Counseling Psychology
An Introduction
Welcome to Psych 540
Archival Description of Counseling
Psychology APA (TCP, 1999)
 Within the focus of lifespan development, we focus on:
– Healthy aspects and strengths of the client (individual, couple,
family, group, system, organization), environmental/situational
influences (context of culture, gender, and lifestyle issues), and the
role of career and vocation on individual development and
functioning.
 We help people with:
– Physical, emotional, and mental disorders improve well-being,
alleviate distress and maladjustment, and resolve crises
 Intervene in emotions, behaviors, cognitions
 Interventions may be preventative, skill-enhancing, or
remedial; short-term or longer-term
 Base our core knowledge on general psychology; doctoral
or postdoctoral training required
Three Central Roles
 Remedial
 Preventative
 Educative-Developmental
 Most activities of counseling
psychologists combine all three.
UNIFYING THEMES
of Counseling Psychology
 Focus on intact personalities
 Focus on people’s strengths, assets, and
positive mental health
 Relatively brief interventions
 Emphasis on person-environment
interactions
 Emphasis on educational & career
development
 Intact Personalities
– Closer to continuum of higher functioningneurotic than psychotic.
 However, increase in working with clients with more
severe mental illness.
 Focus on Strengths
– Emphasis on HYGIOLOGY rather than
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
– Regardless of degree of disturbance
– Emphasis on optimism, assets, positive mental
health, coping mechanisms, and belief in
positive change.
 Brief Interventions
– 12 – 15 sessions is considered brief
– Counseling and psychotherapy exist on a
continuum:
 Counseling end: Educative, addresses situational
problems, problem-solving at a conscious level.
 Psychotherapy end: Personality reconstruction,
subconscious processes
 Person-Environment Interactions
– Considers the role of context on people’s lives.
– Important in considering multicultural and
diversity issues with clients.
 Educational and Career Development
– For some, this is the heart of counseling
psychology, and one of its foundations.
– Training in career counseling and vocational
psychology is part of graduate programs in
counseling psychology.
Counseling Psychology Identity
 Has been “plagued or blessed” by reoccurring
identity crises (Richardson & Patton, 1992):
– Considered plagued by those who wish the field had a
more fixed or immutable identity
– Considered blessed by those that are appreciative of
the enormous changes that have occurred in the history
of counseling psychology.
 Roles and themes of Counseling Psychology are
central tendencies, but there is great variability.
Training in Counseling Psychology
5-6 years graduate study (Master’s & Ph.D.)
Full-time, one-year internship in practice
Doctoral dissertation
Programs located in Colleges of Education
and Departments of Psychology
 Scientist-practitioner model of training
 Best to seek APA-accredited programs
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Why APA-Accredited Programs?
 Easier to become licensed as a
psychologist.
 Increase range of eligible employment
opportunities.
 Determines membership in some
professional organizations.
 May determine if clients’ insurance company
will reimburse for services.
Council of Counseling Psychology
Training Programs Survey (CCPTP; 2002):
 Site:
http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/ccptp/
 Internship Placements for 2001-2002:
– College Counseling Centers
– Veteran’s Administration
Medical Centers (VAMC)
– General Hospitals
– Community Mental Health Centers
54%
13%
11%
10%
Employment Settings of Recent
Graduates
 Educational Settings:
– University Counseling Centers
– University Psychology Dept.
– University Education Dept.
– Medical School
– University Administration
29%
11%
4%
4%
2%
 Human Service Settings:
– Group Medical/Psychiatric Practice
– VAMC
– Psychiatric Hospital
– Private Practice
– General Hospital
9%
6%
5%
3%
3%
 Other Settings:
– Military
– Private Research Organization
– Consulting Firm
– Criminal Justice
3%
2%
1%
1%
Changes in Employment Patterns
 Steady decline in percentage of CP’s in VA
medical centers, which had historically been a
major employer.
 Increase in CP’s in independent practice
 Greater percentage in variety of counseling
internventions
 Substantial increase of CP’s calling their work
“psychotherapy.”
 Centrality of vocational/career counseling has
come into question.
 Research is as strong as ever.
Distinctiveness and Overlap
 Applied Psychology: Counseling, Clinical,
Industrial/Organizational, School, &
Community
 Each seeks to “apply” principles of
psychology to human behavior.
 Rely on similar training and education
 Use similar assessments and interventions
 Have distinctive emphases or foci
Industrial/
Organizational
Community
Counseling
Psychology
Clinical
School
Areas of Overlap with Counseling
Psychology
 Clinical: Counseling and therapy
 Community: Person-environment
interactions
 School: Occurs if counseling psychologists
work in school settings
 I/O: Area of career and vocational
development.
Other Related Fields Outside of
Psychology
 All can conduct counseling or therapy
 Psychiatric Social Workers
– MSW: 2 year Master’s degree
 Psychiatrists
– MD’s; medical school, prescribe medication
 Counseling Professionals
– 2 year Master’s degree to become licensed
– Very similar in values to counseling psychology
Resources for More Career Information
about Counseling Psychology
 Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) of
APA:
– http://www.div17.org/
 Student Affiliate Group (SAG) of Div. 17
– http://www3.uakron.edu/sagweb/
 Accredited Programs in Counseling Psychology:
– http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/doctoral.html
 The Counseling Psychologist journal:
– http://www.div17.org/tcp/