Counseling psychologists typically work helping clients with a variety of problems which are not usually severe disturbances. Career planning, stress, and anxiety are a few examples of problems they would encounter. Another issue these psychologists might encounter is the feelings and emotions surrounding the death of a loved one. Grief and other strong emotions are often difficult to overcome. Counseling psychologists would assist their clients in the healing process.
Within counseling psychology their are some areas within which psychologists might specialize. Family therapy focuses on the interactions between family members. They view the family as a single unit and the goal is to change the functioning and relationships within that unit. Another specific area of counseling psychology is couples and marriage therapy. This therapy focuses on strengthening communication between couples. Couples are also the subjects of a large amount of research, specifically involving marital adjustment and satisfaction. Finally, group therapy is popular because it can serve more than one person at a time. Within groups individuals can learn new more effective ways of relating with others and gain support from other members.
For further information about counseling psychology see the Counseling Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association.
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