¿What is clinical psychology? What do clinical psychologists do? It is not easy to answer this since there are a great variety of definitions and opinions. However, there are a series of aspects that occur in almost all definitions of clinical psychology.
Do you want to know the history and functions of clinical psychology? Then, we recommend you read this Psychology-Online article. In addition, we will describe in depth the objectives of this very interesting branch of psychology.
Clinical psychology is a specialty of a broader discipline: psychology. In general, clinical psychologists are dedicated to study and understanding of behavior and to help people who have psychological problems.
More specifically, clinical psychology makes a evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and intervention therapy for people who suffer from some mental illness or disorder, with the aim of finding well-being and psychological balance.
Clinical psychology is a relatively young field and is still full of conflicts and concerns about its identity and its action.
History of Psychology
Psychology focused on the study of human behavior through research, using as a method. Thus, it begins with Wundt’s psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig, in 1879 and is identified with the experimental psychology.
This experimental psychology research has transferred its empirical evaluation methodology to the functions of clinical psychology, and has developed an attitude of self-analysis in clinical psychologists. At the end of the 19th century, Granville Stanley Hall founded the American Psychological Association (or APA)which is currently the main organization of the profession.
At that time, most research focused on perception processes to find scientific evidence about people’s behavior problems. Lighter Witmer opened the first psychological clinic in 1907, at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1914 in the United States alone there were already 26 more clinics.
In Europe, one of the great precursors of clinical psychology was , the father of psychoanalysis and one of the first neurologists who began to study therapeutic intervention for people with psychological problems. Freud maintained that a person’s behavior was deeply determined by repressed thoughts, desires, and memories formed in childhood.
Origin of clinical psychology
For a long time, clinical psychology has focused on the study and evaluation of people. However, after World War II, many people were psychologically affected and the need arose to provide resources to the field of clinical psychology, not only for evaluation but also for treatment. They opened psychology faculties and consultations dedicated to treating mental problems. By the end of the 1930s, the field of what would become modern Clinical Psychology had already been organized and clinical psychologists began to work in clinics and hospitals as well as in prisons, with both adults and children.
Clinical psychology as a profession was founded on from the psychological evaluation and as a field that depended entirely on psychiatry. But it has evolved over time towards a more psychological approach accompanied by psychotherapy as a treatment measure.
This generates its diagnoses and processes with a less psychopathological (psychiatric) vision with the function of helping to overcome the difficulties that arise in daily life by enhancing qualities, skills and competencies to do so.
- some of the great authors and precursors of clinical psychology They have been: Carl Justav Jung, Carl Rogers, Albert Ellis, Aaron Beck, Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, BF SKinner, Abraham Maslow, Albert Bandura.
He objective of clinical psychology It is the development and application of theoretical principles, methods and instruments to observe, understand, predict, explain, prevent and treat all cognitive, emotional and behavioral alterations and disorders. Just as the promotion of health and well-being of people.