Who uses clinical psychology services?
Where do clinical psychologists work?
BY: Peter Harvey
Clinical psychologists as scientist-practitioners
Clinical psychologists are more than
psychological therapists. While many do practice psychotherapy at a high level
this is not a skill unique to clinical psychologists, nor should it be.
The background and training of clinical
psychologists is rooted in the science of psychology, and clinical psychology
may be seen as one of the applications of psychological science to help solve
human problems.
The ability to design and carry out applied
research is a skill developed to a doctoral level in training and is one that
is becoming more and more valuable in the drive towards evidence-based practice.
In addition, one element of research competence
is critical evaluation of research activity and this again is a skill which
will be increasingly in demand over the coming years. It is important to
emphasise that this research activity is not thought of as an activity removed
from the “real” clinical workplace. While there are good data which support many
clinical activities, there are still major gaps in the knowledge base.
One of the important ways in which clinical
psychologists contribute is in the development and testing of new interventions
and activities, based on psychological theory. Thus practice feeds and draws on
research and theory which in turn influences practice.
Who uses clinical psychology services?
Clinical psychologists work with individuals,
couples, families, groups (therapeutic, staff, informal) and at the
organisational level (e.g. hospital wards, day centres, Community Mental Health
Teams, NHS Trusts, Primary Care Groups and Trusts ).
They also work with all age groups from very
young children to older people. They work with people with mild, moderate and
severe mental health problems, people with learning disabilities, people with
physical and sensory handicaps, people with brain injury, people who have
alcohol and other drug problems and people with a range of physical health
problems (e.g. HIV and AIDS, cancer, heart disease, pain, and diabetes).
It is important to emphasise that clinical
psychologists may have their greatest influence on enhancing psychological
well-being of service users by working at systemic levels. There will always be
more demand than psychologists can fulfil, so by working with organisations to
provide psychologically appropriate services, or by working in a staff
development and supervision mode, clinical psychologists can ensure that many
more users have access to psychologically informed practice than can be
delivered by psychologists alone.
Where do clinical psychologists work?
The training of clinical psychologists means
that they are not restricted to work in any particular institutional setting.
Currently, clinical psychologists can be
found working within primary care, mental health trusts, acute hospitals, child
health teams, community and residential facilities, social services teams,
substance misuse services, forensic services and rehabilitation and
resettlement teams.
A significant number of clinical
psychologists work in higher education (some in joint academic/clinical posts) contributing
to training of psychologists and others, as well as to both pure and applied
research.
References:
Peter Harvey, The Core Purpose and Philosophy
of the Profession, The British Psychological Society, Division of Clinical
Psychology 2001.
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