accreditation a designation bestowed by the American Psychological Association on
psychological training programs that meet acceptable training standards
clinical practicum a training experience designed to build specific clinical skills; often combines
academic content, or theory, with practical experience
clinical psychologist a member of a profession devoted to understanding and treating individuals
affected by a variety of emotional, behavioral, and/or cognitive difficulties; may be
involved in numerous activities, including psychotherapy, assessment and
diagnosis, teaching, supervision, research, consultation, and administration
clinical science model a clinical psychology training model that emphasizes empirically supported
approaches to assessment, prevention, and clinical intervention. this model arose
from concerns that clinical psychology was not firmly grounded in science
clinical social workers mental health professionals trained in psychiatric diagnosis and in individual and
group psychotherapy. compared to psychologists and psychiatrists, training is
relatively brief, limited to a 2-year master's degree; intensely involved in the day-to-
day lives of their patients and focus more on the social and environmental factors
contributing to their patient's difficulties
counseling psychologists psychologists whose interests and activities overlap significantly with those of
clinical psychologists; traditionally, they have provided individual and group
psychotherapy for normal or moderately maladjusted individuals
doctoral degree a degree that requires training beyond the master's degree. In clinical psychology,
this degree is usually obtainable after 4 years of graduate training in assessment,
diagnosis, psychotherapy, and research, plus a 1-year internship
Graduate Record Examination a test frequently required of applicants to graduate training programs; assesses
quantitative, verbal, and analytical abilities. in addition, offers subject tests for
several disciplines, including psychology
health psychologists psychologists whose research or practical work focuses on the prevention of illness,
the promotion and maintenance of good health, or the treatment of individuals with
diagnoses medical conditions
internship an intensive clinical experience required of all clinical psychology students and
usually occurring at the very end of their graduate training; typically last 1 year and
involve full-time work at an independent facility
master's degree an advanced degree, usually obtainable after 2 years of graduate work; individuals
with this work in a variety of service-delivery settings but may be less likely to gain
professional independence
paraprofessionals individuals who have been trained to assist professional mental health workers
professional schools schools offering advanced training in psychology that emphasizes competence in
assessment and psychotherapy over competence in research; many are not
affiliated with universities, and most award the Psy.D. degrees
Psy.D. degree an advanced degree in psychology that is emerging as an alternative to traditional
research-oriented Ph.D. degrees
, PSYCH 3510 Exam 1 | University of Missouri | Complete Exam Review & Practice Questions
psychiatrist a physician with intensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of
mental disorders; may prescribe medications for the alleviation of problematic
behavior or psychological distress
psychological clinic A clinic operated by a clinical psychology training program and staffed by clinical
students, faculty, and others; provides a setting for clinical students to gain practical
experience by offering assessment, therapy, and consultation services to the public
qualifying examination an examination required of all clinical psychology students, usually in their third year
of training; the function of this exam is to ensure the students academic
competence
rehabilitation psychologists psychologists whose practice focuses upon individuals with physical or cognitive
disabilities; most often work in general or rehabilitation hospitals, and they help
individuals with disabilities deal with the psychological, social, and environmental
ramifications of their conditions
school psychologists psychologists who work with educators to promote the intellectual, social, and
emotional growth of school-age children; activities may include evaluating children
with special needs, developing interventions or programs to address these needs,
and consulting with teachers and administrators about issues of school policy
scientist-practitioner model of training the predominant training philosophy in clinical psychology today; this model is
based on the idea that clinical psychologists should integrate their roles of scientist
and practitioner
theoretical orientation the theoretical framework that a psychologist relies on to conceptualize and treat
clients' problems; examples include psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral,
interpersonal, systems, and eclectic/integrative
Association for Psychological Science (APS) the professional psychological organization formed in 1988 when an academic-
scientific contingent broke off from the APA; goals include advancing the discipline
of psychology, preserving its scientific base and promoting public understanding of
the field and its applications
behavior therapy a popular learning framework for treating disorders that is based on the principles of
conditioning; usually focuses on observable behavior and is typically of relatively
brief duration
behavioral assessment an approach to understanding and changing behavior by identifying the context in
which it occurs (the situations or stimuli that either precede it or follow from it)
brief (time-effective) therapy generally speaking, therapy of 15 or fewer sessions' duration; has gained popularity
in recent years due to the financial constraints imposed by managed care, as well
as studies demonstrating that its effectiveness is on par with that of traditional
psychotherapy
community psychology a psychological specialty that focuses on the prevention and treatment of mental
health problems, particularly among people who are traditionally underserved
eclectics clinicians who employ the techniques of more than one theoretical orientation; the
nature of the presenting problem determines which orientation to use in a given
case
etiological causal; for example, a ______ factor for depression is believed to contribute to its
onset