Promoting Well-being from the Start: Implementation of a Wellness Curriculum

The 2016 Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs standards (F.1.k.) and the 2014 American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics (C.2.g.) stipulate that counselor wellness and self-care be prioritized throughout counselor education programs. However, there is little evidence to suggest counselors’-in-training (CIT) wellness increases during a counseling program. The Introduction to Counseling Wellness Curriculum (ICWC) was developed to assist in meeting these standards and promote wellness from the onset of a counseling program. This eight-week long curriculum presents content to cover different dimensions of wellness and specific activities to implement self-care practices. The skills obtained through the ICWC can provide CIT’s strategies to maintain psychological wellness and prevent professional burn-out. Implications for counselor educators are discussed.