INTRO TO CLINICAL COUNSELING exam 1 ttu

Ph.D.

Doctoral degree emphasizing both research and clinical practice; usually housed in universities; longer programs (5-7 years); more funding; smaller cohorts.

Psy.D.

Doctoral degree emphasizing clinical practice over research; often housed in professional schools; shorter programs (4-6 years); less funding; higher debt.

Boulder Model (Scientist-Practitioner)

Training model emphasizing equal importance of research and clinical practice; established in 1949.

Vail Model (Practitioner-Scholar)

Training model emphasizing clinical practice over research; established in 1973; led to creation of Psy.D.

Clinical Scientist Model

Training model emphasizing strong scientific methods and research over psychotherapy delivery.

Impact of WWII on Psychology

Increased need for mental health services for veterans led to rapid expansion of psychology programs, funding, and applied practice.

Freud's Life Drive (Eros)

Drive toward survival, pleasure, sex, and reproduction.

Freud's Death Drive (Thanatos)

Drive toward aggression, destruction, and self-destructive behaviors.

Lobotomies

Early biological treatment for mental illness later deemed unethical and harmful.

Can you be a therapist with a master's degree?

Yes; research shows no significant difference in therapist effectiveness between master's and doctoral-level clinicians.

LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor.

MFT / LMFT

Marriage and Family Therapist / Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Clinical Psychology (Modern Focus)

Emphasis on alleviating mental illness, maladjustment, and psychological distress.

Counseling Psychology (Modern Focus)

Emphasis on promoting health, resilience, personal functioning, and vocational development.

Populations seen by both clinical and counseling psychologists

Anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, adjustment problems.

Most important factor in grad school admissions

Research experience and faculty fit.

Other strong grad school application factors

Strong letters of recommendation, clear personal statement, volunteer/internship experience, APA-accredited programs.

Prescription Privileges

Legal ability for psychologists to prescribe psychiatric medication with additional training.

First two states to allow prescription privileges

New Mexico and Louisiana.

Arguments FOR prescription privileges

Psychiatrist shortages, increased access to care, convenience, professional evolution.

Arguments AGAINST prescription privileges

Insufficient medical training, threat to psychotherapy, Big Pharma influence, identity confusion.

EBT

Evidence-Based Treatment.

Definition of EBT

Integration of best available research, clinical expertise, and patient characteristics, culture, and preferences.

Benefit of EBT

Scientific legitimacy, standardized care, improved training, reduced reliance on intuition alone.

Common Factors

Elements present in most therapies that contribute to positive outcomes regardless of orientation.

Percent of treatment outcome explained by common factors

Approximately 45-70%.

Examples of common factors

Therapeutic alliance, empathy, unconditional positive regard, hope, client expectations, safe environment.

Therapeutic Alliance

Collaborative and trusting relationship between therapist and client.

Transdiagnostic Risk Factors

Risk factors that cut across multiple diagnoses rather than being disorder-specific.

Examples of transdiagnostic risk factors

Trauma history, impulsivity, avoidance, maladaptive beliefs, low conscientiousness.

Efficacy

Whether a treatment works under controlled research conditions.

Effectiveness

Whether a treatment works in real-world clinical settings.

APA Ethical General Principles

Beneficence & Nonmaleficence; Fidelity & Responsibility; Integrity; Justice; Respect for People's Rights & Dignity.

Beneficence & Nonmaleficence

Do no harm; promote client well-being.

Limits of Confidentiality

Situations where therapists must break confidentiality.

Examples of limits to confidentiality

Imminent danger to self/others, abuse or neglect, court order, exploitation by another therapist.

Informed Consent

Ongoing process of informing clients about therapy purpose, risks, benefits, fees, confidentiality, and their rights.

Tarasoff Case

Legal case establishing duty to warn/protect identifiable victims from credible threats made by clients.

Duty to Warn / Protect

Therapist's legal obligation to take reasonable steps to protect others from serious threats.

Tuskegee Syphilis Study

Unethical study in which African American men were misled and denied treatment for syphilis.

Outcome of the Tuskegee Study

Creation of the Belmont Report and modern research ethics standards.

Belmont Report

Document outlining ethical principles for human subjects research.

Belmont Principle: Respect for Persons

Autonomy and informed consent.

Belmont Principle: Beneficence

Maximize benefits and minimize harm.

Belmont Principle: Justice

Fairness in treatment and research participation.

Dual Relationship

When a psychologist has both a professional and another relationship with a client.

When are dual relationships unethical?

When they impair objectivity, competence, or exploit or harm the client.