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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 psychology, educational psychology, counseling and guidance, and personnel psychology. While in actual practice it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between the doctoral level counseling psychologist and the doctoral level clinical or educational psychologist some general differences usually do exist. In comparison to the clinical psychologist the counseling psychologist generally places a greater emphasis on the normal personality. His counselees typically do not exhibit as severe personality disturbances as those seen by clinical psychologists. The counseling psychologist also emphasizes normal developmental concerns rather than focusing exclusively on psychopathology and remediation. For example the counseling psychologist typically places greater stress on vocational planning and on environmental assets and family interactions than the clinical psychologist. In comparison to educational psychologists the counseling psychologist generally places lesser emphasis on the educational environment, the diagnosis and remediation of learning disabilities and special education programs. Graduates of doctoral programs in Counseling Psychology find employment in a wide range of settings. Many are employed in college counseling centers with faculty appointments in psychology or education. Others are in public schools, outpatient clinics, private practice, research facilities, and hospitals. With the recent emphasis on community mental health services, counseling psychologists are increasingly involved in community education, inter disciplinary programs, consultant activities, and a variety of related professional roles. Rosemead's doctoral programs in Counseling Psychology are designed to train well rounded graduates who can function in a variety of professional roles including direct counseling services, consultation, and teaching. Approximately seventy-five percent of Rosemead's graduates have taken positions as staff psychologists at outpatient psychological clinics or mental hospitals. The rest have accepted faculty appointments in educational institutions.
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