The authors offer an analysis of current challenges and opportunities regarding the long-standing issue about the quality and status of master's education relevant to training and practice in counseling psychology. Highlighted are historical context, controversies regarding licensure and accreditation (e.g., the 2009 Council for Accreditation…

Examines the credentialing process in mental health and likens it to the process of animals in confrontation over territoriality. Examines the data on which credentialing claims are predicated and the implications of and to the marketplace of licensing and certification. (BH)

Certification procedures protect consumers, but when licensing institutions become monopolistic, alternative paths to credentialing need to be considered. A series of articles examine third party payments, a changing job market and consumer protection concerns, all of which have had an impact on credentialing problems. (JAC)

The author contends that it is not enough for the white counselor to take the attitude that he is dealing with "just another person." He must realize he is dealing with a Black client who hurts because of the system and not because of any other unresolved conflicts. (Author)