It's appropriate for counsellors to influence clients to adopt values that seem to be in the best interest of clients. The best interest of the client should be determined based on the client's expertise over their own life, not the convictions of the counsellor. When considering influencing a person, that decision requires a lot of forethought and should never be a quick decision. This statement suggests that counsellors do not respect client's existing values and would therefore seek to influence the client into adopting new ones.

The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA, 2021) claims that counsellors should actively seek to broaden their diversity perspectives and consider other worldviews while also aiming to refrain from imposing their own values. By trying to influence a client's values, the impression is that the counsellor believes the value that they want to impose is superior to that of the client. While a counsellor does not need to agree with a client's values, they must respect them. The client's values are likely tied with many aspects of their identity and attempting to change their values could have consequences for their social and cultural identities.

How would you feel about a counsellor attempting to influence your values?

Reference:

Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. (2021).Standards of practice - Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). Standards of Practice. https://www.ccpa-accp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/CCPA-Standards-of-Practice-ENG-Sept-29-Web-file.pdf