Clinical Psychology - Assignment Example

Clinical Psychology of Clinical Psychology The forte of clinical psychology began in the late 1890s and has undergone significant changes for the past 120 years. Chapter 1 and 2 of the book ‘Introduction to Clinical Psychology (2nd Edition) An Evidence-Based Approach’ by Hunsley, John, Lee and Catherine M describes the evolution of clinical psychology and its contemporary practice. It is by understanding the roots of clinical psychology that we can understand how it may continue to develop.

During the late 1890s and 1900s, significant personalities such as Sir Francis Galton, Wilhelm Wundt and Lightner Witmer had an interest in studying the human mind, aptitude and mental ability. In addition, Sigmund Freud made a contribution by introducing psychoanalytic therapy. Significantly, world wars I and II buttressed the need for clinical psychology as it was necessary for the government to assess mental fitness of soldiers. Moreover, a number of men returning from the war with trauma-related psychological problems needed the services of a clinical psychologist.

After the war, clinical psychologists were incorporated into interventional psychotherapy and adopted the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Health Disorders (DSM) as their standard manual of diagnosis and classification of mental illnesses. Currently, clinical psychologists are considered as mental health professionals. They offer individual and group therapies (Hunsley & Catherine, 2010). How do we establish that the effectiveness of a psychological intervention? This is rather an area of interest to the contemporary clinical psychologists.

It cuts across both to the researchers, and psychologists enjoined in psychological intervention. Secondly, how can we test the interventions more vigorously? Maybe we would need to conduct a control group experimental research. One group would receive the intervention; the other would not. Nevertheless, other methods could be explored as well.ReferenceHunsley, J., & Catherine, M. L. (2010). Introduction to Clinical Psychology: An Evidence-based Approach(2nd Edition). Ottawa: J. Wiley & Sons.