Do You Know What Clinical Psychology Is?

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Do You Know What Clinical Psychology Is?

Monday, April 13th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

Historically, some could say the father of modern scientific psychology is Wilhelm Wundt, a German psychologist who founded the first major laboratory at the University of Leipzig in 1879. There he examined the mind like any other science, deducing it to a series of chemical reactions and interacting physical components. In 1881, he began the first journal for psychological research. One of his students, Lightner Witmer invented the term “clinical psychology,” co-founded the American Psychological Association (along with Stanley Hall) and opened up a groundbreaking laboratory in Pennsylvania. He focused on helping children with learning disabilities and studying how to evoke change in people with limited mental resources. By contrast, Sigmund Freud’s focus was more on deep psychotherapy and behavior therapy.

There are four main perspectives of clinical psychology: psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral and systems/family therapy. First, psychodynamic psychotherapy developed out of the works of Sigmund Freud and sought to make the unconscious desires come to the surface, rather than remain suppressed. Popular interventions include free association and the examination of transference and defenses. The history of mental illness is examined through the exploration of childhood memories.

The humanistic perspective of psychology was based around the work of Carol Rogers, Victor Frankl and Rollo May. Rogers argued that people needed congruence, unconditional positive regard and empathetic understanding as mental health treatment. The humanist perspective seeks to help the person towards self-actualization and connecting with their natural born potential.

The cognitive behavioral perspective looks at the interaction between how we think, feel and act. Psychology experts believe that we interpret the world through schemas (set patterns of thinking and categorizing information) that sometimes results in behavioral problems. To uncover irrational thinking, professionals try desensitization, Socratic questioning, relational dialectics therapy or note taking.

In systems or family therapy, psychology therapists focus on the interaction of the family and their interpersonal dynamics. Interventions include a spouse, parent, sibling or close friend. While some of the intervention involves a group discussion, homework assignments are often given to help patients keep working, thinking and assessing outside of their therapy sessions.

Other areas of clinical psychology that are focused on include: multicultural studies, feminism, integration and positive psychology. In multiculturalism, cultural signs, symbols and ideas are examined. How does the individual perceive authority, relate within a group or display emotion? In feminist therapy, the counseling focuses on encouraging women in the face of cultural adversity as a way of establishing self worth and a larger meaning in life. A third perspective, positive psychology, purports that happiness is found through focusing on mental wellness, rather than serious mental illness. Therapists try to encourage optimism, appreciating the present, altruism and goal development. Martin Seligman said there are three facets of happiness: positive emotion (the pleasant life), engagement (the engaged life) and meaning (the meaningful life). Lastly, integration psychotherapy is an amalgamated version of the aforementioned perspectives. Neuroscience, genetics, interpersonal communication and psychopharmacology are all integrated into psychology for a well-rounded solution.

There has been some criticism in recent years that clinical psychology is “too subjective” and difficult to prove with empirical evidence. A major problem is that health insurance companies refuse to cover therapy costs, which limits many lower income individual’s mental health treatment options. Since clinical psychologists receive less schooling than psychiatrists, many medical doctors downplay the importance of therapy. However, one need only pick up a journal of psychiatry to see that psychotherapy is still a valid profession and one that can supplement medication for unbelievable results.

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