Jan
22
As I recently spoke to a New Zealand colleague about the question of counsellor certification in Aotearoa, I was reminded of something that the famous psychologist Carl Rogers said when addressing the American Psychological Association in 1973:
“In every area – medicine, nursing, teaching, bricklaying, or carpentry – certification has tended to freeze and narrow the profession, has tied it to the past, has discouraged innovation. If we ask ourselves how the American physician acquired the image of being a dollar-seeking reactionary, a member of the tightest union in the country, opposed to all progress and change, and especially opposed to giving health care where it is most needed, there is little doubt that the American Medical Association has slowly, even though unintentionally, built that image in the public mind. Yet the primary initial purpose of the AMA was to certify and license qualified physicians and to protect the public against the quack. It hurts me to see psychology beginning to follow that same path.” (A Way of Being, p 247)
Carl Rogers’ influence on psychology and counselling is only rivaled by that of Sigmund Freud. He wisely saw the negative effects of certification on the mental health industry with which he was involved. Let’s hope that such insight is taken into consideration before any legislation is enacted in NZ that will affect who can be referred to as a “counsellor”.