Abstract
Despite the documented efficacy of counseling, evidence supporting a claim of “expertise” among counseling practitioners is found to be lacking. A review of selected literature finds that counselors frequently hold inacurate or biased cognitive schemata concerning clients and engage in faulty reasoning regarding clients' concerns—producing clinical judgments that appear no better than those of less experienced individuals (novices). The concept of “expertise” in counseling may be justified if clinical judgment is viewed as an ill-structured problem and the criterion for judging expertise is changed from enhanced clinical accuracy to one of enhanced clinical certainty.
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Lichtenberg, J.W. Expertise in Counseling Psychology: A Concept in Search of Support. Educational Psychology Review 9, 221–238 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024783107643
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024783107643