Counselor Exam Prep Study Guide Under Revision
The 6th edition of the Study Guide for the National Counselor Exam and CPCE is undergoing revision. The current 2011 Study Guide will be followed by a 7th edition projected to be available early in 2015.
The current 400-page 6th edition will change and grow to some extent. Most of the current edition will still be there for the 7th edition. The two big changes will be the replacement of the 2005 ACA Code of Ethics with the 2014 edition which was approved by the American Counseling Association in spring of this year. A copy of the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics is available to anyone at the ACA website: www.counseling.org.
The second big change to the Study Guide will be replacing the DSM IV-TR information with information from the DSM-5 which was released in spring of 2013. Perhaps the biggest single change in the new DSM has been the removal of the axial classification system. The information about DSM-5 in the Study Guide will come primarily from a book published for counselors by counselors titled, DSM-5 Learning Companion for Counselors.
Other significant changes to the forthcoming 7th edition of the Study Guide include sections on Neurobiology, Neurobiology and Psychotherapy, mindfulness, and dialectical behavior therapy. Other, minor changes will be made throughout the various sections of the Study Guide including the practice exams and references.
Impetuses for the changes in the Study Guide come from changes in the field of counseling, legislation, as well as changes in society and the world of work. Feedback from counselors who have used the Study Guide and subsequently taken the National Counselor Exam and/or Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam has also been very valuable.
Please communicate with me if you have comments or suggestions during this Study Guide revision process (ahelwig@sprintmail.com).