Running head: CLINICAL AND COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
Clinical and Counseling Psychology
Argosy University
Running head: CLINICAL AND COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
The governing bodies of any professional discipline have as much a
determinative role as to what a practitioner does as the mode with which that very
person displays their practice. In pursuing an understanding of therapeutic practice,
both professional structure and therapeutic alignment should be considered, particularly
if the desire is to more specifically determine what if any contribution is going to be
made in practice.
Initially, an understanding of the areas of psychology and their overlap should be
sought. According to Cobb et al.: “The predominant practice areas are clinical,
counseling, and school psychology.According to the American Psychological
Association (APA) Commission for the Recognition of Practice Areas and Proficiencies
in Professional Psychology(CRSPPP), all three areas are considered to be “general
practice” and “health service provider” areas. Each practice area has a division within
the APA(Clinical: 12,Counseling: 17, School: 16), and one or more scholarly journals”
(2004). While the APA designates the practice of three forms, the focus here will be on
clinical and counseling. The history of each specialty provides the ground for how
they’ve developed.
In line with the allusion to clinic and therefore medical practice, “Clinical
psychology drew heavily from the mental health movement that emphasized
psychological dysfunction, disability, and rehabilitation (McFall, 2006). Its alignment with
the medical model, which places a premium on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment
within a broad range of hospital and community contexts, reflects a coherent extension
of the specialty across time (Tipton, 1983)” (Neimeyer, Taylor, Wear, & Buyukgoze-
Kavas, 2011). This historical focus on a medical model finds its way into discussion