Many people in our society haven’t heard of clinical psychology. There are many branches of psychology and clinical psychology is one of them. Clinical psychology is performed by a license psychologist that studies the human behavior and psychological and emotional state of a person. In essence clinical psychology “focuses on the assessment, treatment, and understanding of psychological and behavioral problems and disorders” (Plante, 2005, p. 7). Clinical psychology focuses on treating and diagnoses of behavioral, mental, and emotional disorders.
The most common disorders that can be treated are depression, anxiety,substance abuse and eating disorders. With all the disorders mentioned, clinical psychologists must be educated to understand and comprehend each disorder. History Hippocrates had many theories in the field of psychology. Hippocrates had a great concern for what caused psychological and emotional maladjustment.
He later discovered the theory of quality and quantity of “four fluids. ” Plato distinguished between the soul and body. He later discussed that the disorder in the “logistikon” which he defined as the “part of the soul that operates the head, controlling reason” (Plante, 2005, p. 37). Hippocrates described the body and soul in detail when he discovered the disorder of logistikon. In the middle Ages, there was work that was being featured by the work of Weyer, Thomas Aquinas, and Paracelsus.
These individuals guided the practice of psychology. Furthermore, they explained physical explanations such as, bodily functions, behavior. During the Renaissance, a bigger emphasis was placed in scientific experimentation. Modern psychological practices can be traced back to the end of the nineteenth century with the publishing of Wundt’s The Elements of Psychophysics and James’ Principals of EXAMINATION OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 3 Psychology (Plante, 2005).
Wundt created the first psychological laboratory which led to the development of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1892. This era is defined by observation of behavior and research on the field of psychology. The first formal classes on the subject of psychology began at the University of Pennsylvania in 1904. Nature Like Hippocrates, no discussion on the evolution of psychology in the twentieth century would be complete without at least touching on Sigmund Freud’s theories. Freud theorized that unconscious conflict within the psyche had a direct impact on mental health.
His theory has been the basis for many, many clinical psychologists. In 1949 the Boulder Conference afforded the opportunity for training guidelines to be set, enabling a homogenous teaching and evaluating system to be developed within the practice of clinical psychology.
The development community mental health facility as well as the development of medications for use in treatment of mental disorders were the precipitating factors for the biggest changes in how the practice of psychology was approached. This was a time when the different, and sometimes contradictory, theories were developed as a byproduct of such increased interest in the science of psychology. Issues Issue in clinical psychology is categorized by an illness ideology that emphasizes treatment or prevention of mental disorders (Maddux, 2008).
There is a movement at this time towards what is being called “positive psychology. ” Maddux (2008) describes positive psychology as aiming to “…promote health, happiness, physical fitness, and pleasure, and personal fulfillment through the free pursuit of chosen and valued goals. ”
Positive psychology EXAMINATION OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 4 can be compared to the parenting style commonly referred to as “positive reinforcement” where
an emphasis is put on a child’s positive attributes, behaviors, and accomplishments. The theory is that by avoiding negativity, there is less stress and ideally less dysfunction within the child. By focusing on positive psychology, a person’s strengths can be used to promote good mental health preemptively and hopefully combat mental illness where possible. Interestingly, virtual reality is being looked at as a way in which patients can manipulate situations that may be causing them stress and work through them on a virtual and safe playing field, thereby lessening stress by allowing the patient essentially a “do over” if it is needed (Riva, 2009).
Statistics in Clinical Counseling Although great advances have been made in the field of clinical psychology, the role of research and statistics will always be essential in clinical counseling psychology. Development of new drugs, new approaches, and new treatments will become more necessary as the world population grows and evolves over the next millennium. Unique problems that modern humans have will require new solutions. For example, Freud did not have any need to understand the effects of exposure to violent video games have on children.
Jung was not inclined to research the effects of prenatal exposure to crack cocaine on school-age children. Humans are living longer and with this increased advanced age comes a unique set of family dynamics such as middle-aged children being responsible for not only their own children at home, but aging parents. There will undoubtedly be more changes in the coming decades and therefore research will continue to be necessary. Conclusion Since the beginning of man’s self-awareness there has been an interest in what causes our emotions, our behaviors, and any type of perceived abnormality to our psyche.
From EXAMINATION OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 5 Hippocrates’s theory on the four fluids to Freud’s theory involving subconscious workings of the mind, each held merit as a step to where we are today in our understanding and treatment of mentally ill patients. Throughout history many researchers have discovered new disorders and diagnoses to comprehend human behavior and cognition process. We are greatly fortunate that we have had discoveries and researchers that have made such contributions to our society and the field of psychology.
The research that is being done today will undoubtedly pave the way to further understanding of the unique problems facing future generations.
References Maddux, J. E. (2008).Positive psychology and the illness ideology: Toward a positive clinical psychology. Applied Psychology, 57(1), 54-70. . Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Business Source Complete database. Plante, T. G. (2005).
Contemporary clinical psychology (2nd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ Wiley. Riva, G. (2009). Virtual reality: An experiential tool for clinical psychology.
British EXAMINATION OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 6 Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 37(3), 337-345. Retrieved March 27, 2010, from Education Research Complete database.