The practice of consultation has proliferated wildly over the past two decades. With this growth have come steady advances in consultation methods, but conceptual and empirical foundations remain at a rudimentary level. This article critiques existing conceptions of consultation and identifies factors inhibiting construction of cogent theory. To break the current impasse, a new paradigm, a meta-theory of consultation, is proposed. Counseling psychologists are challenged to use their unique strengths to assist in the evolution of theory, research, and practice of this important social service.
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