¿What is clinical psychology? What do clinical psychologists do? It is not easy to answer this as there are a wide variety of definitions and opinions. However, there are a number of aspects that occur in almost all definitions of clinical psychology.
Do you want to know the history and functions of clinical psychology? So, we recommend you read this article from Psychology-Online. In addition, we will thoroughly describe the objectives of this very interesting branch of psychology.
Clinical psychology is a specialty of a broader discipline: psychology. In general, clinical psychologists are dedicated to study and understanding of behavior and to help people who have psychological problems.
More specifically, clinical psychology makes a evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and intervention therapeutic to people who suffer from some kind of mental disorder or affectation, with the aim of finding well-being and psychological balance.
Clinical psychology is a relatively young field and continues to be full of conflicts and concerns about its identity and its action.
History of Psychology
Psychology focused on the study of human behavior through research, using as a method the observation and experimentation. A) Yes, the origin of psychology, begins with Wundt's psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig, in 1879 and is identified with the experimental psychology.
This investigation of experimental psychology has transferred its methodology of empirical evaluation to the functions of clinical psychology, and has developed an attitude of self-analysis in psychologists clinical At the end of the 19th century, Granville Stanley Hall founded the American Psychological Association (or APA), which is currently the main organization of the profession.
At that time, most of the research focused on the processes of perception to find scientific evidence about people's behavior problems. Lighter Witmer opened the first psychological clinic in 1907, at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1914 in the United States alone there were already 26 more clinics.
In Europe, one of the great precursors of clinical psychology was Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis and one of the first neurologists who began to study the therapeutic intervention of people with psychological problems. Freud argued that a person's behavior was deeply determined by repressed thoughts, desires, and memories formed in childhood.
Origin of clinical psychology
Clinical psychology has long focused on the study and evaluation of people. However, after World War II, many people were psychologically affected and the need to provide resources to the field of clinical psychology not only of evaluation but also of treatment. They opened schools of psychology and consultations dedicated to treating mental problems. By the end of the 1930s, the field of what would become modern Clinical Psychology had already been organized and the Clinical psychologists began to work both in clinics and hospitals and in prisons, both with adults and with kids.
Clinical psychology as a profession was based on starting from the psychological evaluation and as a field that depended entirely on psychiatry. But it has evolved over time towards a more psychological approach accompanied by psychotherapy as a treatment measure.
This generates its diagnostics and processes with a less psychopathological (psychiatric) vision with the function of helping to overcome difficulties that arise in daily life enhancing qualities, skills and competences for it.
- Some of the great authors and precursors of clinical psychology They have been: Carl Justav Jung, Carl Rogers, Albert Ellis, Aaron Beck, Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, B.F. SKinner, Abraham Maslow, Albert Bandura.
The main functions of clinical psychology are the promotion, prevention, evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of mental problems. More specifically, a clinical psychologist must:
- Identify the psychosocial risk factors.
- Perform the diagnosis of disorders and mental affectations.
- Elaborate and develop a intervention program through psychotherapeutic techniques and procedures.
- Provide advice and liaison with other professionals and services.
- Identify and intervene in individual, family and community crisis situations.
The goal of clinical psychology is the development and application of theoretical principles, methods and instruments to observe, understand, predict, explain, prevent and treat everything type of mental disorders, cognitive, emotional and behavioral alterations and disorders. As well as the promoting health and wellness of people.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
