The official birth of counselling psychology is said to have occurred in 1951, when key United States leaders in what was then called the field of guidance and counselling formally adopted the terms ‘counselling psychologist’ and ‘counselling psychology’ to describe their profession. In the 65 years that have followed, counselling psychology has thrived, as reflected in the fact that it now is a recognized applied psychology specialty in a number of countries worldwide. The form and expression of counselling psychology differs across countries and yet the specialty retains certain recognizable features wherever it is practiced.

Drawing on data collected through a survey of professionals in eight different countries, this volume considers both ways in which the specialty is distinctive within each of the eight countries, as well as that which is characteristic of counselling psychology across them all. This survey of the international character of counselling psychology examines the emergence and the history of the field; the training, preparation and credentialing of professionals; and the practices and practice settings of counselling psychologists. This book was originally published as a special issue of Counselling Psychology Quarterly.