Maryland Health Occupations Section 17-101

      (a)      In this title the following words have the meanings indicated.

      (b)      "Alcohol and drug counseling" means assisting an individual, family, or group through the client-counselor relationship:

            (1)      To develop understanding of intrapersonal and interpersonal substance abuse problems;

            (2)      To define goals relating to substance abuse;

            (3)      To make decisions relating to substance abuse;

            (4)      To plan a course of action reflecting the needs, interests, and abilities of the individual, family, or group relating to substance abuse; and

            (5)      To use informational and community substance abuse resources relating to personal, social, emotional, educational, and vocational development and adjustment.

      (c)      (1)      "Appraisal" means:

                  (i)      Selecting, administering, scoring, and interpreting instruments designed to assess an individual's aptitudes, attitudes, abilities, achievements, interests, and personal characteristics; and

                  (ii)      Using nonstandardized methods and techniques for understanding human behavior in relation to coping with, adapting to, or changing life situations.

            (2)      "Appraisal" does not include instruments which require specialized psychological training for administration and interpretation unless the licensed or certified professional counselor has completed training deemed by the Board of Examiners of Psychologists and the State Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists to be equivalent to that of a licensed psychologist who is qualified to administer the same types of instruments.

      (d)      "Board" means the State Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists.

      (e)      "Certificate" means a certificate issued by the Board to practice professional counseling.

      (f)      "Certified professional counselor" means a professional counselor who is certified by the Board.

      (g)      "Certified professional counselor-marriage and family therapist" means an individual who is certified by the Board to practice marriage and family therapy in the State.

      (h)      (1)      "Certified supervised counselor-alcohol and drug" means an individual who is certified by the Board to practice alcohol and drug counseling in the State pursuant to the limitations in § 17-302.4 of this title.

            (2)      "Certified associate counselor-alcohol and drug" means an individual who is certified by the Board to practice alcohol and drug counseling in the State pursuant to the limitations in § 17-302.5 of this title.

            (3)      "Certified professional counselor-alcohol and drug" means an individual who is certified by the Board to practice alcohol and drug counseling in the State.

      (i)      "Counseling" means assisting an individual, family, or group through the client-counselor relationship:

            (1)      To develop understanding of intrapersonal and interpersonal problems;

            (2)      To define goals;

            (3)      To make decisions;

            (4)      To plan a course of action reflecting the needs, interests, and abilities of the individual, family, or group; and

            (5)      To use informational and community resources, as these procedures are related to personal, social, emotional, educational, and vocational development and adjustment.

      (j)      "Fund" means the State Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists Fund.

      (k)      "Marriage and family therapy" means applying marriage and family systems theory, principles, methods, therapeutic techniques, and research in:

            (1)      Resolving emotional conflict and modifying perception and behavior in the context of marriage and family life; and

            (2)      The identification and assessment of client needs and the implementation of therapeutic intervention.

      (l)      "Practice alcohol and drug counseling" means to engage professionally and for compensation in alcohol and drug counseling activities while representing oneself to be a certified professional counselor-alcohol and drug, a certified supervised counselor-alcohol and drug, or a certified associate counselor-alcohol and drug.

      (m)      "Practice marriage and family therapy" means to engage professionally and for compensation in marriage and family therapy activities while representing oneself to be a certified professional counselor-marriage and family therapist.

      (n)      "Practice professional counseling" means to engage professionally and for compensation in counseling and appraisal activities while representing oneself to be a professional counselor.