L1: Introduction to clinical psychology

• The Importance of Clinical Psychology as a Discipline

  • About half of mental disorders begin before age 14.
  • Worldwide 800,000 people commit suicide every year.
  • Worldwide hundreds of millions suffer from mental disorders.
  • Most undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
• • Counseling psychology - Historically worked with less severe problems.
  • School Psychology - Training in both psychology and education.
  • Psychiatry - Medical school training.
• History of Clinical Psychology

  • Most early views concluded that demonic possession or evil spirits were the cause of mental illness.
  • Hippocrates – “father of medicine” may be first to consider a “biopsychosocial approach"
  • "bodily fluid” theory – blood, black bile, yellow bile, phlegm. -by Hippocrates and Galen
• • St. Vincent de Paul - emphasized natural forces and that witch craft or satanic possession were not the causes of mental disturbances.
  • “Bedlam” in London – one of the several hospitals for mentally ill.
  • Hysteria -(a medical condition or general state of extreme fear and panic) could not be recognized as biological.
• • Philippe Pinel – a French reformer; he was a French physician who was instrumental in the development of a more humane psychological approach to the custody and care of psychiatric patients, referred today as a moral therapy.
  • He also made a notable contributions to the classification of mental disorders and has been described by some as the “father of modern psychiatry”.
• • William Tuke – founded the York Retreat for the care of the insane. Rejecting traditional medical intervention, Tuke emphasized the rural quiet retreat where insane people could engage in reading, light manual labor, and conversation.
  • He was instrumental in the development of more humane methods in the custody andcare of people with mental disorders, an approach that came to be known as moraltreatment.
• • Benjamin Rush - He was the “father of American psychiatry.” was the first to believe that mental illness is a disease of the mind and not a “possession of demons”.
  • 1800’s – clinical neurology –concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the nervous system.
• • Sigmund Freud – An Austrian neurologist, physiologist, medical doctor, psychologist, influential thinker and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst.
  • He is widely acknowledged as the father of modern psychology and the primary developer of the process of psychoanalysis.
  • Father of Psychoanalysis
• History of Assessment in Clinical Psychology

  • Early Clinical Psychology was almost entirely an assessment-based discipline.
  • Francis Galton (England): Galton's study of human abilities ultimately led to the foundation of differential psychology and the formulation of the first mental tests. he founded psychometrics.
• • Wilhelm Wundt (Germany) - He opened the Institute for Experimental Psychology at the University of Leipzig in Germany in 1879. Indeed, Wundt is often regarded as the “father of psychology”.
  • James McKeen Cattell (USA) - He was the first psychology professor in the United States, teaching at the University of Pennsylvania. During those early days, psychology was often regarded as a lesser science and was often even viewed as a pseudoscience. Coined term “mental tests”.
• History of Assessment in Clinical Psychology

  • Emil Kraepelin - Believed that mental disorders were due to biological causes. Worked on classifications of symptoms into syndromes. Huge influence on modern psychiatry and clinical psychology.
  • Syndrome- its is a group of symptoms that together are characteristic of a specific disorder, disease, or the like.
• • Alfred Binet - A French psychologist who invented the first practical IQ test known as the Binet-Simon test. He believed that intelligence was complex and could not be fully captured by a single quantitative measure.
  • Lewis Terman (US) - An American psychologist, noted as pioneer in cognitive psychology. He is best known as the creator of the Stanford-Binet IQ test, based on the work of Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon.
• • World War 1 - committee was struck called the American Psychological Association (APA) and asked to develop a scale to measure mental functioning of recruits.
  • Army Alpha Test (verbal abilities)
  • Army Beta Test (non-verbal abilities–for those who could not read or spoke limited English).
  • Wechsler-Bellevue intelligence test 1939 -(still considered the gold standard in IQ tests)
• Rorschach Inkblot Test


  A projective psychological test consisting of 10 inkblots printed on cards (five in black and white, five in color) created in 1921 with the publication of Psychodiagnostik by Hermann Rorschach
• Publication of Psychodiagnostik by Hermann Rorschach, which created the Rorschach Inkblot Test


  1921
• Psychologists again active in tests for armed forces

  World War II
• Canadian Psychology Association (CPA) - Test Construction Committee


  Developed the Revised Examination M (verbal/nonverbal items used for the selection of military personnel)
• Starke Hathaway (1943)


  Developed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory – MMPI
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-III) published by APA, with a focus on reliability

  1980's
• History of Intervention in Clinical Psychology

  • Sigmund Freud (German psychiatrist) - First elaborated treatment of mental health issues. The father of psychoanalysis.
  • Lightner Witmer (USA, 1900)– coined the term ‘clinical psychology’ – opened a clinic (1904) to assess and remediate learning difficulties.
  • John Watson (USA, 1920)- Conditioning principles → little Albert experiment.
  • Ivan Pavlov - had conducted experiments demonstrating the conditioning process in dogs.
• History of Intervention in Clinical Psychology

  • APA in 1981: “A clinical psychologist is a professional who applies principles and procedures to understand, predict and alleviate intellectual, emotional, psychological and behavioral problems.
  • Society of Clinical Psychology of APA 2000: “The field of clinical psychology integrates science, theory and practice to understand, predict and alleviate maladjustment, disability, and discomfort as well as to promote human adaptation, adjustment and personal development.
• • Clinical psychology- was introduced by Lightner Witmer when he founded the first psychological clinic at the University of Pennsylvania in 1896.
  • 1920’s the role of clinical psychologists was assessment.
  • 1940’s the need for increased numbers of providers of treatment services in World Wars I and II led many clinical psychologists to adopt the role of psychotherapist.
• • Clinical Psychology - APA (1991) “The field of Clinical Psychology involves research, teaching and services relevant to the applications of principles, methods and procedures for understanding, predicting and alleviating intellectual, emotional, biological, psychological, social and behavioral maladjustment, disability and discomfort, applied to a wide range of client’s population.
• Clinical Psychology: General Characteristics

  • Science
  • Maladjustment
  • Individual
  • Helping
• • Science - Clinical psychology, as a subdiscipline within the science psychology, adheres to two important assumptions of science: • Determinism-events have determinable causes • Empiricism-events must be observable and measurable.
  • Maladjustment - The concern is with the scientific understanding of abnormal behavior and emotional suffering
• • Individual - Clinical psychology uses research information gathered in groups of people to guide their work with individuals.
  • Helping - Clinical psychologists help people in psychological distress.
• Legal, Educational, and Ethical Requirements to be a Clinical Psychologist

  • Education
  • Experience
  • Testing of Competence
  • Good character
• Education


  Graduation from a school program approved by the licensing board and/or relevant professional organization
• Experience


  Some term of supervised practice in the field, often embodied in successful completion of an approved practicum, internship, or period of supervision
• Testing of Competence


  Passing of comprehensive examination, often called a licensing board exam which may include both oral and written components
• Good character


  Showing the physical, mental, and moral capability to engage in the competent practice of the profession
• Tasks of Clinical psychologist

  • Research – Most research in clinical psychology is carried out or supervised by faculty members in universities and colleges.
  • Teaching – Clinical psychologists who work in colleges and universities are also involved in teaching
  • Assessment – Psychologists who work in clinical practice, whether in a clinic setting or in their own independent office, devote varying amounts of their time to assessment.
• • Treatment – it may be conducted with individual children, adolescents, or adults or with couples, families, or group of individuals with similar types of problems
  • Prevention – Psychologists engage in prevention-related activities as part of their duties in mental health centers and in organizations and schools.
  • Consultation – Clinical psychologists also offer their services through advice and consultation to other professionals.
  • Administration – Clinical psychologists may also assume administrative positions in the various settings in which they serve.
• Models of training in clinical psychology

  • Phd Training Model - It is typically referred to as the Boulder Model of training in clinical psychology.
  • Boulder Model - also known as the scientist-practitioner model. The model asks that students' training include research and clinical skills to make more informed and evidence-based decisions regarding treatment.
  • PsyD Training Model- In these programs, relatively little emphasis is given to a research and relatively more training is devoted to skills in psychological assessment and intervention.
• Distinguishing Clinical Psychology from Related Professions

  • Counseling Psychology - Most similar to clinical psychology
  • School Psychology - Typically work in school settings.
  • Social Work - Typically focus on working with the poor and disenfranchised segments of the population.
• Counseling Psychologists


  Generally most similar to clinical psychologists in their training and in the types of services they offer
• Clinical Psychologist


  • Concerned with treatment and prevention of psychological disorders
• Counseling Psychologist


  • Concerned with treatment and prevention of psychological disorders
  • Deal also with normal transitions and adjustments that people may face
• School Psychologist


  • Focus on interventions with children, adolescents and their families in school and other educational settings
• Social Workers -They focus more on how social/situational variables, rather than interpersonal and intrapersonal variables, affect functioning.

  Social work - is a profession concerned with helping individuals, families, groups and communities to enhance their individual and collective well-being.