CHAPTER 1 I Clinical Psychology An Introduction Definition Resnick s definition 1991 The field of clinical psychology involves research teaching and services to alleviate intellectual emotional behavioral psychological social and biological maladjustments Clinical psychologists engage in assessment diagnosis and treatment Consultation and research applications are also used II Other Mental Health Professionals 1 The Psychiatrist a Trained in medical profession a psychiatrist primarily uses the medical model in diagnosis and treatment of patients or clients They are privileged to prescribe psychotropic medication 2 The Psychiatric Social Worker a Social workers usually take the background history of a person including the existing problems and conduct family interviews In the past the psychiatrists conducted psychotherapy the clinical psychologist did psychological testing and the social workers collected the background history The functions are now blurred Social workers usually have a master of social work MSW 3 The Counseling Psychologist a A counseling psychologist usually works with normal or moderately maladjusted persons The use both interview and testing and work in counseling centers Recently they have become less interested in vocational or career counseling and are more interested in private practice 4 The School Psychologist a Such persons work with educators to improve the intellectual social and emotional growth of school children 5 The Rehabilitation Psychologist a Their focus is on people who are physically or cognitively disabled They usually work in rehabilitation centers institutes or hospitals a They are involved in the prevention and treatment of illnesses usually 6 The Health Psychologist before the problems begin 7 Psychiatric Nurses treatment plans 8 The Paraprofessionals a These persons usually work in a hospital managing the patient s a These persons are trained to assist professional mental health workers even thought they may not have a degree in the field 9 Mental Health Counselors a These persons usually have a master s degree in counseling or psychology and require a license to practice III The Clinical Psychologist 1 Activities of Clinical Psychologists see Table 1 1 a Psychotherapy i This is the most frequently engaged activity involving individual groups couples etc b Diagnosis Assessment i Diagnosis refers to labeling an illness Assessment may include observation interviews or testing Psychological testing was the chief function for many years c Teaching i Clinical psychologists hold full or part time academic positions They teach various courses on both graduate and undergraduate levels d Clinical Supervision e Research f Consultation g Administration i This process involves one to one teaching and supervising i An increase in research is noted over the years i Forms and setting for consultation vary extending from clinical cases to business matters personnel etc i Clinical psychologists serve on various committees or head psychology departments or schools etc 2 Employment Sites See Table 1 2 a Private practice has grown over the years and is the most frequent employment setting for clinical psychologists University setting follows next 3 A Week in the Life of a Clinical Psychologist a Read a week in the life of Dr Karen C in textbook 4 Some Demographic Notes a Table 1 4 shows the theoretical orientations of clinical psychologists 5 Art or Science c The idiographic approach a The focus of clinical psychology is on individual differences refers to understanding general b The nomothetic approach principles of behavior of people differences d Clinical judgment intuitive awareness The art should be complemented with the science in the practice of clinical psychology refers to understanding individual is usually based on the clinician s subjective or IV Training Towards a Clinical Identity 1 An Overview a The training of a clinical psychologist involves five years of graduate work after the bachelor s degree However the number 2 Clinical Training Programs of persons with master s degrees is fast growing Mental Health Counselors b The American Psychological Association APA insists on a doctoral degree as a pre requisite of being called a clinical psychologist However master s level practitioners are attractive alternative especially mental health counselors The philosophy in clinical psychology training is still the scientist practitioner model See table 1 5 This table presents a typical program of study following the scientist practitioner model Each school has its own flavor Some are cognitive behaviorally oriented some have a psychodynamic orientation etc i These are aimed to fulfill the scientist practitioner model a Course Work in clinical psychology b Practicum Work i Clinical practica is very important Some universities have psychological clinics from practicum c Research i The student is urged to develop research competency A thesis is designed to contribute new information to the field d The Internship i This is a vital part of any program It involves gaining experience in real professional settings e The Qualifying Examination i This is also called the preliminary examination or the comprehensive examination V Admission to Graduate Programs 1 Step one Know Your Program a Different schools have different programs Some emphasize research and some are practice oriented Consult APA graduate programs 2 Step two Application Materials The GRE graduate record exam scores are a Test scores required by all schools requirements are stated in the textbook b Miller Analogies Test may also be required Other c About 90 of all doctoral programs in clinical psychology use GRE scores to screen applicants It is more difficult to get into a Ph D program than a Psy D Doctor of Psychology program d More women than men receive their doctorates in clinical e psychology Increasingly more clinical psychologists engage in private practice despite the limitations of the managed care plans CHAPTER 2 Historical Overview of Clinical Psychology I Historical Roots The Greek philosophers and physicians especially Hippocrates 440 B C dealt with mental illness Before 1890 there is very little history of clinical psychology It was mixed with abnormal and medical psychology Philipe Pinel s work in the 18th century in France was crucial in the development of psychiatry In the US Dorothea Dix in the 19th century campaigned for better facilities for mentally ill persons II
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