The following identifies key trends and forecasts relating to higher education in the counseling area. These trends and future projections could become the impetus for new approaches or leadership strategies that are needed to address related concerns and potential opportunities. The trends that present potential challenges and/or opportunities for higher education in the counseling area are presented. Trends in higher education include a focus on increased technology and this results in many challenges or opportunities for the counselor as well as the educator. Technology has led to the tendency to put courses online, which presents a psychological and cultural struggle for the student, teacher, and counselor (Anderson and Middleton 1). Emerging technologies leads to three trends for increased educational needs of the counselor since there is a pressure on colleges and universities to deliver courses and workshops through online instruction. First, the counselor must learn about technology and second the counselor must learn about human interaction that takes place in the learning process online. Third, the counselor must deal with their own and the students' and teachers' culture shock related to online learning and teaching (Anderson and Middleton 1).
In addition to these trends, a fourth trend is that the counselor must be able to assist students as they attempt to choose the right tools for career an