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