As a major field of psychology

As a major field of psychology

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  As a majorfieldofpsychology As a majorfieldof psychology,clinical psychologyfocusesonunderstanding,the assessment,and treatmentof behavioral andpsychological disordersandproblems.Plante (2011),“infact, clinical psychologyfocusesitseffortsonthe waysinwhichthe humanpsyche interactswithphysical, emotional,andsocial aspectsof healthanddysfunction”(p.5).Itmakesan attemptat usingthe principlesof psychologytoalleviate,predict,andunderstandbehavioral,social,psychological,biological, emotional,andintellectual componentsof humanfunctioning(Plante,2011).Also,itmakesuse the principlesof humanbehaviorforassistingindividualswithvariousconcernsandproblemsexperienced duringone’slifespanintheirphysical selves,emotions,andinrelationships(Plante,2011). Clinical psychologyhasa vasthistoryand evolvingnature.Researchandstatisticsholdasignificantrole in regardto this majorfieldof psychology.Asafieldof psychology,clinical psychologysharessome similaritieswithandotherprofessions;suchasschool psychology,psychiatry,andsocial work,but numerousdifferencesdoexistthatdistinguishitfromthese andotherdisciplines. The Historyof Clinical Psychology Clinical psychologyasa fielddevelopedfromthe disciplinepsychology,whichinturndeveloped fromphilosophy.The thoughtsandideasof numerousphilosopherssuchasone of the mostinfluential thinkersever, SigmundFreud,inregardtothe humanmindand behavior,sparkedthe foundationof whatis knownas psychologytoday.However,psychologydidnotdevelopintoadisciplinedistinctfrom philosophyuntil 1879. At thispoint,atthe Universityof Leipzigin Germany,Germanphilosopher WilhelmWundt,alsoknownasthe fatherof experimentalpsychologydevelopedthe firstpsychological laboratory,whichresultedinthe formationof psychologyasadisciplinedistinctfromphilosophy (Plante,2011). Also,what contributedtopsychologybecomingadistinctdisciplineoccurredin1892, withthe formationof the AmericanPsychological Association(APA).Fouryearsafterthisdevelopment at the Universityof Pennsylvania,inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania,AmericanpsychologistLightnerWitmer openedthe firstpsychological clinic(Watson,1953).Hence,thisresultedinthe emergenceof clinical psychologyasa fieldof psychology.Inregardtospecialtyareasof psychology,clinical psychologyisthe more so populararea.Plante (2011), “today clinical psychologyisacomplex anddiverse field encompassingnumeroussubspecialtiesandacontinuumof scientificandpractitioner-focused enterprises”(p.31). The EvolvingNature of Clinical Psychology Despite the APA lackinganinterestinclinical psychologybecause of aprimaryinterestinscientific researchoccurringin an academicsettingandnotof clinical applications,clinicalpsychologystillgrows at a rapidpace in the twentiethcenturyduringthe first twodecades(Plante,2011).At thispoint,clinical psychologygrewrapidlyinspite of the rejectionof the APA.However,thisisnotthe determiningfactor of the evolvingtendencyof clinical psychology.One reasonclinical psychologyiseverevolving is
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  because of SigmundFreud’sinfluentialthoughtsandworkthathelpedmoldthe directionof clinical psychology.Numerouspsychologistshave eithersoughttodisprove Freud’sworkanddevelopother schoolsof thoughtinregard to the humanmindand behaviororsoughtto furtherFreud’swork. Although,clinicalpsychologyinstinctivelyhasanevolvingnature because of itsconcerntounderstand, assess,andtreat behavioral andpsychological disordersandproblems.Therefore,clinical psychology continuallyusesresearchandthe scientificmethodtodevelopabetterunderstandings,assessments, and treatmentsof suchdisordersandproblems. The Role of ResearchandStatisticsinClinical Psychology Integratedintoclinical psychology’sfoundation isresearch.Appliedandbasicresearchenables clinical psychologytoanswerquestionsinregardhumanbehavior,treatment,anddiagnosisof psychological disordersandproblems(Plante,2011).Fundamental tothe practice andscience of clinical psychologyisresearch.Inregardto statistics,itisan aspectof the scientificmethodusedinresearch that enablesclinical researcherstocollectstatistical datathatenablesthemtodetermine if significant informationisrelative tohumanbehavior,diagnosis,andtreatmentsof psychological disordersand problems.Bothresearchandstatisticsplayasignificantrole inclinical psychology. Clinical PsychologyandotherProfessions Numerousdifferencesexistbetweenclinical psychologyandother professions,like psychiatry, social work,and school psychology.Forinstance,clinical psychologyandpsychiatryare twoof the most dominantmental healthprofessionsthatshare aclose relationship;whereas,theyshare acommon interestof treatingandunderstandingmental illness(Haslam&Lusher,2011). However,theydifferas far as clinical activities,professional trainingtobecome aclinical psychologistorpsychiatrist,and variousotherrespects,suchas forbeliefsaboutthe treatment,etiology,andnature of mental illness.As well asdifferinginpractice characteristics,professional roles,scientificresearch,andpublicationof relevantfindingsinregardtounderstanding,treating,andalleviatingmental illness(Haslam&Lusher, 2011). However,researcherswithpsychologyandpsychiatricbackgroundscommonlycollaborate and publishwitheachother,butthe journalsthattheypublishinremainsetapartbydisciplines.Inregardto social work,unlike inpsychology,social workersdonotobtainan educationasextensive asthatof clinical psychologistsandare notas extensivelytrainedinperformingresearchorthe use of testing instrumentsof psychologyaswithclinical psychologists(Plante,2011). Inregard to school psychology, school psychologistsusuallyonlyobtainanMA in psychology,andfew obtainaPh.D.;whereas,clinical psychologistsobtainaPh.D.Also,school psychologistsextensivelyworkinspecial education,secondary, and elementaryschools;whereas,clinical psychologistsworkinvaryingeducationfields,privateand publicpractices,teachandperformresearchinclinical settings. The majorkeydifferencesamongclinical psychologyandotherprofessionsof mental healthare that clinical psychologyisanintegrationof clinical knowledge,theory,andscience,thatis,ameansto understand,relieve,andpreventpsychologically-baseddysfunctionordistress;therefore,promoting developmentandsubjectivewell-being. Conclusion
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  Focusingonassessing,treating,andunderstandingbehavioral andpsychological disordersand problemsisthenature of clinical psychology.Clinical psychology’shistoryisvast,anditisthe foundation of a discipline thathasan evolvingnature.Researchand statisticshave heldacritical role;whereas, enablingclinical psychologytomaintainthe focusof assessing,treating,andunderstandingbehavioral and psychological disordersandproblems.Numerousdifferencesexistbetweenclinical psychologyand relatedfields,butthe majordifference isthe nature of clinical psychologybeinganintegrationof clinical knowledge,theory,andscience.