Psychology vs. Psychiatry

1. Psychology vs. Psychiatry What’s the difference?

2. Clinical Psychology…. …is not limited to therapy and assessment Focus of this course: • Review of assessment • Review of therapies • Review of additional roles in clinical psychology

3. What is Clinical Psychology? Definition of clinical psychology The field of Clinical Psychology integrates science, theory, and practice to understand, predict, and alleviate maladjustment, and personal development. Clinical Psychology focuses on the intellectual, emotional, biological, psychological, social, and behavioral aspects of human functioning across the lifespan, in varying cultures, and at all economic levels.

4. What is Clinical Psychology? • General Characteristics • Activities and Work Settings of Clinical Psychologists • Distinguishing Clinical Psychology from Related Professions

5. Clinical Psychology: General Characteristics Emphasizes: • Science • Maladjustment • Individual

6. Emphasis on Science Clinical psychology, as a subdiscipline within the science psychology, adheres to two important assumptions of science: • Determinism-events have determinable causes • Empiricism-events must be observable and measurable

7. Emphasis on Maladjustment • The concern is with the scientific understanding of abnormal behavior and emotional suffering

8. Emphasis on the Individual Clinical psychology uses research information gathered in groups of people to guide their work with individiuals

9. Emphasis on Helping • Clinical psychologists help people in psychological distress • Historically, helping was not the first emphasis of clinical psychology. Any guesses about the first emphasis of clinical psychology?

10. Activities and Work Settings Of Clinical Psychologists • Research • Teaching • Psychotherapy • Assessment • Consultation • Administration

11. Distinguishing Clinical Psychology from Related Professions Training of a Clinical Psychologist • Undergraduate (typical): focus on psychology • 4 (or more) years of graduate course work • Masters’ thesis or equivalent • Practicum training • Qualifying exam • Dissertation • Internship (typically one year) • State Licensing exam

12. Distinguishing Clinical Psychology from Related Professions Psychiatry • Undergraduate: focus on biology or chemistry • Medical school (one year) • Internship (one year) • Residency, specialty in psychiatry • (three years) • Board exams

13. Last step in training in Clinical Psychology Defend the dissertation Last step in training in becoming a physician Take the Hippocratic oath Distinguishing Clinical Psychology from Related Professions

14. Clinical Psychologists… Learn to think as researchers To evaluate findings To defend their views by citing data Psychiatrists…. Learn facts and use this knowledge to understand and treat patients Clinical Psychology vs. Psychiatry

15. Overlap of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry Both… • Diagnose • Treat using therapy (although training in psychotherapy is more heavily emphasized for clinical psychologists)

16. Distinguishing Clinical Psychology from Related Professions Counseling Psychology • Most similar to clinical psychology • Training about the same • Counseling psychologists tend to deal with problems of adjustment in healthy individuals • Historically counseling psychologists worked within university counseling centers • In last few decades, they have expanded their work setting to include private practice

17. Distinguishing Clinical Psychology from Related Professions School Psychology • Typically have a masters level of training • Typically work in school settings • Significant emphasis on testing/assessment • Consultation with schools to improve learning environments

18. Distinguishing Clinical Psychology from Related Professions Social Work • M.S.W. (2 years of post B.A. training) emphasizing clinical work • Typically focus on working with the poor and disenfranchised segments of the population • Work in settings dealing with many aspects of a patient’s life and care such as social security, housing, food stamps, Medicare, arrangements for nursing homes, and foster care placement • Emphasis on therapy, but not diagnostic training or emphasis on research

19. Summary: What is Clinical Psychology The field of Clinical Psychology integrates science, theory, and practice to understand, predict, and lessen instability, and personal development.