PSYC 4500: Introduction to Clinical Psychology Brett Deacon, Ph.D. August 27, 2013

1. PSYC 4500: Introduction to Clinical PsychologyBrett Deacon, Ph.D.August 27, 2013

2. Welcome! • About the instructor • Goals of this course: (a) understand the major theoretical approaches to conceptualizing, assessing, and treating psychological problems, (b) better understand the nature of psychological problems in general, and (c) appreciate the importance of the application of scientific research to both of these areas • What this course is and is not

3. Course Materials • Textbook • 9 additional readings • Course website: http://www.uwyo.edu/psychology/faculty/psyc%204500%20intro%20to%20clinical%20course%20material.html • Course website is accessible via the Psychology Department webpage: http://www.uwyo.edu/psychology/index.html

4. Course Requirements • Attendance and class participation • Readings • Response papers • Exams • Extra credit • Grading • Online posting of grades following exams

5. Three Content Areas • Area 1: Theory and methods • Nature of clinical psychology • Science and pseudoscience • Psychological approaches • Biological approaches • Readings: • 3 textbook chapters • 3 additional readings and response papers (including 1 due next week)

6. Three Content Areas • Area 2: Assessment • Clinical judgment • Clinical interviewing • Fundamentals of psychological testing • Intellectual assessment • Personality assessment • Readings: • 4 textbook chapters • 2 additional readings and response papers

7. Three Content Areas • Area 3: Treatment • Psychotherapy research methods • Concepts and controversies in the science and practice of psychotherapy • Psychodynamic, client-centered, and cognitive-behavioral therapies • EMDR • Prescription privileges for psychologists • Readings: • 4 textbook chapters • 4 additional readings and response papers

8. Big Picture Issues in Mental Health • What is the nature of mental disorder? • Theories of their cause and maintenance • Diagnosis • Research • How should mental health problems be treated? • Research • What kind of psychotherapy, and on what basis? • Psychotherapy and/or medication • Dissemination

9. A Sampling of Topics • Differences between mental health professions • Applying to graduate schools in clinical psychology (this Thursday) • Comparison between two types of clinical psychology doctoral programs (Ph.D. vs. Psy.D.) • The large variety of unsubstantiated but popular therapies being practiced in the community, and societal costs

10. A Sampling of Topics • How to spot the difference between science and pseudoscience in clinical psychology • How psychological processes can cause and maintain mental health problems, and implications for assessment and treatment • The contributions of genomics and neuroscience to clinical practice • The controversy surrounding the notion that mental disorders are biologically-based brain diseases, and why it matters

11. A Sampling of Topics • The reliability and validity of the DSM diagnostic system • Why many clinicians ignore research evidence in favor of their intuition • The limitations of clinical judgment relative to statistical prediction • Uses and abuses of psychological tests • Why many psychologists use psychological tests that lack minimally acceptable reliability and validity

12. A Sampling of Topics • Types of psychotherapy research methods, and their relevance for determining which treatments “work” • What does research say about the effectiveness of different therapies for different mental disorders? • What is evidence-based practice in psychology? Why do so few psychologists use evidence-based practices? What has been the APA’s role in this state of affairs?

13. A Sampling of Topics • The theory and practice of psychodynamic therapy, client-centered therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy • Special Topic: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) • Special Topic: Prescription privileges for psychologists