Clinical PsychologyLearning Lab

Specialisations, consultation and teaching

Consultation, teaching and administrative roles

Consultant roles and types, the stages of consultation, challenges, and teaching and administration in academic and non-academic settings.

Source: Chapter 12 Intermediate about 30 minutes

What this module draws on:

  • Textbook concept Consultation roles (Lippitt & Lippitt; Dougherty), types, stages, challenges; teaching and administration (Ch. 12).
  • Historical context Role taxonomies drawn from sources published between 1986 and 1995.
  • Original elaboration Role continuum diagram and consultation scenarios.

Learning objectives

After this module you should be able to:

  1. Define consultation and describe consultant roles along a directive–nondirective continuum.
  2. Distinguish four types of mental health consultation.
  3. Outline the five stages of consultation.
  4. Describe teaching and administrative roles and common challenges.

Introduction

Beyond assessment and therapy, clinical psychologists spend much of their time advising others, teaching and leading. These roles extend psychology's reach to many more people than one-to-one work can.

Consultant roles Textbook concept

Lippitt and Lippitt described consultant roles on a continuum from directive to nondirective. Dougherty described six common roles: expert, trainer/educator, advocate, collaborator, fact finder and process specialist.

Consultant roles on a directive to non-directive continuum An illustrative line running from directive on the left to non-directive on the right. Roles placed along it from left to right: advocate, expert, trainer or educator, collaborator, fact finder and process specialist. More directive Less directive Advocate Expert Trainer / educator Collaborator Fact finder Process specialist Positions are illustrative; real consultations move along the line.
Illustrative placement of roles on the directive–nondirective continuum.

Four types of mental health consultation Textbook concept

Types of consultation
TypeFocusFictional example
Client-centred caseHelping the consultee with a specific clientAdvising a GP on a patient with health anxiety
Consultee-centred caseImproving the consultee's skills or confidence through a caseHelping a teacher manage her own reactions to a disruptive pupil
Program-centred administrativeImproving a programmeEvaluating a college counselling service
Consultee-centred administrativeImproving administrators' functioningCoaching a clinic director on team conflict

Stages and challenges Textbook concept

  • Stages: understanding the question → assessment → intervention → termination → follow-up.
  • Challenges: resistance, unrealistic expectations, disagreement about recommendations, and consultants' own limits in knowledge, objectivity or integrity.
  • Effective consultants need strong interpersonal, communication, problem-solving and ethical skills.

Teaching and administration Textbook concept

Most psychologists teach in some way — in psychology departments, medical schools and hospitals, clinics, workshops, businesses and public education. Administrative roles include directing clinics, training programmes, departments and services, where psychological knowledge of groups, motivation and communication is valuable.

Worked example: Consultee-centred consultation Original, fictional

A fictional school counsellor asks for help with a student who self-harms. The psychologist notices the counsellor's anxiety is leading her to avoid the topic. Consultation focuses on her confidence, knowledge of the school's safety procedures and when to refer — strengthening her work with this and future students.

Interactive activity

Name the consultant role or type

Choose the best description of each fictional consultation.

1 A psychologist argues to a hospital board for wheelchair-accessible therapy rooms.
Show the reasoning

Best answer: Advocate. Advocating for a position is the most directive role.

2 A psychologist surveys staff to gather data on burnout for a hospital.
Show the reasoning

Best answer: Fact finder. Gathering information for the organisation is the fact-finder role.

3 A psychologist helps a team notice how their meetings are run and who is excluded.
Show the reasoning

Best answer: Process specialist. Attending to group process is the least directive role.

4 A psychologist evaluates whether a college's peer-support programme is meeting its aims.
Show the reasoning

Best answer: Program-centred administrative consultation. The focus is the programme.

Knowledge check

4 questions. Every option has an explanation. Your answers are not sent anywhere when JavaScript is available; without it, they are checked by the server and immediately discarded.

1 Helping a teacher develop her own skills through discussion of a difficult pupil is:

Multiple choice Intermediate

Basis: Textbook concept, original question

2 Which role is the least directive?

Multiple choice Introductory

Basis: Textbook concept, original question

3 What is the first stage of consultation?

Multiple choice Introductory

Basis: Textbook concept, original question

4 Resistance and unrealistic expectations are common challenges in consultation.

True / false Introductory

Basis: Textbook concept, original question

Summary

  • Consultation applies psychological knowledge to problems in others' settings.
  • Roles range from directive (advocate, expert) to nondirective (process specialist).
  • Four types differ in focusing on a client, a consultee, a programme or administrators.
  • Consultation proceeds in stages and faces predictable challenges.
  • Teaching and administration are core professional roles.

Questions for reflection

  1. When might a directive consultant role be inappropriate, even if you have the expertise?

Key terms

Further reading

  • Textbook Plante, T. G. (2005). Contemporary clinical psychology (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
  • Cited in textbook Lippitt, G., & Lippitt, R. (1986). The consulting process in action (2nd ed.). University Associates.
  • Cited in textbook Dougherty, A. M. (1995). Consultation: Practice and perspectives in school and community settings (2nd ed.). Brooks/Cole.