Milford chronicle., 1961-12-22
Guidance Quucks
Creute More Problems
Than They Solve

CHICAGO-Quack gui d anc
cOunsellors cause more problems
than they solve, an article in the
current (December) Health maga-
zine warned today.
Persons seeking advice about
personal. educational or vocational
problems should make sure they
obtain the services of a qualified
guidance counsellor, Willard Abra-
ham, Ph.D, chairman of the de-
partment of special education, Ari-
zona State University, Tu on,
Ariz, wrote in the magazine pub
lished by the American Medical
Association.
Thousands of people in recent
years have learned too late how
easy it is to become involved in
guidance fakery, and how difficult
it is to come out unharmed," he
said
The charlatans advice often re
suits in loss of money, wasted
time, and emotional upheavals,' he
said.
There are several ways that the
bona fide counsellor can be recOg-
nized and located, Abraham said.
The qualified guidance person
has a strong academic background
in the area where he proposes to
provide assistance" he said.
His college or university de-
grees will be from reputable in
stitutiOns, and he should be a
member of a recognized and re-
spected professional organization
related to his work He should OBJ
Yiously be successful in the field
where he processes to be an
authority. whether it's the world
of occupations or the marriage
arenai"
Certain professional groups pub
lish directories of qualified per
sons or organizations, Abraham
said
Directories on file in local
libraries can save money, time,
and trouble" he advised o h e r
sources of information are the
Better Business Bureau and the
! Chamber of Commerce. he said.
Sound guidance is based on
something more substantial than a
sincere question quickly followed
| by a pat answer" he said. 1T at
tempts to help a person help him
self, to lead him through a maze
of facts, fancy. and fallacy. 1t en-
courages him to make his own
final decision, the one with which
| he alone will have to live
Abraham also listed 10 ways in
which to avoid quack counsellors:
Don't depend on systems,
such as astrology, handwriting
analysis, etc.
Don't accept guidance by mail.
Don't accept a ready-m a d e
| formula that sounds as though it
would fit dozens of other people.
Don't trust the c oun S e | I
whose promises, in the first or
second consultation, are definite or
too satisfying.
Don't be a victim of high
pressure advertising. The compe-
tent counsellor needs no such
means for building a reputation
Don't sign anything without
reading it thoroughly
Don't fall victim to such sure
/ bait" for the gullible as a doctoral
degree from a foreign university
and IAN accent that rivals Charles
Boyer's A counsellor's qualifica-
tions should be based on some
thing more substantial.
Don't assume that one test
can give a dependable answer on
which to base future action. No
reputable guidance person or psy-
lchologist would restrict himself
that much in helping to evaluate
the problem.
Don't be deluded by too many
tests followed by obscure inter
ipretations. The competent coun-
sellor uses devices cautiously, and
is careful to interpret results in
layman's language.
Don't depend on a counsellor
whose library related to the kind
of problem you have seems in
adequate or even non-existent.
There are about 355 5000 blind
people in the United States.