THE DISCIPLINE OF COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
As a distinct discipline, Counseling Psychology is relatively new. Historically it has emerged from the related fields of psychological measurement, vocational guidance and personality development. As such it has significant overlap with disciplines such as clinical psychol ogy, educational psychology, counseling and guidance and personnel psychology. A general goal of the counseling psychologist is the facilitation of personal development of people of all ages. To narrow this somewhat, the counseling psychologist generally emphasizes work with adoles cents and adults. In comparison to educational and school psycholo gists, the counseling psychologist places a lesser emphasis on the educational environment, diagnosis of learning disabilities and special education programs. He places a greater emphasis on self-awareness, vocational planning and personal development. While the counseling psychologist deals with people at all points on an adjustment continuum, his "clients" typically do not exhibit as severe personality disturbances as those seen by clinical psycholo gists. In addition, the counseling psychologist places relatively greater stress on personality growth of "normal" individuals, utilization of personal and environmental assets and family and vocational fulfill ment. Graduates of a doctoral program in Counseling Psychology find employment in a wide range of settings. Many are employed in col lege counseling centers with faculty appointments in psychology or education. Others are in public schools, outpatient clinics, private practice, research facilities and hospitals. With recent emphasis on community mental health services, counseling psychologists are in creasingly involved in community education, interdisciplinary pro grams, consultant activities and a variety of related professional roles. The question is sometimes asked, "Why mix psychology and Christianity?" As a matter of fact, some feel that mutual cooperation of these disciplines is fruitless since one or the other is seen to be either irrelevant, unfruitful or basically antagonistic. The evangelical theologian is sometimes threatened by the psychologist's stress on objective validation and his seeming disdain of the supernatural and scientifically immeasurable. This scientific objectivism is viewed as a direct attack on the concept of "faith," the very heart of the Chris tian religion. Added to this is the theologian's alarm over therapeutic methods which encourage acting out of impulses such as sex and hostility as means of freeing clients from neurotic inhibitions. On the other hand, the psychologist views the metaphysical aspect of Christianity to be either at odds with his scientific approach or at least outside of his domain. He is frequently frustrated by what he
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