Professional Identity of Counseling Psychologists.

This research investigated the professional activities of members of the Division of Counseling Psychology (Division 17) of the American Psychological Association. A random sample of 700 Division 17 members was sent surveys; 304 (43.4%) respondents returned completed surveys. Participants perceived themselves as most involved with professional activities associated with short-term, goal-directed counseling and program development and least involved with research and working with paraprofessionals. Participants differed in terms of the frequency with which they perceived themselves performing certain professional activities as well as the importance they placed on these activities as a function of job setting, whether or not they were licensed for private practice, whether or not they were members of a Division other than Division 17, and whether they identified themselves as counseling or clinical psychologists. Despite these differences, common interests emerged among those Division 17 members sampled, indicating a definable applied specialty within psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)