Passages: Career ladders for college counseling center psychologists.

Uses the stages of adult development set forth by G. Sheehy (1976) as a model for analyzing the careers of counseling psychologists. The careers of counseling center personnel are traced from graduate school days to the period Sheehy refers to as resignation or renewal, and the following conclusions are made: (a) The counseling center career ladder is short, forcing many psychologists in their early 30's into other job avenues; (b) the flexibility provided by counseling center positions is a 2-edged sword, producing disadvantages in later career stages; (c) reward systems should be developed to keep competent therapists in the counseling center; (d) administrative training should be provided during graduate school for future counseling psychologists; and (e) renewal alternatives need to be developed for burned-out counselors and counseling center directors in the midlife transition. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists in college counseling centers: A survey of directors.

Results of a survey of 74 college counseling center directors suggest that the centers are generally staffed by younger counseling psychologists who were attracted by the opportunity to counsel, the flexibility of activities afforded, and the chance to stay in an academic setting. More money, greater opportunity for advancement, and more desirable job activities are major reasons for leaving counseling center work. Full-time academic positions, for those at large centers, and private practice, for those at small centers, predominate as alternatives chosen. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Testing practices in university and college counseling centers in the United States.

The frequency and scope of psychological test usage in a counseling psychology setting were studied by sending questionnaires to 372 college and university counseling center directors. The 284 usable responses indicated usage of a total of 158 tests; 35 were mentioned by 10% or more of the respondents. The median number of tests mentioned by a center was 14. The 3 most frequently used types of tests were career counseling, led by the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory; personality assessment, led by the MMPI; and mental abilities and aptitude tests (e.g., the WAIS and Differential Aptitude Tests). Differences between these results and those of earlier surveys in clinical settings are discussed. The present respondents reported that counseling psychologists in their centers use career assessment instruments more frequently and projective personality instruments less frequently than do the clinicians. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Employment setting, specialization, and patterns of accomplishment among psychologists.

Psychologists' activities and accomplishments are examined to reveal patterns associated with employment setting and field of specialization. Results based on a survey of 7,373 psychologists imply that brief self-report checklists of activities and accomplishments in five areas (scholarly contributions, contributions to local community, contributions to organized psychology, contributions in administration and consulting, and practitioner activities) have reliabilities ranging from .64 to .78 and have a median intercorrelation of only .33. Patterns of accomplishment are strongly associated with employment setting and with subfield. Although psychologists employed in university or 4-year college departments score high on scholarly contributions, they make fewer contributions in other areas than do psychologists employed elsewhere. Other results are interpreted as implying that practitioner activities make a greater contribution to income than do activities and accomplishments in other areas. Implications for organized psychology, career development, and understanding the diversity of psychological work are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Addressing disparities: Consultation and outreach strategies for university settings.

This article explores consultation and outreach within a counseling center setting, analyzing its usefulness for identifying and addressing systemic barriers in college settings to learning and development. An outline for counseling center consultation and a case study are provided, demonstrating how counseling psychologists can help to create a more equitable and comfortable workplace and learning environment for faculty and students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Career counseling as a mental health intervention.

Discusses career counseling aimed at work adjustment or job change as a potential intervention for many individuals suffering from job stress and argues that, in certain instances, career counseling should be used instead of traditional psychotherapy and/or as an alternative to stress management. Assessment strategies for determining the appropriate intervention for individuals suffering from job stress are generated from work adjustment theory. The implications of utilizing career counseling as a mental health intervention are also presented. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

College counseling center internships: Are APA-approved sites selecting candidates from non-APA-approved training programs?

The necessity of serving a year-long internship has become an important issue in the training of counseling psychologists. This is especially true for anyone who might be interested in obtaining employment in a college or university counseling center. This particular issue has serious implications for prospective interns who are being trained in non-APA-approved counseling psychology programs who wish to be employed in college and university counseling centers. Currently, there are 25 centers that have active counseling psychology internship training programs, and although only half of them are APA-approved now, the majority of them will be in the near future (Dorn, 1984). If nothing else, they will be facing a restrictive environment when it comes to the development of their professional careers as well as in obtaining an internship in a setting that will be more positively regarded by prospective counseling center employers. In an effort to fully clarify the issue of whether APA-approved counseling psychology internship sites in college and university counseling centers are selecting candidates from non-APA-approved counseling psychology training sites, a brief questionnaire was mailed to each individual who was serving an internship in one of the 13 fully or provisionally APA-approved college and university counseling center sites (APA, 1981) during the 1981-1982 academic year. The results of this survey indicate that although the majority of counseling psychology interns selected by these sites are from APA-approved training programs, intern applicants from non-APA-approved training programs do have an opportunity to serve an APA-approved internship in one of these sites. These results should not be interpreted optimistically, however. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stability and severity of presenting problems at a university counseling center: A 6-year analysis.

Professional psychologists on college campuses and independent practitioners in university communities have expressed concerns that the problems of university students who seek counseling have worsened in recent years. Initial client intake data gathered from 2,326 students during 1989 to 1995 at a large Midwestern university counseling center were analyzed using P. P. Heppner et al's (1994) multivariate classification scheme. Patterns of serious client concerns were evident over the 6 years analyzed. Findings suggest that professional training for psychologists who will work with university populations should include training on suicidality, psychopathology, and crisis intervention as well as working within a team or community-based orientation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correctional psychologist burnout, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction.

Corrections is a stressful environment, but do correctional psychologists experience greater levels of occupational burnout and life stress than other public sector and nonpublic sector psychologists? Data collected from 203 doctoral level psychologists including correctional (CR; n = 44), Veteran's Affairs (VA; n = 56), public psychiatric hospital (PPH; n = 54), and university counseling centers (CC; n = 49) indicated that CR psychologists do experience significantly more occupational burnout relative to VA and CC psychologists. Furthermore, CR and PPH psychologists reported significantly less job satisfaction than CC psychologists. Although psychologists working in PPH settings reported significantly lower levels of life satisfaction than VA and CC psychologists this was not the case for CR psychologists. Professional identity related to occupational setting emerged as a significant predictor of occupational burnout. Implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does vocational overshadowing even exist? A test of the robustness of the vocational overshadowing bias.

Vocational overshadowing (P. M. Spengler, D. L. Blustein, & D. C. Strohmer, 1990 ) is a hypothesized underemphasis of clients' career concerns when more interesting, prestigious, or economically rewarding "personal" problems coexist. This study tested the robustness of the vocational overshadowing bias by using an expanded array of case material, by including practicing counseling psychologists (n?=?125) and clinical psychologists (n?=?121), and by assessing the moderating effects of clinician information processing and attitudinal characteristics. Clinical psychologists were more likely than counseling psychologists to underemphasize vocational concerns combined with severe noncareer problems. More complex thinking about career counseling and higher preference for working with career problems were associated with greater attention to clients' career concerns. However, no clear evidence was found for the vocational overshadowing bias by either equal or less severe noncareer problems. Implications of these findings for career counseling and clinical judgment research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Job satisfaction of correctional psychologists: Implications for recruitment and retention.

Do correctional psychologists report levels of job satisfaction consistent with that of psychologists working in other professional areas? Although the number of professionals choosing to work in correctional environments is increasing, relatively little has been written about their job-related experiences. This article explored issues pertaining to career satisfaction among 800 correctional psychologists. Overall, these professionals described a moderate level of job satisfaction. Job dimensions such as safety. job security, and relationships with clients were ranked as most satisfying, whereas opportunities for advancement and professional atmosphere were ranked as least satisfying. Psychologists working in federal prisons or less crowded facilities were comparatively more satisfied. Implications for recruiting and retaining psychologists are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contemporary counseling psychology: Results of a national survey.

Conducted a national survey of counseling psychologists to examine counseling psychology in its current state of development. A 6-page questionnaire, which examined such variables as demographics, professional activities, institutional affiliations, and training satisfaction, was mailed to 980 members of Division 17 (Counseling) of the American Psychological Association (APA). Of these, 716 (73%) usable questionnaires were returned. Counseling psychologists (aged 29–84 yrs) were found (a) to spend the majority of their professional time providing individual psychotherapy, (b) to be primarily eclectic in theoretical orientation, (c) to be increasingly identified with the work setting of private practice, and (d) to be generally satisfied with their graduate and internship training. Additional information about counseling psychologists' professional self-views, research and publication efforts, career satisfaction, and satisfaction with the APA was also obtained. Findings are discussed in relation to the present and future of counseling psychology. (60 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A realistic appraisal of existing and future job opportunities for psychologists.

Explores the question of whether there is now an oversupply of doctoral level psychologists. Recent surveys about the supply of PhD psychologists, job openings in major employment settings, and the current employment status of recent doctoral graduates in all professions are discussed. For the field of psychology, only 1.1% were unemployed in 1969 and those were almost entirely noncitizens or psychologists not seeking employment. New psychologists, however, indicated a choice of only 2-4 positions in contrast to 5-8 offers a few yr. ago. While some reduction has occurred in the job market, virtually all psychologists are still finding positions in the type of work setting they desire. A shortage exists in the health services, where there are between 750 and 1000 vacancies. In addition, the 1970 Manpower Report of the President indicates a 75-100% increase in employer requirements for psychologists by 1980, the highest projected need of all professional groups except computer technologists. It is concluded that rather than an oversupply, a shortage exists, particularly in clinical and counseling psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An occupational analysis of counseling psychology: How special is the specialty?

Conducted an occupational analysis of counseling psychology to determine the work that counseling psychologists do, their feelings toward their work, and their perceptions of how the field is changing. Questionnaire responses of 351 counseling psychologists (aged 28–86 yrs) were evaluated and compared in terms of demographic and work behavior information. Results indicate that Ss were, in general, strongly practice oriented and appeared to see themselves as engaged in psychotherapy and traditionally clinical activities with a reduced emphasis on academic and research-focused behaviors. This finding was particularly true of the younger respondents. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the counseling–clinical distinction and the scientist–practitioner model. It is concluded that counseling psychology appears to be an increasingly applied specialty and that vocational/career counseling appears to be eroding as the foundation of the discipline. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mandated continuing education: Impact on Maryland psychologists.

71% of Maryland's 1,001 certified psychologists returned a questionnaire describing their continuing education (CE) activities and attitudes before and after the state mandated CE for recertification. Results suggest that psychologists vary greatly in the amount and kind of CE activity they pursue; they value most highly activities relevant to their specific interests; amount and type of CE are influenced by work setting and job activities, and mandated CE is associated with significant but nondramatic changes in patterns of CE activities. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Counseling psychology, health psychology, and beyond: A reply to Klippel and DeJoy.

J. A. Klippel and D. M. DeJoy (see record 1984-20998-001) identified 3 areas of health psychology in which counseling psychology can make a contribution: communication-skills training, community health care, and consultation services. Using their proposal as a basis, the present author examines each of the areas in terms of several potential pitfalls that counseling psychologists may want to avoid. Three reminders for counseling psychologists desiring to work in this setting are to move beyond (1) process to define measurable outcomes, (2) subjective reports and focus on actual behavior change, and (3) catchphrases and focus on their roles as members of health-services teams. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptions of "counselors" and other help-givers: What's in a label?

Investigated the perceptions held by 240 undergraduates about counseling psychologists, college counselors, high school counselors, advisors, clinical psychologists, and psychiatrists. Ss completed a questionnaire containing 100 adjectives which they assigned to the various professions on the basis of how well each described the role. Greater differences were found within the counseling specialties than between counseling psychologists and either clinical psychologists or psychiatrists. Contrary to previous research, none of the counseling groups were viewed as "nice guys" in relation to psychiatrists or clinical psychologists. Implications for both research and public relations are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

College psychology as a subspecialization.

Conceived as flexible generalists, college psychologists as subspecialists are distinctive in clientele and setting but share practices and roles with other specialties; for example, counseling and school psychology. Graduate students select and develop practices and topic areas within a structured curriculum. The end product is considered to be a professional psychologist who is prepared for expanding opportunities in higher education. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists in secondary schools in the 1990s: Current functions, training, and job satisfaction.

Surveyed 173 school psychologists serving secondary schools concerning their current roles and functions, training needs, and general job satisfaction. Results revealed that many school psychologists in secondary schools are providing a wide variety of services, including direct (e.g., counseling) and indirect (e.g., consultation) services. Approximately three-quarters of the Ss reported being satisfied with their work in secondary schools. Job satisfaction was related to increased time spent in intervention-related activities and decreased time spent in psychological assessment activities. Data reflected encouraging findings regarding the scope of school psychological services in secondary settings but also underscored the need for diversified training of school psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Work in people's lives: A location for counseling psychologists.

The career development–vocational psychology literature has been marked by 2 persistent problems: a slow response to new developments in basic areas of psychology, such as developmental psychology, and a lack of representation of populations other than White and middle-class groups as research participants or as foci of theoretical explanation. After a brief discussion of 2 factors that may have contributed to these problems, a rationale for a new location for this field is developed. The new location focuses on the study of work in people's lives from the perspective of social constructionism and from the perspective of counseling psychologists as applied psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)