The mental health counseling profession has gained increasing influence in the last 20 years. The purpose of this edited collection of articles is to chart the antecedents to, the present status of, and the future trends for this group of professionals. The book draws together historical tracings, rationales, conceptual models, and other viewpoints to represent various ideologies. The chapters discuss mental health counseling in sex positivism, gerontology, thanatology, hospital and clinic settings, hospices, business and industry, alcohol and drug abuse, and consultative arrangements. Inherent in such analyses is the important notion that mental health counselors possess "elastic" skills; skills which are not limited to specific populations or institutions but are generalizable to a broad array of primary, secondary, and tertiary mental health purposes. The text reflects the elements of an activist credo and its format outlines the challenges to which the long-range planning of the profession must be committed. The book examines the historical perspective of mental health counseling; its theory and practice; the broad-based nature of employment; licensure, credentialing and legislation; and assessment, research, ethics, curriculum and trends in mental health counseling. Contains name and subject indices. (RJM)