Introduction to Clinical Psychology

Slides from Trull, T. J., & Prinstein, M. K. (2013). Clinical

Psychology . 8th ed. Wadsworth: Belmont, CA.
 What is Clinical Psychology?

• The field of Clinical Psychology integrates

– science
– theory
– practice
• Helps us understand and alleviate discomfort
and dysfunction
• Promotes human adaptation, adjustment, and
personal development
J.H. Resnick, 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, discomfort,
applied to a wide range of client populations.
 Closely Related Mental Health
Professions
Psychiatry – medical physicians
– rooted in the medical tradition
– regards psychopathology as a mental “illness” that
can be remedied with a medical treatment (i.e.,
medication)
• 4 years med school
• 1 yr general medical internship
• 4 years residency (more specific training in therapy received
under SV)
• Able to prescribe meds (biomedical therapy)
• Typically spend very little time conducting psychotherapy
• A declining field?
 Closely Related Mental Health
Professions
Counseling Psychology
– Traditionally work with normally or maladjusted
individuals
– Historically focused on educational or career
counseling
– Currently represent a wide range of theoretical
orientations and treat clients across the life span
– In general, provides the following services:
• Preventative treatment
• Consultation
• Development of outreach programs
• Vocational counseling
• Short-term counseling / therapy from one to fifteen sessions
 Counseling Psychology

• Graduate school (4+ years)

• Internship (should be APA approved)
• Possibly 1-2 years postdoc residency
• Focus on mildly disturbed/maladjusted
• Historically, vocational/educational focus
• University Counseling Centers (but could
include hospitals, mental health clinics, private
or group practice)
 American Counseling Association
• 1952 established the American Personnel and Guidance Association
(APGA).
• 1983 changed name to the American Association of Counseling and
Development.
• 1992 changed to American Counseling Association (ACA) to reflect the
common bond among association members and to reinforce their unity
of purpose.
• The mission of the American Counseling Association is to enhance the
quality of life in society by promoting the development of professional
counselors, advancing the counseling profession, and using the
profession and practice of counseling to promote respect for human
dignity and diversity.
Compare this (Dignity & Diversity) to APA on next slide
 American Psychological Association
• 1892 founded with 31 members and grew quickly
after World War II.
• Today, has more than 115,700 members and 54
divisions in subfields of psychology.
• Strategic goals
https://www.apa.org/about/apa/strategic-plan/default.aspx include
expanding psychology's role in advancing health and
increasing recognition of psychology as a science.
• Division 12: https://div12.org/ integration of clinical
psychological science and practice in education,
research, application, advocacy and public policy,
attending to the importance of diversity
 Differences Between Clinical and
Counseling Doctoral Programs

Clinical Counseling
• Twice as many applicants as • Higher percentage of ethnic
counseling programs, but
minority students and those
similar acceptance rates
• Average GRE scores of
with master’s degrees
accepted students slightly • Research focusing on
higher minority/cross-cultural issues
• Research focusing on and vocational testing more
psychological disorders, clinical common
health psychology, and clinical
child and adolescent
psychology is more common
Norcross, Sayette, Mayne, Karg, and
Turkson (1998)
 Closely Related Mental Health
Professions

Clinical Social Workers

– Mental health professionals trained in psychiatric
diagnosis, individual and group psychotherapy
– Training limited to a 2-year master’s degree
– Intensely involved in the day-to-day lives of their
patients
– Focus more on the social and environmental
factors that contribute to their patient’s difficulties
 Closely Related Mental Health
Professions

Non-regulated “therapist” or “psychotherapist”

– do not have sufficient educational or licensing
requirements mandated by the state and
provincial governments to be considered a mental
health professional
– Offer services using the title of “therapist”
 Other Options That Don’t Require A
Doctorate
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst (Master’s)
– https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Board_Certified_Behavior_Analyst/Sala
ry
$62,032 avg salary
– 42% turnover rate
– Certification Exam pass rate: Avg 66% (AU 97%)
– Licensure in Behavioral Analysis (in AL, an additional step
beyond certification)
• Registered Behavioral Technician (Bachelor’s)
• Associate of Applied Science in Behavioral Health
Support @ OTC 63-hour degree program
– https://catalog.otc.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=6&poid=748&returnto=677
“Nowhere is there real agreement over the
exact role which should be played by the clinical
psychologist.”
--Shaffer & Lazarus, 1952

“It might be well, then, to mention an important

characteristic of the clinical psychologist: the
capacity to tolerate ambiguity”
--Trull & Phares, 2001
The Clinical Psychologist
The Clinical Psychologist
The Clinical Psychologist
Link to AAUP Salary Survey 2015-16
By rank, gender, etc. (PDF on S-drive)
https://www.aaup.org/sites/default/files/2018-19_ARES_Final.pdf

Link to APA Salary Survey 2018-19

Multiple reports broken down by degree, position, etc. (PDF on S-
drive)
https://www.apa.org/workforce/publications/19-faculty-salary/index
 Who’s interested in becoming a
Clinical Psychologist?
• How do you get there? Where do you start?
• http://clinicalpsychgradschool.org/accre.php (list
of accredited programs)
• http://www.abct.org/Resources/?m=mResources&fa=GettingGraduate (ABCT
Student Resources: Getting into Grad School)
– Research grad programs 1 YEAR PRIOR
– Start putting together your application
• Ask for references immediately, then give all materials to
them 2 MONTHS PRIOR
– Take the GRE (? – some programs no longer require it)
• Do it as early as possible
 Clinical Psychology Training

• 4+ years Graduate school (avg 5 years)

– Coursework varies between programs
• Typically, a standard set aimed cover the basics
• Also take advanced clinical coursework (focus on areas in
more depth)
– Practicuum: Learning through clinical practica, or exposure to
clinical work and practical applications of skills
– Research: starts Year 1
– Qualifying Exam: Usually made up of intensive written (and
sometimes oral) examinations in the third year & can cover either all of
psychology or just clinical
 Clinical Psychology Training

• Dissertation: Intensive original project in the

fourth or fifth year
– Designed to contribute significant new information
to the field
– Most programs stress traditional experimental or
correlational research for the dissertation
 Clinical Psychology Training
• APA-approved Internship: at the end of
graduate training
– Gain experience working in a professional setting
– Exposes students to Clinical Psychologists who may have
different ideas and theoretical orientations than those
encountered at the university, which helps to combat
provincialism
– Stimulates ideas for future research projects
– VA was pioneer of Internships & now dissemination of
science and ESTs
• 2-year post-doctoral residency
• Licensure & CCEs
 Curriculum
Year 1: Fall Year 2: Fall Year 3: Fall
Child Assmt – 4 Adult Psychopathology – 3 Behavior Therapy– 3
Research Seminar – 1 Cognitive Psych – 3 AVT – 1
Teaching Psychology – 1 Trauma Seminar – 3 TVT – 3
Experimental Stats – 4 AVT – 1 Minor (ToP) - 3
Spring TVT - 3 Spring
Adult Assmt – 4 Spring AVT – 1
Experimental Design – 4 Developmental – 3 TVT – 3
Teaching Psychology – 1 Systems – 3 Minor (ToP) - 3
Social Psychology – 3 Biological Bases – 3 Summer
Summer AVT – 1 AVT & TVT
History of Psych – 3 TVT - 3 Year 4: Fall & Spring
Ethics – 1 Summer Dissertation Hours
Teaching Seminar – 1 AVT – 1 Year 5: Fall & Spring -
Intro to Clinical - 1 TVT - 3 Internship