Counseling+Psychology

Counseling psychologists focus on the development of the individual. The assist in adjustment during times of crisis. Counseling psychologists target emotional, health, vocational, social, and developmental issues. Counseling psychologists can be found in schools, the work place, and other organizations that are concerned with the well being of their associates.

Counseling psychologists work in a variety of areas in psychology. They have a broad wealth of knowledge in which they determine the best course of action to help a client deal with issues and troubles. Some areas that counseling psychologists deal with include: anxiety disorders, adult/child/adolescent development, health psychology, sports psychology, substance abuse, intervention/crisis, and eating disorders. Counseling psychologists have a wide range of groups on several different issues.

Counseling psychologists may ask weather or not a client's symptoms are due to developmental and daily-life struggles or a mental health disorder. If a client is experiencing stress due to a psychological disorder the counseling psychologist can assist by offering advice and recommendations on self improvement. However, additional assistance is left to a clinical psychologist. A clinical psychologist deals more specifically with psychological issues that have a mental health basis. Clinical psychologists can prescribe medication and monitor a patient's progress, while a counseling psychologist deals with a psychologically healthy person who is in need of therapy. Counseling psychologists may also need to ask themselves what specialty area a client needs help in. Counseling psychologists have a very general, broad knowledge of psychological techniques and approaches. Some counseling psychologists choose to specialize in more specific areas (such as counseling specifically to coworkers in a professional environment, etc). A counseling psychologist may need to ask weather or not the issue at hand is an anxiety disorder, situation depression, or substance abuse. From there, a counseling psychologist would need to determine the best course of action for a specific client.

Counseling psychology was founded in the 1950s. There were several key factors that led to the development of counseling psychology. After social reform in the 1990s, Frank Parsons began the "vocational guidance" movement. The vocational guidance movement utilized standardized testing to determine what leadership positions would best suit individuals in the workplace. In addition, this time brought forth the mental hygiene movement. The development of psychometrics and attention drawn to individual differences lead to an increase in popularity of counseling psychology as well. The approach of psychology previous to the popularity boost of counseling psychology was a non-medical approach. Finally, an extremely significant aspect of the development of counseling psychology was the Great Depression and World Wars. Services were provided to veterans during these times. The actual term "counseling psychology" was coined in 1951 and referred to helping clients develop personally. Super and Thompson tried to unify counseling psychology because it covered so many aspects of psychology.The 1960s marked the beginning of the APA Journal of Clinical psychology. It also began the Civil Rights Movement. Diversity in the United States called for attention to be drawn to social problems. Counseling psychology today can be defined as "a general practice and health service provider specialty in professional psychology that focuses on personal and interpersonal functioning across the lifespan and on emotional, social, vocational, educational, health-related, developmental, and organizational concerns" (Munley, Duncan, McDonnell, & Sauer, 2004).

Several counseling psychologists have made significant contributions ot the field. In the 1900s, Adler published "The Sense of LIfe" and also began to establish guidance centers for children. In the 1950s Rogers contributed his work "Client Centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications, and Theories" to teh field of counseling psychology. Also in the 1950s, the APA published the Journal of Counseling Psychology. The founders of this journal include: Milton Haun, Harold G. Seashore, Donald E. Super, and C. Gilbert Wrenn. In 1954 Haun developed teh Division 17 Address to make distinctions between counseling psychology and other subsets within the field. In 1960s C. Gilbert Wrenn published a book "The Counselor in a Changing World" and called for counseling psychologists (mainly in school systems) to pay attention to needs concerning diversity. In the 1970s the Association of Black Psychologists published the Journal Of Black Psychology. The 1980s produced Reagan's "War on Drugs" and in the 1990s the first research book specifically to focus on counseling psychology was published by Hepper, Kivlighan, and Wampold. In addition, journals have developed in the two past two decades that focus on counseling psychology and issues concerning counseling psychology. This includes, but is not limited to, the Journal of Vocational Behavior, Career Development Quarterly, Journal of Career Development, and Journal of Career Assessment.

References

Guidance and School Counseling: A History of School and Guidance Counseling in the United States. Retrieved from http://educaiton.stateuuni