
The earliest recorded approaches to assess and treat mental distress were a combination of religious, magical, and/or medical perspectives. treatments for psychological distress were based on pseudo-scientific ideas, such as Phrenology. Five states, Louisiana, New Mexico, Illinois, Iowa, and Idaho, allow clinical psychologists to prescribe certain medications with completion of medical training, whereas most states only allow psychiatrists to prescribe medicine. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who treat mental disorders through medication and have a medical degree. Although practitioners in both fields are mental health professionals, clinical psychologists treat mental disorders through talk therapy and have a doctorate in Psychology or a Doctor of Psychology degree but cannot prescribe medicine. Clinical psychologists are expert in providing psychotherapy, and generally train within four primary theoretical orientations- psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and systems or family therapy.Ĭlinical psychology is distinguished from psychiatry. In the UK and the Republic of Ireland, the Clinical Psychology Doctorate falls between the latter two of these models, whilst in much of mainland Europe, the training is at the masters level and predominantly psychotherapeutic. practitioner-scholar model (focusing on clinical theory and practice). science-practitioner model (integrating scientific research and practice), and the Psy.D. Clinical Science model (heavily focused on research), the Ph.D. Since that time, three main educational models have developed in the USA-the Ph.D. This changed after the 1940s when World War II resulted in the need for a large increase in the number of trained clinicians. In the first half of the 20th century, clinical psychology was focused on psychological assessment, with little attention given to treatment. The field is generally considered to have begun in 1896 with the opening of the first psychological clinic at the University of Pennsylvania by Lightner Witmer. In many countries, clinical psychology is a regulated mental health profession. Central to its practice are psychological assessment, clinical formulation, and psychotherapy, although clinical psychologists also engage in research, teaching, consultation, forensic testimony, and program development and administration. Clinical psychology is an integration of science, theory, and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development.
