Consultation in psychology: A distinct professional practice.

Abstract

P sychologists perform many professional responsibilities during the course of their training and careers. Increasingly, psychologists are called on to provide consultation both in traditional mental health practice and in diverse and ever-expanding professional and interprofessional settings. Although consultation draws on clinical expertise, it is a distinct professional practice that requires clear understanding of its aims and functions as well as the application of a unique set of skills.This chapter provides an orientation to consultation in professional psychology. We begin by tracing the development of definitions and approaches to consultation, describe its types and distinctive features, and close with a discussion of the differences between consultation provided within health service psychology (HSP) and the specialty of consulting psychology, which includes industrial, organizational, and other forms of individual and corporate consultation. In keeping with our competency-based approach, comprehensive knowledge of consultation plays an essential role in its professional practice. DESCRIPTIONS AND DEFINITIONS OF CONSULTATIONThe term consultation can be used in many different ways, as noted by Caplan (1970). It may be used generically to refer to any practice of a specialist-for example, medical consultation-or more narrowly described as a specializedCopyright American Psychological Association. Not for further distribution.12 Falender and Shafranske activity between two persons-for example, psychologists-in regard to a third person when consulting about a patient. Caplan (1970) defined consultation as a process of interaction between two professional persons-the consultant, who is a specialist, and the consultee, who invokes the consultant's help in regard to a work problem with which he is having some difficulty and which he has decided is within the other's area of specialized competence. (p. 19) Psychological Consultation focuses on the needs of individuals, groups, programs, and organizations. It refers to planned interactions between the professional psychologist (consultant) and one or more representatives of clients, colleagues, or systems (consultees) relative to a problem, person, area, or program. Psychological consultation is based on principles and procedures found within psychology and related disciplines in which a professional psychologist applies to his/her areas of expertise in response to the presenting needs and stated objectives of consultees. (p. 789) Incorporating a competency orientation, we define consultation as a process of interaction between two or more professionals: the consultant, who is an expert or possesses particular competence in the area to be discussed, and the consultee, who has a particular work issue, question, or problem regarding assessment, treatment, intervention, management, organizational process, policy, or implementation of professional services. In competency-based consultation, the

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