With the promulgation of the 20/20: A Vision for the Future of Counseling consensus definition of counseling, there is finally profession‐wide clarity as to what it means to engage in professional counseling. This article describes the development and discusses the implications of the definition: “Counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.” This consensus definition has been endorsed by 29 major counseling organizations.

, the presidential teams of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association of State Counseling Boards (AASCB) met over breakfast at the ACA annual convention in Atlanta to discuss the future of professional counseling. In attendance were Sam Gladding, ACA president; Jim Wilson, AASCB president; Charles Gagnon, AASCB president-elect; Patricia Arredondo, ACA president-elect; Marie Wakefield, ACA president-elect-elect; Barry Mascari, AASCB president elect-elect; and-for administrative purposes-David Kaplan, ACA chief professional officer. The impetus for the meeting came from the AASCB. AASCB was concerned about a lack of unity within the counseling profession resulting in "multiple variations in state licensing titles and regulations [which] were hampering efforts to develop and implement the AASCB licensure portability plan" (Rollins, 2006, p. 26). The AASCB presidential team asked ACA to consider cosponsoring a major initiative that would not only address the issues of disparate licensure titles and scopes of practice but also work to unify the profession by developing a strategic plan for optimal positioning of the counseling profession in the year 2020. The ACA presidential team agreed to this request, and thus was born

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