The eighth edition of Introduction to the Counseling Profession gathers leading scholarship and insight from experts in the field, providing readers with a comprehensive, foundational guide to counseling. Readers are exposed to diverse perspectives regarding timely topics including counseling across cultures, creative and innovative approaches, effective strategies for counseling within particular settings, and more. In Part I, Counseling Foundations, readers learn about historical perspectives and current trends in the discipline, ethical and legal considerations, the importance of self-care and self-growth, and incorporating technology into counseling. Part II, Counseling Approaches and Practices, examines the power of therapeutic alliance, individual counseling, group counseling, assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning, and crisis counseling. In the final part, counseling specializations are explored. The eighth edition is congruent with the 2016 standards of CACREP and addresses core curricular areas specified by CACREP so that beginning counselors can obtain overviews of the knowledge and skills they must master as they progress through their graduate programs of study. In addition, the last six chapters overview all the specializations CACREP now accredits: addictions counseling, career counseling, clinical mental health counseling, clinical rehabilitation counseling, marriage, couple, and family counseling, school counseling, and student affairs and college counseling. More discussion of the implications of counseling with diverse populations, additional case studies and sidebars, and content from several new authors add freshness and dimension to the new edition. Both format and content, as well as color graphics and photographs, enhance the readability of the book and increase student interest in the material. Comprehensive in nature, Introduction to the Counseling Profession is an ideal resource for foundational courses in counseling.