FAQ

Answers about the field:

What is counseling psychology?

From the Society of Counseling Psychology’s website:

Counseling psychology as a psychological specialty facilitates personal and
interpersonal functioning across the life span with a focus on emotional, social,
vocational, educational, health-related, developmental, and organizational
concerns. Through the integration of theory, research, and practice, and with
a sensitivity to multicultural issues, this specialty encompasses a broad range
of practices that help people improve their well-being, alleviate distress
and maladjustment, resolve crises, and increase their ability to live more
highly functioning lives. Counseling psychology is unique in its attention
both to normal developmental issues and to problems associated with physical,
emotional, and mental disorders.

What is the
difference between counseling and clinical psychology?

Traditionally, the main difference between counseling and clinical psychology
is their perspective and training. Counseling psychologists focus more on
the psychologically healthy individual (emphasis on development and person-environment
interactions) where clinical tends to focused on individuals
with serious mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia). Counseling psychology has
grown out of vocational psychology and has a strong educational/developmental
component. CP programs are also typically housed in a school of education
(though not all of them are). Clinical programs are more medically orientated
in nature focusing on treatment of disease, in this case mental illness.
Counseling psychology also has a focus on a person’s strengths.

Counseling psychologists are considered to be the generalists, they are trained
in a wide variety of basic therapeutic skills. Clinical psychologists are
typically focused in one or a few areas (e.g. depression, substance abuse).
Counseling psychologists can and do specialize, but their training is focused
on a general repertoire of skills. Counseling and clinical psychologists
can generally treat the same kind of patients and the overlap between the
two fields continues to grow.

Please see the Defining
the Field section of this site for more information.

What do counseling psychologists
do?

Counseling Psychologists do so many things that it is hard to give a synopsis.
Generally speaking, a counseling psychologist can consult with a variety
of agencies (e.g. schools, government, private organizations), teach at the
college level (undergrad and graduate levels), do research, therapy (e.g.
group, individual, family), hold academic administrative positions (e.g.
dean of a college), etc.

Counseling psychologists study and work in a variety of settings. Some areas
that counseling psychologists work in and study are:

substance abuse
vocational psychology
child development
adolescent development
adult development/aging
health psychology (e.g. including long term care, AIDS, cancer, etc)

mental illness (e.g. anxiety disorders)
forensic psychology
sport psychology
neuropsychology
aggression/anger control
anxiety disorders

interpersonal relationships
assessment
rehabilitation
community psychology
counseling process/outcome
group processes

crisis intervention
developmental disabilities
eating disorders
supervision
multiculturalism

Counseling psychologists can work in a variety of settings as well.
Many of them include: college counseling centers, private practice,
hospitals, private organizations, and government.

What is the difference between a counselor and a psychologist?

Counselors *

The term counselor is meant to describe someone who holds their master’s
degree in counseling. Counselors can be found in a variety of settings
including college counseling centers, private counselors, rehabilitation
counselors, and counselors in private practice. Training is typically
broad and counselors can find themselves doing career counseling, family
counseling, school counseling, mental health counseling, community
counseling, marriage counseling and consulting.

Master’s programs are accredited by CACREP (e.g.
community, career, family, etc) and the Council
on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) accredits rehabilitation counseling
programs. Most programs will offer a core of coursework, internship
and/or practica placements, and many offer the opportunity for specialty
work.

There are quite a few licensing levels:

NCC – National Certified Counselor
ACS – Approved Clinical Supervisor
LPC – Licensed Professional Counselor (some states may use a different name)

You should check with the state you wish to practice in to inquire
about licensure requirements. The American
Counseling Association is the counselor’s professional association.
The ACA has several divisions/groups, many of which are very large
associations on their own (e.g. American College Counseling Association).

Psychologists *

Psychologists typically have their PhD and practice in a variety
of settings including veterans hospitals, schools, prisons, industry,
HMO’s, universities, and private practice. Note, that those with PhDs
in the non-practicing areas of psychology (e.g. social, cognitive,
developmental) may still call themselves psychologists, but they can
not practice psychology or therapy as they are not trained to do so.

Psychologists have advanced graduate training and have received supervision
in a year long internship. Most states license counseling and clinical
psychologists and each differs with their requirements for licensure
Individuals with a PsyD (Doctor of Psychology), who typically earn
them through graduate professional schools and a few research universities,
are also eligible for licensure in most states. Checking with your
state (or the one you wish to practice in) for specific requirements
is the best bet to make sure your prepared.

Clinical and counseling psychology programs are accredited by the American
Psychological Association (APA). While accreditation is a voluntary
process, having graduate from an accredited program has become a
signal that your training has met certain standards. The APA is the
professional association of psychologists along with the American
Psychological Society (APS). The APA and APS are similar organizations
with the APS emphasizing the science of psychology as opposed to
APA’s heavier focus on practice.

*Neukrug, E. (2003). The world
of the counselor: An introduction to the counseling profession.
(2nd. Ed.). Pacific Gove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

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