Counseling Psychology Training Programs Research Articles

Sexuality training in counseling psychology: A mixed-methods study of student perspectives.

Counseling psychologists are a cogent fit to lead the movement toward a sex-positive professional psychology (Burnes et al., 2017a). Though centralizing training in human sexuality (HS; Mollen & Abbott, 2021) and sexual and reproductive health (Grzanka & Frantell, 2017) is congruent with counseling psychologists' values, training programs rarely require or integrate comprehensive sexuality training for their students (Mollen et al., 2020). We employed a critical mixed-methods design in the interest of centering the missing voices of doctoral-level graduate students in counseling psychology in the discussion of the importance of human sexuality competence for counseling psychologists. Using focus groups to ascertain students' perspectives on their human sexuality training (HST) in counseling psychology, responses yielded five themes: (a) HST is integral to counseling psychology training, (b) few opportunities to gain human sexuality competence, (c) inconsistent training and self-directed learning, (d) varying levels of human sexuality comfort and competence, and (e) desire for integration of HST. Survey responses suggested students were trained on the vast majority of human sexuality topics at low levels, consistent with prior studies surveying training directors in counseling psychology and at internship training sites (Abbott et al., 2021; Mollen et al., 2020). Taken together, results suggested students see HST as aligned with the social justice emphasis in counseling psychology but found their current training was inconsistent, incidental rather than intentional, and lacked depth. Recommendations, contextualized within counseling psychology values, are offered to increase opportunities for and strengthen HST in counseling psychology training programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Cross-Cultural Practicum Training Experiences of Asian International Counseling Students

Despite the call to internationalize counseling psychology and calls for improved mentoring to Asian international students enrolled in counseling psychology training programs, there is a dearth of literature to help trainers understand this population’s clinical training experiences. The present study explored the practicum experiences of Asian international students ( N = 10) in counseling psychology programs using the consensual qualitative research method. Data analysis yielded five domains: Learning Outcomes, Challenges, Resources, Behavioral Strategies, and Suggestions. Participants described how they navigated their cross-cultural practicum training in the face of unique challenges and how they adapted, as well as relied on support systems. As our participants reflected on their cross-cultural clinical training experiences, they shared the lessons they learned and provided suggestions for current and future international students, supervisors, and programs. Scholarly and practical implications for this population are discussed.

Award for Distinguished Career Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology: Kathleen Bieschke.

The Award for Distinguished Career Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology is given in recognition of the efforts of psychologists who have made distinguished contributions to education and training, who have produced imaginative innovations, or who have been involved in the developmental phases of programs in education and training in psychology. The Career designation is added to the award at the discretion of the Education and Training Awards Committee to recognize continuous significant contributions made over a lifelong career in psychology. The 2021 recipient of this award is Kathleen Bieschke, PhD. Bieschke is recognized for her national impact on education and training in the field of psychology through her research and scholarship, service to the field, and national leadership roles in the Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs, and the American Psychological Association's (APA's) Society of Counseling Psychology and Commission on Accreditation (CoA). Dr. Bieschke, in partnership with her extraordinary colleagues, helped to lead national conversation on how to train and educate trainees to deliver competent services to a diverse clientele. Her efforts contributed to a comprehensive, developmental approach to training and education that is inclusive and welcoming of the diverse backgrounds and worldviews of both clients and trainees. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Social justice interdependence among students in counseling psychology training programs: Group actor-partner interdependence model of social justice attitudes, training program norms, advocacy intentions, and peer relationships.

Counseling psychologists have voiced the importance of nurturing social justice principles in the training of psychologists to better meet diverse people's psychological and social needs. Much of the research on training, however, has been focused on individual factors (e.g., self-efficacy, spirituality). Little empirical evidence exists on the mutual support among students and the role of shared social justice principles in counseling psychology training programs. Thus, we used the group actor-partner interdependence model (GAPIM) to test whether the advocacy intentions of a given student in the program (actor) would be related to the actor's and partner's (other students' aggregate scores in the program) social justice attitudes and perceptions of social justice norms in the training program (social justice norms among students and faculty). Peer relationship was also tested as a moderator of the associations. Structural equation modeling was used to test a series of GAPIMs with data from 178 doctoral students across 19 American Psychological Association accredited counseling psychology Ph.D. programs. Other students' collective attitudes and perceptions of the training program were stronger positive indicators of an individual student's advocacy intentions than actor variables (individual-level attitudes and perceptions). At the individual level, only actor social justice attitudes were significantly related to intentions with very small effect. Peer relationship was a significant moderator such that students in programs with closer peer relationships, who collectively perceived higher social justice norms, reported greater advocacy intentions. Implications for research and training are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Our State of the Union: Results From the 2017–2018 CCPTP Membership Survey

In honor of the 50th anniversary of The Counseling Psychologist, we present a snapshot of the current state of counseling psychology training in the context of the health service psychology model and competency-based framework of the Standards of Accreditation. Using data from the 2017–2018 Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs membership survey that was completed by 95% of counseling psychology training directors ( N = 76), we describe how counseling psychology programs are meeting accreditation requirements and present their self-reported institutional resources and supports. We also summarize preliminary data on program-specific competencies and master’s-level training—two current training-related issues that may strengthen or weaken counseling psychology professional identity and values. We discuss ways of balancing the demands of training and available resources within the current context of overall rising costs and diminishing resources across higher education.

Integrated Behavioral Health Curriculum in Counseling Psychology Training Programs

Effective training in integrated behavioral health requires systematic, interprofessional education that is anchored in competencies. We describe core learning objectives, competencies, and strategies for assessing counseling psychology trainees in integrated health care settings. Two programs that have transformed their training to emphasize interprofessional and primary care competencies of psychological practice are presented, along with their training goals and didactic and experiential curricular activities. We describe the assessment of student learning, accompanied by program adjustments implemented to improve student outcomes. We conclude with a call for counseling psychologists to ensure student competency development as members of the interprofessional health care workforce.

Implementing Social Change: A Qualitative Analysis of Counseling Psychologists’ Engagement in Advocacy

In recent years, many counseling psychology training programs in the United States have adopted social justice principles into training. Although previous studies have provided thought-provoking discussions on social justice advocacy, they mostly reflected the voices of psychologists in academia; therefore, the advocacy work of practitioners has been neglected. In order to explore the advocacy experiences of counseling psychologists in practice, we utilized qualitative content analysis to analyze semistructured interviews with 11 practitioners who were trained in social justice-oriented counseling psychology doctoral programs. The findings were clustered under three domains: (a) participants’ development of a social justice orientation, (b) different ways of implementing advocacy in practice, and (c) positioning advocacy in psychology. The interviews depicted resources and challenges with regard to integrating advocacy into practice indicating that counseling psychologists continue to struggle with systemic barriers that limit their advocacy actions. We discuss implications for research, practice, and training in counseling psychology.

Counseling Psychology Model Training Program

The counseling psychology Model Training Program (MTP) was written to reflect new developments in counseling psychology, the American Psychological Association, and the world. The updated MTP is aspirational, intended to guide the development and maintenance of counseling psychology programs. The MTP conforms to the American Psychological Association’s and the Society of Counseling Psychology’s standards and guidelines. A strategic task group appointed by 2015 Society president James W. Lichtenberg sought feedback from the field to assist in its formulation, and the executive boards of the Society and the Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs approved the final version. The 2017 MTP consists of four core values (i.e., growth toward full potential, holistic and contextual, diversity and social justice, communitarian perspective) as well as 20 principles grouped into six clusters: counseling psychology identity; multiculturalism, diversity, and social justice; health service psychology; developmental, prevention, and strengths orientation; science–practice integration; and relationships within and between professional communities.

Social Justice Training in Action: A Counseling Psychologist's Role in a Police-Mental Health Collaborative Serving Disadvantaged Youth

Training programs in counseling psychology have endeavored to integrate social justice into their curricula and prepare their graduates to be agents of change in their communities (Goodman et al., 2004). However, there is too often a disconnect between social justice theory and training and how these principles are actualized in the community (Beer, Spanierman, Greene, and Todd, 2012). Using a case study of a counseling psychologist’s role in developing and administering Safety Net, a police-mental health collaborative to reduce youth contact with the juvenile justice system, this paper provides an example of a counseling psychologist engaged in a community collaboration and systems advocacy (Lewis, Arnold, House and Toporek, 2002) as integrated parts of his roles as therapist, consultant, and advocate. The authors present the case as an iterative, step-by-step process which can serve as a practical example for professionals and trainees working to translate theory into practice.

External Funding and Competing Visions for Academic Counseling Psychology

The major contributions by Burrow-Sánchez, Martin, and Imel and Martens et al. are the first explicitly substantive, constructive statements about extramural funding and counseling psychology to appear in The Counseling Psychologist. For over 15 years, many have recognized the importance of extramural funding to the continued presence of counseling psychology training programs in research-intensive universities. In this reaction piece, I discuss several issues that may contribute to the lack of funded research appearing in counseling psychology outlets and to the apparent small number of counseling psychology faculty members with external funds. Suggestions for allocating and managing faculty resources and demands to maximally benefit a program and for pursuing current and future funding opportunities are offered.

The integration of science and practice: Unique perspectives from counseling psychology students

Counseling psychology training programs predominately subscribe to the scientist–practitioner training model, which emphasizes the mutual integration of science and practice. There has been extensive debate surrounding the applicability of the scientist–practitioner training model to the field of counseling psychology, and existing commentary from both trainers and trainees has documented the potential challenges to adequately integrating science and practice. In the current article, three counseling psychology doctoral students outline their experiences in a program that adheres to the scientist–practitioner training model. In particular, they describe their involvement in both clinical and scholarly related activities, their experiences with the integration of science and practice, and how the scientist–practitioner model has influenced their overall professional development. Specific examples of how the scientist–practitioner model can shape the perspectives and career goals of psychologists-in-training are reviewed.

Training the scientist–practitioner in the twenty-first century: A risk–benefit analysis

The scientist–practitioner (S–P) model plays a central role in the professional ideology guiding most graduate training programs in clinical and counseling psychology. Unfortunately, the ideals of the S–P model are rarely fulfilled. It may be helpful to examine the relevant issues from a risk–benefit analysis. Common benefits of the S–P model include the satisfaction that practitioners derive from helping clients in distress, improvements to graduate teaching, refinements to psychological research, and the positive influence when faculty members serve as effective role models for the next generation of psychologists. Potential risks of the S–P model occur when faculty members take time away from other university chores, especially if it would reduce the likelihood of tenure and promotion. However, the biggest risk lies in the potential damage to the field of psychology, created when psychologists lose sight of important issues in the field. Graduate training programs are encouraged to maximize the benefits while minimizing the risks, thereby continuing to promote the ideals of the S–P model.

MCAC and State Counselor Licensure Laws

Although all 50 states, as well as Washington DC and Puerto Rico, have passed laws that license master’s-level professional counselors, the American Psychological Association has historically not taken a role in addressing master’s-level education. In 2009, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) initiated standards excluding psychologists as core faculty and has been a driving force with state licensing boards to credential graduates from CACREP-accredited programs exclusively. The Council for Counseling Psychology Training Programs explored the Masters in Counseling Accreditation Committee (MCAC) as an alternative accreditation for master’s counseling programs. This study examined the extent to which MCAC accreditation standards align with state counselor licensure statutes. Content analyses indicated that MCAC is a viable alternative accreditation if programs pay attention to state required credits for a degree, curricular requirements not specified by MCAC, and clinical requirements. Implications of these findings and recommendations are discussed.

Pioneers in Pediatric Psychology: Parsimonious Interventions, Serendipity, and Collaboration.

When I graduated from high school in 1966, the field of pediatric psychology did not exist. In fact, the term “pediatric psychology” was not coined until 1967 when Logan Wright wrote his groundbreaking article in the American Psychologist (Wright, 1967). I began the University of California at Berkeley wanting to be a dentist, but after a conspicuous lack of passion for organic chemistry, I went to the UC Counseling Center for advice about a change of major. After taking a Strong Vocational Interest Blank, the counselor suggested “psychology.” After taking a myriad of psychology courses, I discovered my passion. In fact, the experience with the counseling center convinced me to get my PhD in Counseling Psychology so I could help college students discover their passion. While attending the Counseling Psychology doctoral program at the University of Texas, I took several practica at the University of Texas Counseling Center and discovered to my dismay that, at least in the early 1970s, the kinds of presenting problems confronting college students (e.g., what to major in, dealing with parents, dating concerns) were not particularly challenging. This motivated me to do a predoctoral internship in a medical setting. I anticipated that I would be working with adults because I had little child training, but serendipity provided an opportunity to work with children and families. Although I had still not heard of the field of pediatric psychology, I was fortunate in 1974–1975 to obtain an internship specializing in pediatric psychology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (UOHSC). This was one of the few training programs in existence at that time. Pediatric psychology was a new field, but I had the “dream team” of Logan Wright, Diane Willis, and Gene Walker as my primary supervisors. Logan was one of the three original cofounders of the Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPP) in 1969, Diane was the first editor of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology published in 1976, and Gene, a consummate behavioral psychologist, directly influenced and led the pediatric psychology program at the UOHSC for >20 years. My internship jumpstarted my future as a professional psychologist, which included beginning primary care pediatric psychology programs at Henry Ford Hospital (1975–1980) and Scott and White Hospital (1980–1995), joining a tertiary care pediatric psychology program at St. Louis Children’s Hospital (1996–1998), and eventually working with doctoral training in a school psychology program at Texas A&M University (1998–present). I will always consider myself first and foremost a “pediatric psychologist.” The field of pediatric psychology is diverse and multifaceted. At the same time, my experiences in pediatric psychology were predominantly in primary care outpatient pediatric clinics doing evaluation and treatment that would not be dissimilar to those activities of a clinical child psychologist. Pediatricians often would refer patients to me for common psychological issues pertaining to development, behavior, or learning. Although I had the occasional chronic illness referral, inpatient consultation, or emergency room referral, most of my time was spent in an outpatient setting. I was doing integrated care and primary care long before it was commonly used term. As I continued my practice in pediatric psychology, I had no idea how it would evolve. For the past 16 years, I have been teaching in the school psychology program within the Educational Psychology Department at Texas A&M University, which is not a traditional pediatric psychology position. At the same time, there is a long-standing tradition of school psychologists interfacing with pediatric settings (Power, DuPaul, Shapiro, & Parrish, 1995). Half of my effort is as a faculty member in an APA-accredited School Psychology program teaching child psychotherapy, assessment, and psychopathology, while the other half of my effort is as Director of the Counseling and Assessment Clinic (CAC), the training clinic for the School Psychology and Counseling Psychology training programs at Texas A&M. What do these two positions have to do with pediatric psychology? As a faculty member, I mentor doctoral students who might want to pursue a pediatric psychology career and am the faculty advisor for outside practica at MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston), Texas Children’s Hospital (Houston), Cook Children’s Hospital (Ft. Worth), and Dallas Children’s Hospital. As a result, during the past 10 years, the School Psychology program has placed 30% of its predoctoral interns in pediatric psychology placements (e.g., Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Boston Children’s Hospital, Stanford Children’s Hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Oregon Health Sciences University, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Michigan). As Director of the CAC, our psychotherapy clinic is located off-campus in a federally qualified community health center. This setting provides the School Psychology students with the opportunity to consult with physicians and other personnel from the medical side of the clinic.

Contextual School Counseling

The current article provides a framework for training professional school counselors based on contextual school counseling (CSC). This framework includes a competency-based approach to training using the clusters identified by the Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs (CCPTP) working group on master’s-level professional psychology training—professionalism, relational, science, application, and systems. Foundational competencies for school counselors are proposed under each cluster, and the differences between clinical mental health competencies and school counseling competencies are emphasized and discussed. The proposed framework is followed by implications for counseling psychologists and counselor educators who train school counselors, and include supervision of school counselors-in-training, curriculum needs for school counselors-in-training, practice for school counselors, and suggestions for related future research.

Counseling Health Psychology

Training directors of American Psychological Association–approved counseling psychology doctoral programs completed a questionnaire assessing (a) student and faculty involvement in health-related research, practice, and teaching; (b) health-related research conducted by students and faculty; and (c) programs’ expectations and ability to increase health training opportunities. Statistical comparisons suggest that a high frequency of programs name health psychology as an area of emphasis, offer specialized health psychology training, and provide health-psychology-related practica. Many reported faculty and student interest and involvement in health psychology training and research. Yet few faculty in these programs identified themselves as counseling health psychologists. Results suggest that there is interest in health psychology within counseling psychology training programs but that only a minority of programs has developed structured curricula in the area. Given counseling psychology’s unique emphasis on prevention, well-being, multiculturalism, and social justice, counseling psychology programs are well suited to developing counseling health psychology curricula.

Examining Internationalization in U.S. Counseling Psychology Training Programs

The purpose of this study was to gather more information about the process of internationalization in U.S. counseling psychology programs. Participants included 26 training directors and 83 doctoral students, representing 32 of the 63 APA-accredited counseling psychology programs. Results suggested that the presence of international training opportunities did not increase from 2007 to 2010, with the exception that internationalism was increasingly being incorporated into the definition of multiculturalism. Results also suggested that in several areas, training directors and doctoral students differed in their knowledge of whether international training opportunities were present in their programs, and the degree to which they believed such opportunities were integrated. Finally, results suggested that respondents’ attitudes were generally favorable toward internationalization. The implications for counseling psychology training programs as well as recommendations for improving internationalization efforts are discussed.

Training in Counseling Psychology

This Major Contribution, consisting of four articles, critically evaluates the status of training in counseling psychology, especially at the entry level, and offers a model for moving the field forward. In this first article, we provide a rationale for the contribution, laying the foundation for the subsequent three articles. Specifically, we ask the questions, Do training programs in counseling psychology produce the desired results? and Is the prevailing paradigm of training effective in developing counselor competence? Then we report on the research showing a disappointing relationship among training, experience, and expertise. We conclude by inviting the profession to engage in honest self-reflection about the status and future direction of training in counseling psychology.

Integrating Internationalization in Counseling Psychology Training Programs

Previous scholars have made specific suggestions regarding what counseling psychology training programs can do to help future psychologists become more cross-culturally aware. This article addresses the questions of whether and how U.S. counseling psychology training programs are currently employing these suggestions. Forty-seven American Psychological Association— accredited counseling psychology programs responded (67% response rate) to a survey designed to assess the availability of international training opportunities to graduate students in counseling psychology. In-depth interviews were also conducted with faculty members from 10 programs. Several ideas emerged from the data, including the role of students and the most common obstacles for developing an international perspective. Specific examples of programs' international activities are provided, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Teaching assistant training in counseling psychology

We surveyed training directors and counseling psychology graduate teaching assistants at Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs to acquire information concerning Teaching Assistant (TA) training, supervision and teaching experiences, and the extent to which TAs believe their training and supervision helped them to feel competent in their teaching duties. TAs were most satisfied with those training methods related directly to the practice of teaching (e.g., role playing and receiving feedback on practice teaching). Implications for training counseling psychologists as educators are discussed.