Counseling psychology in China: Past and present

Ancient Chinese philosophers were interested in ways to promote psychological development and they made significant contributions, particularly in the area of mental testing. In the twentieth century the Chinese focused on behavioral psychology, and the field suffered a great setback during Mao's Cultural Revolution. However, more recently, psychology has received governmental support, and psychologists in China today are rapidly developing the field of counseling psychology. This paper puts Chinese psychology in historical context and describes many current practices and needs regarding counseling psychology.