The Study On Career Motivation Of Counseling Psychologist In China

In the first decade of the 21st century, the psychological counseling and psychotherapy in China have developed rapidly. Both academic development and professionalization of it have made great progress. Counseling psychologist has been the main force of professional team which is strengthening during this period. Compared with the professional development of psychological counseling, academics knew few about professionals, especially their career motivation which is important for occupational health and career development.In this condition, this paper reviewed related literature and carried out a series of studies around career motivation of counseling psychologist. First, method of depth interview and content analysis were used to explore counseling psychologists'career motivation and personal experience. And based on these conclusions, a questionnaire named Influences on Becoming a Therapist (IBT) was revised. Then, the revision of Influences on Becoming a Therapist (IBT) questionnaire, Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), Experiences in Close Relationship Inventory (ECR) and short form of Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scale (MCSD-SF) were used as tool, and questionnaire surveys were taken among trainees of counseling psychologist, counseling psychologists, medical students, engineers and teachers to learn their career motivation, personal experiences, and adult attachment characteristics, as well as its effect on their career choice. Studyâ… is about the impact of motivation, experience and attachment on working desire of trainees of counseling psychologist. Studyâ…¡compared between psychological students and medical students on their motivation, experiences and attachment. Studyâ…¢examined the effect of these factors on degrees of occupational involvement, love for occupation and career choice initiative of counseling psychologists. Studyâ…£is a comparison among counseling psychologist, engineer and teacher in order to find differences in their motivation, experience and attachment. Study V is a vertical contrast between trainees of counseling psychologist and counseling psychologists who have engaged in psychological counseling. Some impressive conclusions were drawn through above horizontal and vertical comparison study. The career choice of counseling psychologist is impelled by the joint action of external and internal drives. The internal drive include professional altruism, self and interpersonal harmony, interpersonal involvement and occupational reward. Professional altruistic motivation arouses one's attention to psychological counseling, which will determine the formation and intensity of psychological counseling trainees'working desire, but not cause the conduct of engaging in helping profession. Self and interpersonal harmony is the motivation for an individual to be a counseling psychologist, and also the reason of participating in training of counseling psychology. However, it will weaken the strength of trainees'working desire and the process to be a counseling psychologist. Occupational reward motive will promote working desires of trainees and career decision of counseling psychologists. The occupational investment of full-time counseling psychologist is interfered by career motivation of interpersonal involvement. The external impetus of becoming counseling psychologist comes from encourage of important others and guidance from helping professional model. Although these external drives are not such strong as internal driving force, the effect of them should not be overlooked.In addition, the rough and bumpy life road, interpersonal estrangement and family troubles, these negative experiences are important for counseling psychologists' career choice, too. They affect not only on trainees' working desires and occupational involvement of full-time counseling psychologist, but also on trainees to be a counseling psychologists. The relationship between attachment style and career choice of counseling psychologist is more complicated. On the one hand, attachement reflects the general characteristics of counseling psychologists'interpersonal relationships and affects their career choice. On the other hand, engage in counseling, will not change individuals'attachment type, but regulate the level of it. All of these factors can be classified into two categories. Some are particular for counseling psychologists'career choice, including professional altruism, self and interpersonal harmony, rough and bumpy life road, interpersonal estrangement, family troubles and attachment avoidance. Others are common for anyone no matter what kind of job they choose, such as occupational reward, encourage of very important person and direction of professional mode.And the process of counseling psychologist's career choice can be divided into two stages. The first stage is the generating of intention to be a counseling psychologist, and second is the factual action of becoming counseling psychologist. Each development stage is subject to various factors. Professional altruism is crucial in the first stage, but self and interpersonal harmony, occupational reward and interpersonal estrangement are influential in the second stage.This paper explored the career motivation of counseling psychologist in China systematically and in-depth for the first time, which had made a series of important findings. The two-stage model of counseling psychologists'career choice proposed in this paper is a vertical expansion in this research field. The mechanism of career motivation in career choice of counseling psychologist is revealed on the basis of empirical studies. And impacts on career choice of counseling psychologists are distinguished to be unique factors and common factors for the first time. This research identified the relationship between counseling psychologists'attachment and their career choice. Finally, the shortcomings of this research on method, design and content are analyzed and suggestion on future direction is provided.Given the present condition of education and training of counseling psychologist and psychotherapist in our country, related content of career motivation should be added in the education and training of professionals, which is necessary and feasible. Great attention should be paid to career motivation of counseling professionals by academics, in order to reduce the negative impact on their career development, enhance their awareness and ability of self-care, improve their counseling effect, and promote the healthy development of psychological counseling in our country.