CROSS-NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE ROLE OF ASSESSMENT IN COUNSELING -A PRELIMINARY-REPORT

This preliminary report examines the role of formal assessment in the counselling process from a cross-national perspective. Counsellors and counsellor-educators from twenty countries were surveyed to determine the extent to which they use formal assessment procedures in counsell ing and the types of assessment instruments being used. Results indica ted that many, but not all, counsellors use assessment instruments. In non-North American countries, there is some tendency to use instrumen ts developed in the North American context, with or without modificati ons to test content and norms. This preliminary study suggests a perce ived need for development of culture-specific assessment tools, and th e implications for counsellor training of developing counselling and a ssessment skills with cross-cultural relevance.