Psychological consultation is aimed to improve individual client care. The
term client refer to the personal, couple, family, group or organization
as the recipient of intended psychological services or program.
Professional Psychological Associations offer the following
principles for psychological consultative work:
- Consultation is a distinct professional practice.
- Consultation involves an identifiable assemblage of knowledge, skills, and
attitudes that are used in its performance. - The effectiveness of consultation is based on the competencies of the consultant (as an expert and as a consultant); the consultee (as a professional and
as a consultee); and the development of a respectful, collaborative working
relationship. - Although the consultant possesses greater expertise and experience than
the consultee, the relationship between the consultant and consultee is nonhierarchical and collegial and is imbued with respect, including toward the
multiple professions involved. - Consultation requires clear articulation of the objectives of the consultation
and clarity of roles, which may be stated in a formal consultation contract. - The consultee bears the sole responsibility to decide whether or not (or to
what extent) to follow the consultant’s guidance and to implement the consultant’s recommendations. - Consultation is conducted consistent with legal and ethical principles and
codes of conduct of the professions represented and with consideration
of multicultural diversity factors and contexts of the client, consultee, and
consultant.