What is the difference between clinical psychology and counseling psychology?

Some: Counseling psychologists can get licensed for mental health purposes just like clinical. Usually they focus on more 'normative' problems in living, educational concerns, and occupational guidance and concerns. That said, i know of some counseling psychologists who work with severe mental illnesses. What really matters is experience and training, in addition to the base 'degree.'.

Not Much Anymore: The difference is really about the roots of each discipline. In all practical matters though they practice the same. Most states license them the same and many Universities are even combining their training programs.

Severity of symptoms: Traditionally, clinical psychologists focused more on patients with severe symptoms in mental health hospitals, and counseling psychologists focused on patients with less pathology with higher levels of functioning. Counseling psychologists also traditionally focused on a patient's strengths and de-emphasized weaknesses. Counseling psychologists also have strong roots in career counseling.

Some similarities: Most generally, clinical psychologists work with severely mentally ill persons as opposed to counseling psychologists who may work primarily with the "worried well." Both disciplines are capable of working with both populations; there is a lot of overlap. The biggest difference comes in the focus of formal education: treatment/assessment of severely mentally ill versus day-to-day life stressors.