Prescriptive Authority and Counseling Psychology

Abstract

The prescriptive authority for psychologists (RxP) movement is controversial in its notion that properly trained licensed psychologists should be granted the right to prescribe psychotropic medication. Since its inception, the RxP movement has been successful in engendering prescriptive authority for psychologists practicing at both federal and state levels. For the past20 years, the specialty of counseling psychology’s official position on prescriptive authority has been neutral. The author believes that renewed discourse is warranted. Therefore, the author will argue that counseling psychology practitioners should endorse the RxP movement, as prescriptive authority appeals to such unique facets of counseling psychology’s professional identity as holistic conceptualization of clients, a strengths-based approach to treatment, and a focus on social justice. The author also addresses concerns that may be preventing practitioners’ support, including the effectiveness of training programs for prescribing psychologists and the potential for prescriptive authority to dominate professional identity and practice.