Division 16's Short and Illustrious History
The Counselling Psychology Division of the IAAP began during the 25 th International Congress of Applied Psychology in Singapore in 2002. Our first President, Professor Fred Leong, with a group of colleagues and the significant support of Professor Charles Speilberger, at that time the Immediate Past President of IAAP, started the Division.
Under Fred's leadership, the Division prospered in its first four years. One of the highlights of our short history was the full and distinctive counselling psychology program at the 26 th International Congress of Applied Psychology that was held in Athens in July 2006. Fred Leong and Mark Savickas, the President-elect, have edited a special issue of Applied Psychology: An International Journal on the topic "International perspectives in Counselling Psychology". This number of the journal will be published in 2007. The Division has also been fortunate to have its own electronic Newsletter.
In other pages on this website, your will see the names of the Executive Committee, the Committee Chairs, and the National Liaisons, all of whom have joined together to serve the interests of counselling psychology on the world stage.
Some Plans for the Next Four Years
One of the themes of Fred Leong's presidency was the globalization of counselling psychology. I hope to carry this theme forward in the work of the Division in the next four years. In our changing global environment, counselling psychologists are faced with how to assist clients cope with their culturally-based projects, problems, and careers within the defined space of particular daily practices, political and social ideologies, and legal systems. Many counselling approaches and responses have developed either without explicit attention to these particular contexts or presuming that theories and practices developed in one context are applicable to other contexts. In the next four years, we will have the opportunity to examine together the problems and prospects in the globalization of counselling psychology.
As counselling psychology becomes an important area of professional practice and research in an increasing number of countries, it may be helpful if Division 16 can speak to guidelines for the education and training of counselling psychologists. Such guidelines would need to reflect the indigenous understanding and practice of counselling psychology in particular countries and cultures and, at the same time, support local professionals, institutions, and organizations in raising and maintaining standards of effective practice.
If you or someone you know is interested in serving as a National Liaison for a country not currently represented, please contact me or have them contact me.
It is an honour for me to serve as President of the Division of Counselling Psychology of the IAAP. I invite all interested parties to send me your suggestions on how the Division can serve the interests of counselling psychologists globally or in own country.
Richard A. Young, EdD, RPsych
President, Division of Counselling Psychology, IAAP (2006-2010)
Phone: 604-822-6380
Email: Richard.young@ubc.ca
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