Becoming a Psychologist with a Particular Theoretical Orientation to Counselling Practice

One hundred and three Melbourne psychologists were interviewed about factors associated with their choice O of a theoretical orientation to counselling practice. There were four theoretical orientations: cognitive-behavioural, psychodynamic, family-systemic, and experiential. Each of these was found to be associated with a different cluster of personal characteristics. University training in psychology appeared to be an important influence on choice of theoretical orientation for cognitive-behavioural psychologists, but not for the other orientations. Differences observed among psychologists making up the four different theoretical orientation groups suggest some challenges for psychologists working as counselling educators.