Introduction to Rehabilitation Counseling: The Development of a New Counseling Profession in Korea

In Korea, rehabilitation counseling has a relatively brief history. Since its inception in the early 1990s, the rehabilitation counseling profession has demonstrated enormous growth despite the challenges inherent to a developing profession. This paper provides an overview of the rehabilitation counseling profession in the United States. An emphasis on the following topical areas will be addressed: the historical context of the rehabilitation profession, the educational training model, the credentialing of the profession, the professional organizations, the role and functions of rehabilitation counselors, the job market, and the philosophical and ethical foundation of the profession. In addition, emerging challenges inherent to the rehabilitation counseling profession in the United States are addressed. Lastly, suggestions for the Korean society of rehabilitation counseling are provided.