ABSTRACT
Gerald Caplan’s thoughts regarding the delivery of psychological services through a consultation approach have had a profound effect on the practice of professional psychology. As one example, Caplan’s (1970) The Theory and Practice of Mental Health Consultation is the most widely cited book in articles published in the Journal of School Psychology from 1963 to 1982 (Oakland, 1984). Oakland’s review showed that the only reference cited more frequently was the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (Wechsler, 1974), a mainstay of school and clinical practice. Furthermore, many community, school, organizational, and clinical psychologists regard the general term “mental health consultation” to be synonymous with the specific model of consultation advanced by Caplan.
