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Consulting Psychology - Wikipedia

Consulting Psychology - Wikipedia

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168 views13 pages

Consulting Psychology - Wikipedia

Consulting Psychology - Wikipedia

Uploaded by

izmsher
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Consulting

psychology

Consulting psychology is a specialty area of psychology that addresses such areas as


assessment and interventions at the individual, group, and organizational levels. The Handbook
of Organizational Consulting Psychology[1] provides an overview of specific areas of study and
application within the field. The major journal in the field is Consulting Psychology Journal:
Practice and Research. Consulting psychologists typically work in business or non-profit
organizations, in consulting firms or in private practice. Consulting psychologists are typically
professionally licensed as psychologists.[2]

Defining consulting
psychology
The American Psychological Association defines the fields as:

"Consulting psychology shall be defined as the function of applying


and extending the specialized knowledge of a psychologist through the
process of consultation to problems involving human behavior in
various areas. A consulting psychologist shall be defined as a
psychologist who provides specialized technical assistance to
individuals or organizations in regard to the psychological aspects of
their work. Such assistance is advisory in nature and the consultant
has no direct responsibility for its acceptance. Consulting
psychologists may have as clients individuals, institutions, agencies,
corporations or other kinds of organization."[3]

Consultation should help individuals and organizations "become more efficient and effective."[4]

Models of consultation

Generic
The generic model encompasses all kinds of consulting, starting with Entry, moving through
Diagnosis and Implementation and ending with an explicit Disengagement.[5]

Client-centered
This approach focuses on an individual client (recipient of service) and helps service providers
better help that client.[5] The consultant functions assesses the client, makes a diagnosis and
recommends changes to the consultee, typically a teacher, physician or other care providers.
Consultee-centered
This relationship focuses on the consultee rather than a particular client, helping build new skills
via training and/or supervision.[5] The consultant typically does not meet clients directly.
Consultees seek consultation to increase knowledge, skills, confidence, and/or objectivity.

Consultee-centered administrative
consultation
In some cases, the focus is on administrative rather than professional staff. Such relationships
are typically longer term.

Behavioral consultation
model/behavioral-operant
In this model, the consultant is an authority figure who assumes primary responsibility for the
relationship.[6] The focus is on problem-solving more than skills development or a particular
client.
Organization consultation
This model employs systems theory to improve productivity or to streamline the relationship
between an organization and its environment.

Statistical consultation
A model that focuses on having statistical consultants to research empirical evidence and
sophisticated analysis through consulting test and certified projects.[7]

Litigation and risk management


A model used by behavioral scientists who works in jury thought and decision making
processes. They are usually reserved to help attorneys and insurance companies to evaluate the
risks of lawsuits and/or the application of settlement.[8]

Roles
Consulting psychology encompasses diverse roles including individual assessment, individual
and group process consultation, organizational development, education/training, employee
selection/appraisal, research and evaluation test construction, executive/manager coaching,
change management, expert technical support[9]
Professional education
The American Psychological Association publishes professional training guidelines for
consulting psychologists.[10] Master's programs are available under varying program names
(e.g., business psychology). Some psychologists come to the field from areas such as clinical
psychology, counseling psychology, or industrial and organizational psychology.

Consultation in community
psychology
It is often critical to build community relationships to understand the context and enable the
collection of appropriate data to supporting the consulting relationship. Strong relationships can
increase trust between consultants and clients, leading to more effective interventions. Urie
Bronfenbrenner's model of ecological systems theory is a framework for navigating the
challenges of consulting in community psychology.

Cultural sensitivity
Consulting psychology can involve providers in communities unlike their own. Success requires
sensitivity to cultural variation, including recognition of the consultant's own cultural bias and/or
ethnocentrism. This is further complicated by potential differences between the background of
the consultee and client. In this context, "culture" involves client's/consultee's religious, cultural
and family background and value system.
Cultural differences can involve communication styles, attitudes towards conflict, approaches to
completing tasks, decision-making and attitudes towards disclosure.

Notable consulting
psychologists
Consulting psychologists who have helped to develop the field include Clayton Alderfer, Chris
Argyris, Elliott Jaques, Harry Levinson, and Edgar Schein. More recent authors include Arthur
Freedman, Dale Fuqua, Richard Kilburg, Rodney L. Lowman, Jody Newman, Ann O'Roark, David
Peterson, Sharon Robinson-Kurpius, Peter Sorensen, and Len Sperry.

Society of Consulting
Psychology
The field's professional association is the Society of Consulting Psychology, Division 13 of the
American Psychological Association (APA). The Society for Industrial and Organizational
Psychology, Division 14 of the APA, is another professional association of which many
consulting psychologists are members.

The American Board of Professional Psychology certifies participants.[11]

Ethical issues
Consultants face different ethical questions than clinicians:[12]
What degree of responsibility does the
consultant take for a consultee's
behavior and client outcomes?
To what extent and over what period is
the consultee dependent on the
consultant?
How is the consultant's responsibility for
resolving conflicts with and among
other participants?
What are acceptable motivations for the
consultant to offer consulting services?
How are financial arrangements
handled?
What is the proper oversight for
consulting relationships?
What are the consultant's
responsibilities for maintaining
confidentiality?
Consulting relationships differ from traditional counseling and psychotherapeutic relationships
in fundamental ways that require consideration in evaluating ethical questions. As of 2012,
formal ethical guidelines specific to the discipline are not available. Existing codes of ethics for
the helping professions provide limited guidance for consultation practice.[13]

Ethical issues are inevitably complicated by the fact that consulting relationships involve three
parties: the consultant, the consultee, and the consultee's client system.

Confidentiality depends on the consultant and on the cooperative efforts of perhaps many
organizational members. Variable levels of participation means attention to providing only
appropriate access to information. Managing information access and confidentiality require
negotiation.[14]

Clients' right to informed consent must be maintained in the presence of a consulting


relationship. This right is complicated by the corresponding rights of consultees, including the
right not to accept consultation.

Power is typically distributed unequally among participants in the consultation process. Power
differentials may be real or perceived. Those with greater power must take responsibility for its
use and impact.[13]

Consultants with preexisting personal or professional relationships with participants in the


consultation must take care that such relationships do not compromise the process.

See also

Coaching psychology
References

1. Lowman, R.L. (Ed.). (2002). Handbook of


Organizational Consulting Psychology. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
2. Lowman, Rodney L. "Education and Training
in Organizational and Consulting
Psychology" (https://web.archive.org/web/
20081013164817/http://www.apadiv31.or
g/Coop/EducationInOrganizationalPsychol
ogy.pdf) (PDF). PDF. Archived from the
original (http://www.apadiv31.org/Coop/Ed
ucationInOrganizationalPsychology.pdf)
(PDF) on 13 October 2008. Retrieved
17 January 2010.
3. APA Division 13, 1999
4. Former Div. 13 Chair DeWayne Kurpius,
1978
5. Caplan, G. (1970). Theory and practice of
mental health consultation. New York:
Basic Books.; Caplan, G. & Caplan, R.B.
(1993). Mental health consultation and
collaboration. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
6. Bergan, J.R. & Kratochwill, T.R. (1990)
Behavioral Consultation and Therapy. New
York, NY: Springer.
7. Cole, J. & Dang, J.(2010) Measurement,
Monte Carlo, and music: Why doctorates in
psychology and other applied fields make
desirable consultants in statistics.
Consulting Psychology Journal, 62,4–11.
8. Finkelman, J. M. (2010) Litigation
consulting: Expanding beyond jury selection
to trial strategy and tactics. Consulting
Psychology Journal, 62, 12–20
9. "Society of Consulting Psychology (Division
13)" (http://www.div13.org/about_consultin
g.aspx) . Div13.org. 2012-06-26. Retrieved
2012-07-24.
10. Guidelines for education and training at the
doctoral and postdoctoral levels in
consulting psychology/Organizational
consulting psychology (2007). American
Psychologist, 62, 980–92.
11. "ABAP – Organizational and Business
Consulting Psychology" (http://www.abpp.o
rg/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3314) .
abpp.org. Retrieved 17 January 2010.
12. Fanibanda, D.K. (1976). Ethical issues of
mental health consultation. Professional
Psychology, 7, 547–52.
13. Newman, J.L. (1993). Ethical Issues in
Consultation. Journal of Couunseling and
Development, 72, 148–56.
14. Newman, J.L. & Robinson, S.E. (1991). In
the best interests of the consultee: Ethical
issues in consultation. Consulting
Psychology Bulletin, 43, 23–29.

External links

APA Division 13 (http://www.apa.org/ab


out/division/div13.aspx)
Consulting Psychology Journal (https://
web.archive.org/web/20100730003236/
http://old.library.georgetown.edu/newjo
ur/c/msg03346.html)

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