Counselor

A counselor is a position aboard Starfleet vessels and installations, usually held by a senior Starfleet officer with training in psychology.

Qualified psychiatrists served aboard starships during the 23rd century. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "Dagger of the Mind")

By the mid-24th century, starship and starbase crews included a counselor, who was responsible for the mental well-being of the crew and civilian staff. The position was considered vital enough that it warranted inclusion in the senior staff of the Federation flagship; in that instance at least, the ship's counselor also had a diplomatic role, advising the captain in first contact and other situations.

As with the chief medical officer, the ship's counselor has the power to relieve other officers and crewmembers of duty if he or she feels that their patient is suffering from a condition that may hinder their ability to perform their duties effectively.

At the captain's discretion, the ship's counselor may be allowed to wear something other than their normal Starfleet uniform while on duty. This was the case with Deanna Troi, the ship's counselor on the USS Enterprise-D. Troi elected to wear a uniform permanently after being told to do so by Captain Edward Jellico. (TNG: "Chain of Command, Part I")

Some Starfleet officers, such as Captain Lisa Cusak and Chief Miles O'Brien, disliked the concept of a designated ship's counselor, preferring to seek advice about their problems from friends. (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice")

In an early draft of TNG: "Relics", Counselor Troi explained that the responsibility of a ship's counselor was to take care of the emotional well-being of a ship's crew and guests. Starfleet began assigning counselors to starships in the 2330s, after they realized that the pressures of extended space travel could result in psychological problems that would require professional care.

The development of the Counseling department began in the Penal facilities within the confines of the Federation.

In the mid-23rd century, the penal systems of the United Federation of Planets shifted focus from incarceration and punishment to humane rehabilitation, made possible by new technologies and drug therapies. A key figure of this transition was Doctor Tristan Adams. From the late 2240s and into the 2260s, his practices were replicated in many Federation penal colonies, turning what were essentially cages into effective hospitals. Until promising therapies were developed, those few criminally-insane beings deemed incurable and incorrigible where kept in the secure isolation of Asylum facilities. (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind", "Whom Gods Destroy")

Many people believe that the role of a counselor is a dull one, and nothing can be done until somebody comes to them for counseling. This is an uninformed opinion. This course is for Counselors and would-be counselors alike. The bulk of this course is positions that can be taken by a counselor and the roles that they can play on the ship and it's missions. The aim is that by reading this guide, talking to the lecturer and taking the exam, you will be able to contribute to the plot that your ship is involved in and add inspiration to the crew and be inspired by them.

COUNSELOR'S DUTIES

The counselor has a number of duties upon a starship. This is a list of the more important ones -

A. Crew Member Counseling

B. Crew Member Evaluation

C. Crew Member Orientation

D. First Contact Procedures

E. Away Missions

F. Morale Officer

G. Middle Person Role

H. Advisory Positions

CREW MEMBER COUNSELING

In the unlikely event that there is nothing you can do in the present situation, a Counselor can always write a Post that has them counseling a non-player character. If you are to counsel a character that is played by a person you should always check with them first, or wait until they come to you. It is intolerable to just take control of another person's character and give them psychological problems. In this situation you should discuss the details with the other person first, what they want the problem to be, what has caused the problems etc. You can use this duty at anytime and can be anything from marital problems and family counseling to childhood and deep emotional trauma, and everything in between.

CREW MEMBER EVALUATION

The First Officer and the Counselor normally do this, of course you have no real say in who gets promoted, that is the Commanding Officer's duty, it is an In Character (IC) plot line you could use. To do this effectively you should coordinate the story with the FO. You should *not* mention any promotions unless the CO has already announced them. In some sims, on the other hand, it is standard procedure that the Counselor and CMO first give their evaluations about the crewmember before he/she gets promoted. In the Counselor's evaluation you should describe the crewmember's behavior during the sim (Ex: Towards Senior officers etc.) and you should keep an eye at their attendance

FIRST CONTACT PROCEDURES

When your ship encounters a new species for the first time, first contact procedures should be observed. First contact procedures are as follows: CO, FO, Security, Counselor and Chief medical Officer should be present in full dress uniform; an official greeting on behalf of the Federation should be offered; etc. The main concern you will have, as counselors, will be advising the CO after observing the behavioral patterns of the species. When these procedures can not be done, ie the new species attacked on sight, the counselor should be on the bridge to help the CO interpret the actions of the species, if possible. This should be used rarely, and only when the CO states that the procedures are being followed. You can't just decide the ship is meeting a new species. It is the Counselor's duty to make a report about the First Contact Procedure together with the FO and the CMO. In the report the Counselor should at least describe: The behavior patterns of the species, the appearance of the species and all special abilities the species might have (Telepathic etc.) You will have to sent this report to your CO (He/she will sent it to the Fleet Commander).

AWAY MISSIONS

In non-hostile away missions a counselor is often invited to join the team. There could be any number of reasons for this: cultural exchange; interaction with other or new cultures (Again you will have to write a report about this); advising the Officer in command of the team of your opinions and the cultural peculiarities; etc. The CO and FO are extremely busy people and they have a lot to learn before they can affectively command a ship, and a lot of that is technical, it is the counselors' job to have studied the cultures that are in Starfleet, he Confederation, and any other races they might encounter and interact with. This can be used whenever an away team is sent and it is non-hostile. Joining a hostile away team or even a non-hostile away team can only be done on the CO's permission.

MORALE OFFICER

This is pretty self-explanatory. A morale officer is responsible for keeping the spirits of the crew up during times of duress. Things you could do to lift their spirits could range from personal attention to arranging a party. Keeping an eye on crew morale is a good reason to be in places such as sickbay or anywhere on the ship, the counselor can be where the action is when it happens. This is a good way of making sure you have something to write about, just remember you are not restricted to your quarters or the office. This can be used on a number of scales: a single person could be feeling depressed and you could be trying to cheer them up; the entire crew is starting to feel depressed/angry etc (due to an ongoing war etc but it would have to be extenuating circumstances before the entire crew where in need of cheering up) and you could arrange a party or something along those lines; to anywhere in between.

ADVISORY POSITIONS

There are many roles that a Counselor can fulfill on a ship, and one of them is the advisory role. Whether it is for individual crewmembers in their own pursuits, or on Away missions to other species' planet, an important part of your duties, is to help people solve their problems. One of the main advisory positions on board the ship will be in your interaction with the CO or the FO in the communication between the ship and other cultures. This situation may require you to interpret and/or translate the actions and behaviors of these people.