite the consequences, withdrawal, escalation and losses (Carnes, 2010). Other potential problems are often experienced by clients who have not been treated for all addictions and problem behaviors. Some of these include personal neglect, compulsive Internet use, isolation and avoidance of people, lost productivity, depression, dissociative states, marital and relationships problems, increased sexual risk behaviors, gambling, and academic failure. Recommendations and Future Research The addictions field is emerging with various types of disorders, and counselors are finding themselves to be overwhelmed and incompetent in handling the increasing demands for diagnosis, assessment and treatment of addictions in general and specifically PAs. Although counselors are expected to obtain continuing education to keep abreast of the evolution of counseling in the field, clinicians who participated in this study indicated that they were overall ill-prepared to work with clients who are living with PAs. First, it is recommended that counselor education programs implement courses that include properly assessing, diagnosing and treating PAs. Second, it is important to reiterate that counselors make a professional vow to practice within their scope and to make referrals for services they are not capable of providing. Based on the information provided by participants in this pilot study, counselors who have no training with treating PAs are not making referrals for their clients, and are making the conscious efforts to continue working with clients who are living with PAs. It is recommended that workshops and continuing education programs specifically focused on PAs be provided for counselors who are active in the field. Staying current with the profession is of utmost importance when working in a field that changes based on available information. Moreover, it is an ethical violation to provide treatment services in an area that is beyond one’s scope of competency (ACA, 2005). Finally, this pilot study will be replicated on a national level, obtaining further information about counselors’ knowledge and comfort level with assessing, diagnosing and treating PAs. The IAAOC is interested in further researching the knowledge of counselor educators and graduate students in counselor education programs regarding their knowledge of PAs in order to meet the needs of this population and strengthen the knowledge base of PAs within the counseling profession. References American Counseling Association. (2005). ACA code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.counseling.org/resources/codeofethics/TP/ home/ct2.aspx. American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). doi:10.1176/appi. books.9780890423349. American Psychiatric Association. (2012a). DSM-5 development . Retrieved from http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx. American Psychiatric Association. (2012b). R 37 gambling disorder . Retrieved from http://www.dsm5.org/proposedrevision/pages/ proposedrevision.aspx?rid=210. American Psychiatric Association. (2012c). DSM-5 development: K 05 binge eating disorder . Retrieved from http://www.dsm5.org / proposedrevision/pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=372#. American Psychiatric Association. (2012d). DSM-5 development: Internet use disorder . Retrieved from http://www.dsm5.org proposedrevision/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=573. American Psychiatric Association. (2012e). Hypersexual disorder . Retrieved from http://www.dsm5.org/proposedrevision/pages/ proposedrevision.aspx?rid=415 American Society of Addiction Medicine. (2012). Addiction defined . Retrieved from http://www.asam.org/for-the-public/definition-of- addiction. Ashley, L. L., & Boehlke, K. K. (2012). Pathological gambling: A general overview.  Journal of Psychoactive Drugs ,  44 (1), 2737. doi:10.1 080/02791072.2012.662078. Carnes, P. (2010). Facing the shadow (2nd ed.). Carefree, AZ: Gentle Path Press.