Introduction to Clinical Psychology - Study Notes

APA Definition of Clinical Psychology

• Clinical Psychology involves research, teaching, and services applying principles to understand, predict, and alleviate intellectual, emotional, biological, psychological, social, and behavioral maladjustment, disability, and discomfort across diverse populations.

Working definition for class

• Clinical psychology rigorously studies and applies practice to understand and improve psychological aspects of human experience, including behavior, emotions, or intellect.

Education and Training in Clinical Psychology

• Requires a doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD).
• Various paths and $3$ models of training exist (Pomerantz, 2023).

The Education and Training Needed – Pt 2

• Bachelor’s degree: $4$ years of coursework.
• Master’s degree: $2$ years coursework, research, thesis.
• Doctoral degree: $2$ years coursework, research, $1$ year pre-doctoral internship, dissertation, postdoctoral internship, licensure.

Getting In (and Getting Licensed): What Do Graduate Programs Prefer?

• Internships: Predoctoral (before degree) and Postdoctoral (after degree, before licensure).
• Some states have removed the postdoctoral requirement.

The Education and Training Needed – Pt. 3

• Licensure requires: Graduate school, predoctoral and postdoctoral internships.
• Pass EPPP (Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology) — a standardized MCQ exam.
• State-specific exams may also be required; passing scores vary by state.
• Licensure grants independent practice rights.
• Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are needed for license renewal.

Path to Becoming a Clinical Psychologist

• Includes: graduate coursework, Master’s thesis, Doctoral dissertation, practicum experiences, postdoctoral fellowship/internship (some research, some full-time practice), EPPP, state licensure exams, and continuing education.

More Practice-Oriented Training Models

• Compares practice-oriented vs. science-focused training approaches.

PsyD vs. PhD Stats

• Variable: PsyD / PhD
  • Mean GRE (Verbal + Quantitative): $1116$ / $1256$
  • Mean undergraduate GPA: $3.4$ / $3.6$
  • Percentage of students receiving at least partial tuition remission or assistantship: $13.9\%$ / $78.4\%$
  • Number of students in incoming class: $37.4$ / $9.7$
  • Percentage of applicants attending: $26.3\%$ / $7.4\%$
  • Percentage successfully placed in APA-accredited predoctoral internships: $66.0\%$ / $92.8\%$
• Source: Graham & Kim (2011).

UNCG’s program

• Produces professionally and culturally competent clinical psychologists in science and practice.
• Accredited by APA, guided by APA Ethics code values.
• Aims: Produce health service psychologists competent in research and practice, and prepare socially responsible clinical psychologists who contribute ethically and with respect for diversity.
• Program type: Scientist-Practitioner.

App State

• An applied practice degree in health service psychology focused on developing practitioners trained in evidence-based practice.
• Graduates demonstrate scientific inquiry competency.
• Accredited by APA.
• Program type: Practitioner-Scholar.

Yale University

• Dedicated to clinical science research and training, educating future academic and research psychologists.
• Research-oriented, emphasizing evidence-based assessment and intervention due to essential clinical training.
• Not for students primarily interested in clinical practice.
• Best for those pursuing independent clinical science research leadership roles.
• Core values: basic science research, integrative science, evaluation of treatments, applications of scientific inquiry.
• Program type: Clinical Science.

Preparation for Graduate School

• Assess options and goals.
• Focus on: College grades, letters of recommendation, research experience, clinical experience, GRE, personal statement(s), interview.

Professional Activities, Employment Settings, and Characteristics

• Where Clinical Psychologists Work:
  • Private practice: $30-41\%$
  • University psychology department: up to $19\%$
  • Hospitals, community mental health centers, veteran affairs medical centers, medical schools: $2-9\%$
  • More common in higher-income countries.
• What Clinical Psychologists Do:
  • Psychotherapy: $76-87\%$ of their time, about $31-37\%$ of total work, mostly individual ($76\%$).
  • Over half also engage in diagnosis, assessment, teaching, supervision, research, writing, consultation, and administration.
• Source: Pomerantz, Clinical Psychology, 6e, 2023.

What do clinical psychologists DO?

• Distribution across roles:
  • Clinical Practitioner: $10\%$
  • Academician: $18\%$
  • Researcher: $6\%$
  • Administrator: $6\%$
  • Other: $60\%$

Types of Mental Health Professions

• Counseling Psychologist (PhD, EdD, PsyD)
• Clinical Psychologist (PhD, PsyD)
• Social Worker (MSW