Counseling Psychology’s Ambivalent Relationship With Master’s-Level Training Robert H. McPherson Stewart Pisecco University of Houston Nancy S. Elman University of Pittsburgh Margaret Crosbie-Burnett University of Miami Thomas V. Sayger University of Memphis Inspired by efforts by those who seek to redefine the practice of psychology as a master’s- level specialty, the authors examine counseling psychology’s heightened ambivalence regarding master’s-level training. First, they present a historical review of this issue. Next, they discuss current social and political pressures that, they suggest, have resulted in renewed tensions in the training of master’s-level practitioners for the field of counsel- ing psychology. They conclude with specific recommendations regarding the manner in which counseling psychology should (a) train master’-level providers, (b) attempt to document the added value doctoral training, and (c) politically respond to this issue. Within the American Psychological Association (APA), the master’s- versus doctoral-level issue has traditionally been conceptualized as a debate regarding the allocation of responsibilities. Although the field of psychology has at times varied in its stance, there is a great deal of consistency with the position that (a) master’s-level professionals should work under the supervi- sion of psychologists and be assigned duties commensurate with their educa- tion and (b) that the doctorate is the requisite degree for the title of psycholo- gist and independent practice (APA, 1947; APA Committee on Subdoctoral Education, 1955). Consequently, for many psychologists, distinctions between doctoral- and master’s-level professionals seem self-evident: The psychologist is the primary provider of psychological services, and the per- son with a master’s degree is a supervised extender of these services. Within the subspecialty of counseling psychology, a more specific debate transpired that focused on defining appropriate roles, responsibilities, and 687 THE COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGIST / September 2000 McPherson et al. / MASTER’S-LEVEL TRAINING Correspondence concerning this article and requests for reprints should be addressed to Robert H. McPherson, chairperson of the Department of Educational Psychology, University of Hous- ton, 4800 Calhoun Rd., Houston, TX 77204-5874; e-mail: bmcph@uh.edu. THE COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGIST, Vol. 28 No. 5, September 2000 687-700 © 2000 by the Division of Counseling Psychology.