Clinical Psychology

Spring 2015Kyle Stephenson

Overview – Day 1•Course goals•Assignments

▫Exams▫Readings▫Project

•Concepts▫What is a clinical psychologist?

Course Goals•What do you want from this class?•Why did you sign up?•What are you worried about regarding

this class?

Course Goals•Knowledge about clinical psychology

▫Understanding (not memorization)▫Your own interest is central

•End goals▫Understand what a “psychological

disorder” is▫Basic understanding of how psychological

disorders are treated▫How do we know if treatments work? How

do we improve treatments?

Potential Benefits•Basic knowledge is important given how

common mental health concerns are•Be a good representative of psychological

knowledge•Decide if you’re interested in becoming a

clinical psychologist•Gain experience applying scientific

findings to real-world problems

Overview – Day 1•Course goals•Assignments

▫Exams▫Readings▫Project

•Concepts▫What is a clinical psychologist?

Assignments•Exams

▫Check understanding of necessary concepts

▫Not easy, but structured for you to succeed •Reading assignments

▫Build ability to understand & summarize past research

▫Chance to improve scientific writing skills•Project

▫Application of concepts and skills▫Select your own interest▫High-quality product that you can feel

proud of

Structure•Front-loaded

▫Get the heavy reading/studying out of the way up front

▫Need to have foundational knowledge before you can apply

▫Allows time for review•Personalized

▫You’ll care more and get more out of the course if it’s something you’re interested in

Course Protocol•Absences•Missed Exams•Deadlines•Office Hours

Overview – Day 1•Course goals•Assignments

▫Exams▫Readings▫Project

•Concepts▫What is a clinical psychologist?

• Clinical Psychology• What is clinical psychology?

• History of clinical psych• Current activities of clinical psychologists• Future of the field

• Research in clinical psychology• Research methods• Prevalence research • Theoretical models• Efficacy & effectiveness research

• Assessment• Interviewing• Intelligence assessment• Personality assessment• Behavioral assessment• Neuropsychological assessment

• Treatment• Psychodynamic• Humanistic• Cognitive-behavioral• Acceptance-based• Couples/family

Ethics

What is Clinical Psychology?•Definition

▫Increase our understanding as to why psychological disorders exist and how they are maintained

▫Use this knowledge to alleviate suffering▫Increase subjective well-being and improve

functioning

•Clinical psychology vs. related fields

Psychiatrist Social Worker

Counseling Psychologist

Clinical Psychologist

Type of degree MD MA / MSW MA or PhD PhD

Prescribe medication?

Yes No No No

Underlying causes of psychological problems focused on

Biological Social Psycho-Social Bio-Psycho-Social

Defining professional activities

Diagnose disorders, prescribe medication

Aid in “practical” problems & provide counseling

Provide counseling for “problems of living” and more serious disorders

Assessment, treatment, and research of more serious psychological disorders

Pros High income,High status

Shorter training, lower bar for admission

Flexibility, lower bar for admission

High status, relatively high income, flexibility, cheaper degree

Cons Longer training, relative inflexibility, high bar for admission, high cost of degree

Low pay, lower status, relatively high cost of degree

Longer training Longer training, high bar for admission

Differences Between Clinical and Counseling Doctoral (PhD) Programs

Clinical• Lower percentage

accepted• Average GRE scores of

accepted students slightly higher

• Research focusing on psychological disorders, clinical health psychology, and clinical child and adolescent psychology is more common

Counseling• Higher percentage of ethnic

minority students and those with master’s degrees

• Research focusing on minority/cross-cultural issues and vocational testing more common

What Makes it Science?1. Systematic Empiricism -- rely on

systematically-obtained observations to draw conclusions about the world

2. Public Verification -- findings must be observed, replicated, and verified by other researchers

3. Solvable Problems -- must study questions that are potentially answerable through systematic empiricism

What Would Stop it From Being Science?1. Nonsystematic and Nonempirical

Evidence▫Evidence based on myths, untested beliefs,

anecdotes, opinions, or poorly designed studies that do not measure up to scientific standards

2. No Public Verification3. Unsolvable Questions and Irrefutable

Hypotheses

Take-Home•Clinical psychologists…

▫Are only a small subset of professionals who work in mental health

▫Don’t just provide therapy in private practice

▫Are scientists▫Have a pretty awesome job