Final answer:
Before conducting research with human subjects, professional counselors should obtain informed consent and ethics approval.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before conducting research with human subjects, professional counselors should obtain informed consent. This means that the counselor must inform the potential subjects of the study's purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits, and obtain their voluntary agreement to participate. Informed consent is a crucial ethical principle that ensures the autonomy and rights of the participants are respected.
Additionally, researchers may need to obtain ethics approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) before conducting the research. The IRB reviews research proposals to ensure that the study is conducted in an ethical manner and safeguards the rights and well-being of the participants.