Book excerpt: Ethical practice is an essential aspect of counselor training. In order for counselors to competently work with clients, they must be well versed in ethical codes, ethical decision making, and legal issues impacting the profession. Ethical Decision Making for the 21st Century Counselor provides the fundamentals of ethical practice, with emphasis on ethical decision making and is structured to facilitate the development of these skills. Authors Donna S. Sheperis, Stacy L. Henning, and Michael M. Kocet move the reader through a developmental process of understanding and applying ethical decision making. Individuals will be able to incorporate ethical practice into their understanding of the counseling process and integrate ethical decision making models into their counseling practice. This unique approach differs from existing texts because of its strong emphasis on practical decision making and focus on understanding the process of applying a standard ethical decision model to any ethical scenario. Students build a foundation in how to evaluate an ethical situation and feel confident that they have applied a set of decision models to reach the best decision.