Counseling in Brazil

This chapter describes historical perspectives, the current status, and future directions of the counseling profession in Brazil. It provides information regarding counselor education, counseling practice, and diversity issues in Brazil. The chapter focuses on career-related counseling services offered within the landscape of this unique developing country. Although trait-and-factor was the main model until the 1960s, criticisms about relying solely on testing in the 1970s and 1980s created room for other theories and ways of approaching career counseling and vocational guidance in Brazil. Generally in Brazil no career counseling interventions are offered solely through the Internet, although some national research findings suggest that online interventions could be effective. In order for the profession to continue to grow, there is a need for more research through academic collaborations that include regions of the country that have been less active and that bring to light issues related to socioracial and ethnic diversity.