Looking to the Future

Abstract

Across the five work groups that comprised the Third National Conference for Counseling Psychology a number of common themes emerged. Discussions of identity affirmed the value of the scientist-practitioner model and of traditional strengths such as prevention, life-span development, and skill-building as well as innovative and nontraditional functions. Among the ideas that were endorsed by multiple workgroups were strategies to enhance counseling psychology's visibility and political strength and to build mechanisms for proactive planning into governance. Ways to improve the training of counseling psychologists by enhancing rigor, scientific thinking, professional identity, and ability to work in diverse and emerging settings also received substantial attention. Overall, deliberations of the groups resulted in substantial convergence and a set of specific goals and plans for the future.