The Role of Intellectual Virtues in the Practice of Humanistic Mental Health Counseling

The function of intellectual virtues as a foundation for the development of excellence in the humanistic practice of clinical mental health counseling is explored. First, the unique characteristics of intellectual virtues are described. Second, 10 specific intellectual virtues are identified and briefly defined. It is proposed that these function in combination for the acquisition of counseling‐related knowledge and skills. Their specific application to basic processes for humanistic counseling is examined: genuineness and congruence; unconditional positive regard; and empathic understanding. Finally, the relevance of intellectual virtues for counseling processes and practice is explored.