Counseling Psychologists facilitate personal and interpersonal functioning across the life span with a focus on individual, group, and community interventions for emotional, behavioral, vocational, and mental health problems using preventative, developmental, and remedial approaches, and in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of psychopathology. Counseling Psychologists participate in a range of activities including psychotherapy, assessment, teaching, research, supervision, career development and consultation. They employ a variety of methods closely tied to theory and research to help individuals, groups and organizations function optimally as well as to remediate dysfunction.

The practice of Counseling Psychology encompasses a broad range of culturally-sensitive practices that help people improve their well-being, alleviate distress and maladjustment, resolve crises, and increase their ability to function better in their lives. These activities are guided by a philosophy that values individual differences and diversity and a focus on prevention, development, and adjustment across the life-span.

The American Board of Counseling Psychology (ABCoP) is one of the original specialties recognized in 1947 when the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) was founded. The ABCoP is responsible for establishing criteria related to the definition, education, training, competencies, and examination leading to certification as a specialist in Counseling Psychology. The ABCoP is governed by a board composed of members certified in Counseling Psychology who represent the specialty on a national basis.