Psychotherapists' Judgments of Psychotherapy Regulation

Abstract

In 1988, Colorado instituted a new regulatory system that was opposed by psychologists and social workers. We surveyed 306 psychotherapists about their attitudes regarding this system, which included profession-specific licensing boards and an omnibus (multiprofession) board to handle grievances. Social workers and psychologists, members of more established professions, opposed creating an omnibus licensing board and favored the return of profession-specific grievance functions. Members of the newer professions (professional counseling and marriage and family therapy) and unlicensed psychotherapists were not as opposed to omnibus boards. All groups agreed in their positive ratings of the performance of the Colorado grievance structure. These results are discussed in terms of "capture" theory, which postulates that professions capture governmental regulation and use it for their own interests.