American psychology's struggles with its curriculum. Should a thousand flowers bloom?

Although discussions of a core curriculum in doctoral training in psychology can be heard in contemporary psychology, there is no such common core, nor has one ever existed in American psychology's history. Advocates of a core curriculum argue that it ensures breadth of training, an outcome made even more important by growing specialization in psychology, and that it provides psychologists with a needed common identity as members of a recognized professional discipline. Opponents argue that a core curriculum places unwanted constraints on a program of study, prohibiting the kind of diversity needed to keep abreast of changes in psychology and related fields of study. The author reviews the history of this struggle within American psychology and discusses its implications for the science and practice of psychology.     

Specialization in Psychology and Health Care Reform

This article begins by contextualizing specialization and board certification of psychologists, with attention paid to relevant definitions and expectations of other health care professionals. A brief history of specialization and board certification in professional psychology is offered. The benefits of board certification through the American Board of Professional Psychology are highlighted. Consideration is then given to the primary reasons for psychologists working in academic health sciences centers to specialize in the current health care climate and to obtain board certification as a mark of such specialization.     

President's Award for Significant Contributions to Psychology

The contributions upon which this award was based were made primarily in two domains, one local and the other international. The former had two aspects, one comprised research and teaching, and the other, through being Treasurer and then President of the Australian Psychological Society, was directed at building a strong and viable Society, financially, collegiately, and professionally. The second domain of involvement resulted in holding the posts of Secretary General and then President of the International Association of Applied Psychology in which, among other things, an underlying interest was in strengthening and deepening the participation of Australian psychologists in the activities of the Association. Due progressively to the efforts of many this has led to a range of major outcomes including an increasing membership of Australian psychologists in both the Association and its Board of Directors, their increasing participation in the Association's congresses, and in the Society being granted the right for the first time to host an International Congress of Applied Psychology (the 2010 ICAP in Melbourne). Collectively the benefits for Australian psychology have been many. These include raising the profile of Australian psychology internationally, giving Australia a voice in the governance of international psychology, and working towards Australian psychology contributing to mainstream psychological theory and practice. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the discipline of psychology is that it is both scientifically and professionally oriented, and while the balance between the two may vary from one organisation to another their interdependence is a necessity. Because all national societies and international associations of psychology are children of the discipline the affinity is natural, yet while this may be so the connection needs to be actively maintained to prevent it withering, to the detriment of both. Thus, in keeping with tradition, while this article will outline the major contributions upon which the award was made, its primary focus is the nature and imperative of the relationship between science and professional practice, and this will be a recurring theme in each of the following principal sections dealing with research and teaching, the Australian Psychological Society (APS), the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP), the 2010 International Congress of Applied Psychology (ICAP), and mainstream psychology.     

Frank,We Hardly Knew Ye: The Very Personal Side of Frank Parsons

This article is a detailing of the limited information available regarding the personal life of Frank Parsons, who is credited with founding the career counseling specialization of modern day professional counseling as well as all professional counseling and the related fields of vocational psychology and counseling psychology in the early 1900s. This article presents information on Frank Parsons's physical appearance; character and personality; quirks, eccentricities, and prejudices; traumatic events in his life; and personal relationships and, in that context, a possible defined sexual orientation.     

Last of the mohicans? James McCosh and psychology "old" and "new"

This paper addresses the history of a rhetorical tradition in psychology that made a distinct division between old and new psychology and denigrated the old. The views of James McCosh, a transitional old psychologist and Princeton's president from 1868 to 1888, are analyzed to evaluate the stereotypical view of old psychology as antiscience and dogmatic. The evidence of James McCosh's writings and his actions while president of Princeton suggest the need for a more nuanced interpretation of the relationship between the old and the new. While McCosh did not share the new psychologists' valuation of experimental psychology, this was because of a disagreement over the correct methods of science, not a rejection of science itself. Therefore, the negative view of old psychology is better understood as a rhetorical strategy on the part of new psychologists who had professional reasons to distance themselves from their old psychology heritage.     

The commerce of professional psychology and the new ethics code

The 1992 version of the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct brings some changes in requirements and new specificity to the practice of psychology. The impact of the new code on therapeutic contracts, informed consent to psychological services, advertising, financial aspects of psychological practice, and other topics related to the commerce of professional psychology are discussed. The genesis of many new thrusts in the code is reviewed from the perspective of psychological service provider. Specific recommendations for improved attention to ethical matters in professional practice are made.     

Medical Psychology in Greece

The country of Greece is described, and the academic and professional requirements for licensure as a psychologist are reviewed. Several contentious professional issues are reviewed, and the paper describes the major professional associations to which Greek psychologists belong. The practice of psychology in medical settings is emphasized, and the relationships between psychology and psychiatry are reviewed.     

Rehabilitation. Psychology's greatest opportunity?

Rehabilitation is one of the fastest growing areas in the health industry. Supported by several key pieces of legislation, psychologists have established themselves as integral health care providers in rehabilitation. Although psychologists have benefited from legislated membership in rehabilitation, most individual psychologists and the psychological associations have failed to recognize the importance of public policy for the practice of psychology. Escalating health care costs have resulted in major revisions in the manner in which health insurers reimburse treatment. Medicare, the major federal health insurance provider, increasingly has been viewed as a model for the provision of all health care. The historic exclusion of psychologists from Medicare has limited the scope of psychologists' practice and the growth of professional psychology. The recent inclusion of psychologists in Medicare improves but does not solve practice and policy issues confronting psychology. Knowledge of national health policy formulation and greater participation by psychologists in health policy is necessary to secure the scope of professional practice most psychologists expect.     

The antitrust, discrimination, and malpractice implications of specialization

In response to pressure from applied psychologists for the creation of speciality certification boards, professional organizations (e.g., the American Psychological Association and the American Boards of Professional Psychology) have considered and developed specialization and specialty recognition rules. This process may raise potentially serious professional and legal ramitications. Consequently, this article evaluates significant antitrust, discrimination, and malpractice remifications connected with specialization and specialty recognition within the field of professional psychology. The issue raised in the antitrust and discrimination sections of the article affect the very creation of specialty boards, whereas the issue raised in the malpractice section may strongly affect the individual practitioner who becomes board certified. The overarching purpose of this article is to assess and explain the legal implications raised, to predict, where possible the legal treatment of particular specialization-related behavior, and to twarn about possible legal pitfalls and liabilities. Our goal is to arm specialization activity with foresight, so that this inevitable activity can be formulated responsibly by practitioners, specialty organization, and patient/consumers, in a direction useful both for psychology and society.     

Reflections on becoming a psychologist: Professional development experiences of students in a South African psychology graduate program

This study sought to describe student psychologists’ experiences of their professional preparation activities in which they used reflective journals. The students (n =7; female = 71%, black = 86%) were enrolled in a masters training program in the clinical and the counselling psychology programmes at a reputable University in South Africa. Over a period of the ten months of their first academic year, they completed reflective journals on aspects of their professional practice preparation. The reflective journals were thematically analysed to depict how the students framed their experiences. Findings yielded four themes that defined the students’ emerging professional identities: positive feelings about the profession, commitment to high standards of practice, concerns about high work loading, and a sense of learning community. Reflective practice capabilities appear important for early professional identity development from pre-service psychology practice education.     

The antitrust,discrimination, and malpractice implications of specialization

In response to pressure from applied psychologists for the creation of speciality certification boards, professional organizations (e.g., the American Psychological Association and the American Boards of Professional Psychology) have considered and developed specialization and specialty recognition rules. This process may raise potentially serious professional and legal ramitications. Consequently, this article evaluates significant antitrust, discrimination, and malpractice remifications connected with specialization and specialty recognition within the field of professional psychology. The issue raised in the antitrust and discrimination sections of the article affect the very creation of specialty boards, whereas the issue raised in the malpractice section may strongly affect the individual practitioner who becomes board certified. The overarching purpose of this article is to assess and explain the legal implications raised, to predict, where possible the legal treatment of particular specialization-related behavior, and to twarn about possible legal pitfalls and liabilities. Our goal is to arm specialization activity with foresight, so that this inevitable activity can be formulated responsibly by practitioners, specialty organization, and patient/consumers, in a direction useful both for psychology and society.     

建立心理学学科门类及学位类别的分析与展望

摘 要 为了促进中国本土化心理学体系建设和心理学学科的整体发展,从中国与发达国家心理学学科管理制度的比较中发现中国心理学学科归属所存在的问题,并在反思中探讨形成问题的原因。通过心理学在现有学科归属中的局限性,心理学成为独立学科门类的可能性,心理学成为独立学科门类后学科新体系的系统性,心理学成为独立学科门类的社会性四个方面的分析与讨论,研究了使心理学成为独立学科门类与学位类别的必要性与可行性。特别是从建设和谐社会的角度对心理学的学科归属、心理学的未来发展、现代社会发展及心理学与其它学科的广泛联系等需要的讨论中,指出中国心理学在专业设置方面隶属于理学和教育学的不足之处,认为这种隶属关系将会制约心理学的发展和学科成熟。提出应该在现有学位体系中增加心理学学科门类与学位类别,使心理学作为一个与理学和教育学并列的独立学科门类。通过改进学位体系让心理学在更大的学科背景中,建设中国本土心理学自身体系,使心理学研究方法更加多样化,为产生众多边缘学科和更好地发挥社会应用功能创造条件,也为今后心理学发展带来许多发展机遇,并在此基础上为展望心理学未来发展提供新的视角。     

Direktausbildung Psychotherapie an der medizinischen Fakultät

Background

There is ongoing political discussion at the Federal Ministry of Health that a university entrance diploma should allow psychotherapy to be studied directly: Graduation leads to a licensure that qualifies for further specialization, e.g. in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or psychodynamic psychotherapy analog to medical specialization. As psychotherapy has its roots in both psychology and in medicine, the question is raised which faculty should be the future home of direct psychotherapy schools.

Material and methods

A theoretical model curriculum of psychosomatic psychotherapy is proposed. Its structure which is oriented to the established structure of medical training and its contents are described. It is argued that the proposed model in the tradition of psychosomatic medicine is suitable to meet ongoing changes in the structure of psychotherapeutic care due to new challenges in the field of public health.

Conclusion

The study of psychotherapy should be associated with chairs in clinical psychology and psychosomatic medicine in order to maintain and further develop the variety and quality which psychotherapy has gained in Germany.     

Implementing the Boulder Model of Training in a Psychology Training Clinic

The scientist–practitioner (S–P) model of training has guided professional psychology in the United States for nearly six decades. However, since its inception, the model has been hotly debated and implementation of the model has been chronically problematic. One counseling psychologist who is working as both a faculty member and psychology training clinic director describes how scientific principles can be retained in a practice setting. He overviews the Boulder model of training, provides a brief review of the psychology training clinic (PTC), describes his current work setting and unique faculty appointment, and outlines five strategies for integrating science and practice in applied clinical settings. He also highlights how embracing the Boulder model has promoted a strong professional identity and presents the PTC as a model professional home for S–Ps.     

Unintended consequences: ventures and misadventures in the education of professional psychologists

Increasing professionalization of psychology, accelerated by expansion of professional schools, has evoked concern among critics, who claim that many practitioners ignore scientific research and engage in practices that are demonstrably useless or harmful. Recent data on admissions to professional schools and performance of professional school graduates show cause for concerns of the critics. If psychology is to maintain its stature as a profession, exclusionary controls as well as hortatory requirements for the practice of psychology and the education of practitioners must be established and enforced. Before more stringent standards can be imposed, convincing means for evaluating competence in professional work and quality in professional education must be developed. Local and institutional actions to advance those aims are proposed.     

SPECIALIZATION AND DESPECIALIZATION IN PSYCHOLOGY: DIVERGENT PROCESSES IN THE THREE WORLDS

This paper raises some fundamental questions about the consequences of specialization in the discipline of psychology, as well as the psychological consequences of specialization. Increasing specialization is taking place as a result of wide-ranging psychological and societal factors, rather than strictly scientific criteria. Among the consequences of increasing specialization are fragmentation in psychology, and microcosmic, rather than wholistic, models of behavior. Some third world psychologists trained in the first and second worlds are moving toward despecialization, in order to tackle major social problems that invariably require a wholistic approach. It is proposed that despecialization has potential benefits for all of psychology.     

The professional identity of counselling psychologists in health care: a review and call for research

Despite (a) anecdotal evidence which suggests that it is possible to be a counselling psychologist in non-traditional settings, and (b) the potential integration of counselling psychology foci with the medical model, there has been some discussion about whether counselling psychologists who practice in health care settings might experience a change in their professional identity. Professional identity is defined here as a sense of connection to the values and emphases of counselling psychology. The retention of professional identity seems important for counselling psychologists in health care settings. This is considering that the application of counselling psychology principles has the potential to make their contributions unique among mental health professionals in the health care arena. Here, the authors describe the evolution of ‘counselling health psychology’ and address issues of professional identity. Limitations of existing literature are examined. Recommendations for future research are also made.     

Health Psychology in Catalonia in 2000: Current View and Future Perspective

This report describes the current status of health psychology in the nation of Catalonia (Spain). Emphasis is placed upon autonomy and self-governance, which have progressively influenced the structure and functioning of the health care system and the professional colleges. The current university educational model of training and practice in health psychology is reviewed. The most important characteristics of professional psychologists are presented. A critical view of health psychology research in medical settings and future perspectives of health psychology in Catalonia are also discussed.