Counseling psychology in South Africa: Current political and professional challenges and future promise

Counseling psychology in South Africa is undergoing significant changes, much like the country itself The authors examine the state of counseling psychology in South Africa through discussion of both its racial history and present-day positions. The history of psychology cannot be devoid of its politicized past, and remnants of its history are found today, though much has changed. Current issues such as HIV/AIDS, educational legacies, and mistrust by the majority population now influence counseling psychology's direction and focus. Training issues become important in a country undergoing such changes, and counseling psychology's relationship to educational psychology and clinical psychology is addressed, along with its role within the indigenous community. Counseling psychology in South Africa is a microcosm for many of the struggles that U.S. counseling psychology faces. It is recommended that counseling psychologists in South Africa become more proactive to be further recognized as a useful entity and better serve community needs. Recognition can be accomplished by better alignment with medicine, forming working groups, becoming more politicized, and emphasizing the rich cultural diversity that exists in the country through training and outreach.