What is Counselling Psychology?

Counselling psychology focuses on the emotional, social, vocational, educational, health-related, developmental, and organizational concerns as they promote personal and interpersonal functioning throughout life. Always sensitive to multicultural issues, counselling psychologists integrate theory, research and practice, to help people improve their well being, alleviate distress and maladjustment, resolve crisis, and increase their ability to live more highly functioning lives. Counselling psychologists usually deal with reasonably well-adjusted
people, however, they can also aid those with mental dysfunctions.

Counselling psychologists participate in teaching, research, psychotherapeutic and counselling practice, career development, assessment, supervision, and consultation. They help individuals, groups, and organizations to function optimally as well as to mediate dysfunction. Interventions may be either brief or long-term; they are often problem-specific and goal-directed. These activities are guided by a philosophy that values individual differences and diversity with a focus on prevention, development, and adjustment across the life span.

Persons of all ages and cultural backgrounds, including late adolescents or adults with career/educational concerns and children or adults facing severe personal difficulties are serviced by counselling psychologists. They may also consult with organizations seeking to enhance their effectiveness or the well being of their members.

Counselling psychologists are employed in a variety of settings depending on the services they provide and the client populations they serve. Some are employed in colleges and universities as teachers, supervisors, researchers, and service providers. Others are employed in independent practice providing counselling, psychotherapy, assessment, and consultation services to individuals, families, groups, and
organizations. Additional settings in which counselling psychologists practice include community mental health centres, business and industrial organizations, and consulting firms.