"Competence is a major concern for mental health professionals. Striving for competence is a lifelong endeavor. We are called upon to devote the entire span of our careers to developing, achieving, maintaining, and enhancing our competence. Competence at one point in our career does not assure competence at a later time. To remain current, we must take active steps to maintain our knowledge and skills. Continuing education is particularly important in learning about emerging areas of practice."

With the topic of competence in mind, engage the following in an informed and thoughtful manner:

• What criteria should be used to determine if a therapist is competent?
• Present specific criteria and explain why each is importantIs it easier to determine competence or incompetence?