The past decade has seen tremendous international growth and expanded dialogue in the field of guidance and counseling. American ideas and techniques have been exported extensively, though often modified to adhere to diverse cultures. The present article examines the emergence of guidance and counseling in the rapidly changing and tumultuous country of Iran and briefly look at the cultural and educational system and their counselor training model.
In recent years, counselors throughout the world have begun an international dialogue to examine the roles and functions of the guidance counselor in the myriad cultures represented. has offered a strong case for international study so that practicing counselors can.., be attuned to many human concerns and open to new ideas and behaviour patterns (p. 439). He goes on to state that cultural isolation and provincial mentality are serious professional handicaps (p. 439).
The American Personnel and Guidance Association has responded by establishing the APGA International Relations Committee. Individual authors have offered views of counseling from Latin America (Espin and Renner, 1974;), Taiwan (Scaff and Ting, 1972), and Lagos, Nigeria (Pulleybank, 1974) to name but a few. International Round Table on guidance have been held in Norway and England, while a variety of related meetings gave taken place in Greece, the Netherlands and Western Europe.
With the exception of Israel, relatively little has been written of guidance and counseling efforts in the middle-eastern countries. This article will examine the development and practice of counseling in Iran (Persia).
Iran has experienced severe internal strife as a result of the animosity many * William J. Weikel is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at Morehead State University in Kentucky. Effat Mortazavi recently received her Master's degree in School Counseling at Morehead State University and has returned to Iran.