Subscribe to our newsletter. Ask an Expert Psychology's Dilemma More college students are entering graduate school in psychology than ever before. More than 53,000 graduate students were enrolled in psychology programs in 1997 according to the National Science Foundation. This was a 10 percent increase over 1991. More clinical and counseling psychology practices are going out of business than ever before.
Psychology is a young science.
Psychology traces its roots back through other sciences to Descartes, but 19th century scientists such as Gustav Fechner and Wilhelm Wundt are often cited as being the first psychologists. Much of psychology's growth after World War II consisted of psychologists who saw themselves as providers of mental health services. Graduate programs in clinical psychology and counseling psychology were developed to fill a perceived shortage of mental health professionals. Almost all of these programs were located in psychology departments of colleges and universities. The federal government provided funding to many graduate students through Public Health Service grants.