This paper provides a brief overview of each of the papers published in this special section on Canadian Counselling Psychology and details how the special section articles further the development of the discipline by highlighting Canadian authored scholarship, mapping out the history and current state of the discipline, and considering how the unique Canadian context shaped the literature reviewed. Specifically, this introduction outlines how the articles to follow cover the following topics: (a) the history of Canadian counselling psychology; (b) professional issues and identity; (c) counselling, training, and supervision; (d) research and scientific issues; and (e) counselling psychologists' contribution to applied psychology. Keywords: Canadian counselling psychology, professional issues, research, practice, multiculturalism, health, career In just 25 short years, Canadian counselling psychology has grown from a grassroots initiative of a few dedicated individuals to the Canadian Psychological Association's (CPA) Section for Counselling Psychology, with 358 members in 2010 (Hurley, 2010). Historically, Canadian counselling psychology has often been misunderstood when compared with other disciplines such as clinical psychology. As well, counselling psychology has been a relatively unknown specialization within applied and professional psychology in Canada. As a distinct entity, Canadian counselling psychology has its early roots in the United States, where the discipline was established well before it developed in Canada. Nonetheless, Canadian counselling psychology is a byproduct of Canada's unique cultural context, thereby distinguishing it from its U.S. counterpart, while simultaneously allowing it to benefit from the well-known American counselling psychology identity and infrastructure. Yet, there are very few Canadian-accredited doctoral counselling psychology programs and predoctoral internships for counselling psychology trainees, rendering it difficult to develop a doctoral candidate's Canadian counselling psychology identity. Likewise, there is a dearth of peer-reviewed publication outlets for counselling psychologists in Canada, leading individuals to publish in the United States or internationally. These realities often obscure the profile and visibility of Canadian counselling psychology. One strategy that Canadian counselling psychology leadership has utilized to address these professional identity issues is to participate in the CPA accreditation process for professional psychology training programs and internships. However, as a result of the generalist nature of accreditation criteria, there is an everpresent challenge to ensure that Canadian counselling psychology values are embedded in the few existing accredited doctoral training programs. Another step forward in further solidifying a Canadian counselling psychology identity was the development of an official definition for the field (see, Beatch et al., 2009) that differentiates Canadian counselling psychology from other likeminded psychology professions, informs the requisite professional competencies for the field and clarifies the limits of professional practice. Clearly, Canadian counselling psychology's participation in the CPA accreditation process and establishment of the official CPA Canadian psychology definition solidifies the foundation of the discipline as we know it today. With the accreditation process and official definition in place, I believe an important process had begun, and should be continued. As such, in November of 2010, 1 chaired The Inaugural Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference (ICCPC) in Montreal. This conference gathered the leading counselling psychologists, counselling professionals, and students from across Canada to document the history of the discipline, identify current issues, and conceptualise future directions for the field. Thus, for the first time in the history of Canadian counselling psychology, the ICCPC catalyzed a pan-Canadian dialogue with regard to the discipline, its identity, and its future. …
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