Wellness and wellness counseling: History, status, and future

Abstract

Despite broad professional and empirical support, wellness and wellness counseling remain largely absent from counselor preparation standards and ethical codes. In this conceptual examination, the authors summarize the current state of these concepts, providing concrete suggestions to enhance these documents and utilize wellness competencies to advance counseling research and practices.

Wellness and well‐being in counseling research: A 31‐year content analysis

“…(2000) and Myers and Sweeney (2008). The resulting model, the Indivisible Self (IS‐Wel; Myers & Sweeney, 2008), and its companion assessment, the Five Factor Wellness Inventory (5F‐Wel; https://www.mindgarden.com/99-five-factor-wellness-inventory) stand prominently in the counseling profession, supported by extensive evidence (Brubaker & Sweeney, 2022; Myers & Sweeney, 2008; Shannonhouse et al., 2020).…”

“…The counseling profession's roots in vocational guidance, human development, and client self‐actualization have since invoked the holistic principles of wellness (Myers, 1992, Witmer, 2013). However, the use of wellness as a strategy or model of health and healing did not formally emerge until the late 20th century (Brubaker & Sweeney, 2022). A key turning point occurred in 1989, when the ACA (then known as the American Association for Counseling and Development) adopted the resolution: The Counseling Profession as Advocates for Optimum Health and Wellness (Myers, 1992).…”

“…Wellness, defined as “a way of life oriented toward optimal health and well‐being, in which body, mind, and spirit are integrated by the individual to live life more fully within the human and natural community” (Myers et al., 2000, p. 252), is both a process and outcome of counseling. Within the field of counseling, wellness is commonly accepted as a pillar of the profession and the defining philosophical orientation of counselors (Brubaker & Sweeney, 2022; Burck et al., 2014; Kaplan et al., 2014). The American Counseling Association (ACA) was an early adopter of wellness initiatives and the promotion of wellness scholarship (Myers, 1992).…”

“…Operational definitions of wellness vary in counseling research, often with different conceptual meanings. Additionally, wellness is commonly used interchangeably with well‐being, irrespective of the differences between the two terms (Brubaker & Sweeney, 2022). As such, understanding the history and publication patterns of wellness and well‐being in counseling research can assist in alleviating some of the ambiguity surrounding these constructs.…”

The Influenced Factors of Spiritual Well-Being: a Systematic Review

“…Spiritual well-being can be an indicator of the quality of individual life, because individuals who are spiritually prosperous can live life in harmony, both as individuals and as part of the social environment (Brubaker & Sweeney, 2021). In addition, spiritual well-being consistently affects the quality of life of individuals, this is possible when individuals who are spiritually prosperous will have the ability to interpret the opportunities obtained in life as a result of individual interactions with the environment and belief in the power of the God who regulates all forms of life so that individuals are able to live more in harmony (Utama et al, 2021).…”