Theoretical orientations of Australian counselling psychologists

One hundred and thirty two Australian counselling psychologists responded to a mail survey seeking information about their theoretical orientation to therapeutic practice. The theoretical orientation self-ascribed most frequently was Cognitive-Behavioural (34%), followed by Psychodynamic 26%), Experiential (18%), Family Systemic (14%), and Eclectic (7%). Mean scores on the two dimensions of the Counsellor Theoretical Position Scale, Rational-Intuitive and Objective-Subjective, confirmed epistemological differences among the self-ascribed theoretical position groups. Almost all the counselling psychologists reported that they made use of some concepts and techniques from orientations other than their primary self-ascribed orientation, with 34% listing Cognitive-Behavioural and 29% listing Family Systemic as a secondary theoretical orientation. This finding is consistent with a reported trend toward theoretical integration among North American counsellors and psychotherapists. © 1998 Kluwer Academic Publishers.