Counselling psychology: A Canadian perspective

Abstract

This perspective of the field of counselling psychology in Canada provides a snapshot of the profession within the context of time and place. The field is described in terms of how it was shaped by two national organizations as well as the regional associations. Current licensing requirements, definitions, foci, and philosophies of counselling psychology in Canada are discussed. Also reviewed are the work settings, activities, and training requirements of counselling psychologists. Events that influenced the field are identified along with the opportunities and challenges these events continue to provide. Notable examples are provided of links between the field in Canada and international organizations and projects. Counselling psychology in Canada continues to be characterized by fluidity, contextualized definitions, and diverse practices. This poses some risks and opportunities for the future development of the field as a distinct Canadian profession differentiated from other fields within professional psychology in Canada.

Counselling psychology in a Canadian context: Definition and description.

“…This confusion persists despite the fact that (a) counselling psychology is recognised as a distinct area of practice by most provincial and territorial boards of psychology, (b) the Counselling Psychology section of CPA has existed since 1986 (Lalande, 2004), and (c) membership in the section has nearly tripled over the past five years. 2 The historical absence of a widely adopted definition of counselling psychology in Canada has contributed to the confusion.…”

Professional identity among counselling psychology doctoral students: A qualitative investigation

“…Those who aspire for the integration of the two have to contend with a blurring of roles between counselling psychology and other mental health specialties and the likelihood that professional identity is actually weakened rather than strengthened (Gale & Austin, 2003;Swickert, 1997). Within a Canadian context, counselling psychologists often choose dual memberships that include the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and the CPA (Lalande, 2004). Having a foot in both camps may have not only become an ingrained part of the counselling psychologist's professional identity but this also allows the competing paradigms to stay firmly in the foreground, keeping the tensions active in an ongoing way.…”

The mentorship of undergraduate students in counselling psychology research

“…Among its most distinguishing features are its emphases on development/wellness across the life span (Brown & Corne, 2004;Hage, 2003;Taylor & Neimeyer, 2009), diversity and multiculturalism (Heppner, Casas, Carter, & Stone, 2000;Lalande, 2004;Neimeyer, Taylor, Wear, & Buyukgoze-Kavas, 2011), social justice (Gazzola & Smith, 2007;Munley, Duncan, McDonnell, & Sauer, 2004;Vera & Speight, 2003), career/life transitions (Lalande, 2004;Munley et al, 2004), the client-counsellor relationship (Hage, 2003;Walsh, Frankland, & Cross, 2004), and prevention (Meara & Myers, 1999;Romano & Hage, 2000;Stanley & Manthei, 2004). The discipline's strengths in the areas of relationship, diversity, and attention to the developmental needs of the whole person may give counselling psychology a particular advantage in building mentorship relationships with students.…”