Professional doctorates have been established in the allied health professions by clinicians seeking the highest levels of independent practice. Allied health professional doctorates include nursing practice (DNP), occupational therapy (OTD), psychology (PsyD), social work (DSW), and marriage and family therapy (DMFT). Lessons learned from the evolution of professional doctorates in nursing and psychology inform the development of the counseling profession. The doctor of professional counseling (DPC) degree affords opportunities for clinical specialization and parity with other allied health professionals. The DPC is the logical next step in the ongoing professionalization of counseling.
Public perception and acceptance of professional counselor has increased significantly with each additional level of creditability that professional counselors have obtained. As professional counselors have developed their skills through supervised clinical practice their ability to serve clients has also increased. Mississippi could well be served even more efficiently in the future by individuals who have acquired additional advanced clinical skills. These skills could be achieved through the completion of a clinical doctorate.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.