Consultation is an important aspect of providing psychological help. It involves two psychologists, one who plays the role of a consultant and the other who plays the role of a client. In a way, consulting is like counseling. Goals are set, solutions are tested and evaluated, and eventually the relationship ends.
However, there is a clear difference. While counseling involves helping a client to solve their own problem or to progress in their own psychological nature, counseling occurs when a psychologist helps another psychologist to successfully treat their clients. Both psychologists focus on the client of the consulting psychologist. It is important to note that the consultant does not assume the role of consultant.
They do not deal directly with the client of their consultation unless it is an important part of a treatment solution. Their relationship with the subject of treatment is more remote. In the field of counseling, professionals are taught to request consultation when faced with complicated problems that are not always well defined in textbooks or in evidence-based research. This lets the court know that not only did you make a specific recommendation, but that upon receiving a consultation about it, several professionals agreed.
If indeed the area of consultation is unique to the therapy process, it is logical that there should be a set of skills, related literature, research and standards that can be used to measure the development of the student's abilities. This mode of consultation is the essence of the scientific-professional model of counseling psychology. For example, if someone is struggling to provide couples therapy (or simply needs new ideas, clarification, or support), they can seek out a consultant who specializes in couples therapy. A common situation that requires consultation is the observation of a possible ethical dilemma involving clients, colleagues or students.
The importance of a working relationship in counseling may seem obvious, but it is equally important in the consultation process. The consultant plays the role of “expert” and proceeds to clarify the objectives of the respondent or the reference questions and then sets out to analyze the situation by studying a group, system or process. Since Caplan's work, consultation has expanded to include school counseling and education, group and process promotion and consultation. Initially, the consultation was conducted on an individual basis between individual consultants and medical professionals.
They also want to have a relationship with a consultant who knows their individual needs and responds to them personally. Subsequently, the consultant interprets and describes the results for the respondent in an effort to help resolve potential problems or identify structural problems, concerns, or conflicts. As with therapy, the phases of evaluation, conceptualization, and solution development usually take place as the consultant continues to build the consulting relationship.
