Effective Consultation in Educational and Child Psychology Practice: Professional Training for Both Competence and Capability

How should applied psychology practitioners be prepared to meet an increasingly challenging and unpredictable working context? This article explores some of the key current issues for educational and child psychology practitioners and their professional trainers in the UK with regard to the topic of effective consultation. The article argues that Educational and Child Psychologists can make a distinctive and essential contribution to improving outcomes for children, young people and their families (a contribution that is firmly grounded in psychological theory, research and applied practice) and that effective professional consultation is an appropriate medium for applying psychology with a range of consultees and clients in diverse contexts. How ECPs are trained in consultation approaches is therefore a significant issue for all members of the profession. The objectives of this article are to examine specific practice and training problems and possibilities relating to consultation in educational and child psychology, to recommend improvements for the professional training for applied psychologists in this area and to make a plea for a renewed emphasis on practitioner research that is aimed at making a difference to applied problem solving.