Clinical Psychology Reflections: Thoughts On Psychotherapy, Mental Health, Abnormal Psychology and More: Clinical Psychology Reflections, #1

THE PURPOSE AND MANDATE OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

This reflection was initially inspired by the integrity reflection later in the book. But as I love this idea so much I needed to bring this forward.

In addition, there is no ‘official’ mandate of clinical psychology so of course this is my own opinions and thoughts.

Therefore, if you’re a clinical psychologist then you know it is our job as clinical psychologists or people interested in clinical psychology to help improve people’s lives and to alleviate psychological distress.

Now, I want to turn this into a mandate because this is the entire point of clinical psychology.

Since clinical psychology’s entire existence comes back to this purpose. Without this purpose, there is no clinical psychology.

Because everything from the clinical research to the therapist to the clinical paperwork it all comes back to improving people’s lives.

If there were no researchers to research cases and treatments for depression, anxiety or any other mental health conditions. Then it would be next to impossible for the practitioner to help improve their client’s lives and alleviate their psychological distress.

Yet these researchers are and must be guided by this mandate. Because if their research doesn’t help distress or improve lives. Then I am sorry to say it is of no use to clinical psychology.

Not because it is bad research (necessarily) but because it doesn’t support the clinical psychology mandate.

Applying this mandate to clinical psychologists and other practitioners, it is vital that they are and must be guided by this mandate. Because everything a clinical psychologist does is in our client's interest. From advocacy to conferring with our team members to the therapy itself.

Everything a clinical psychologist does is to help alleviate their client’s psychological distress and improve their lives.

If a clinical psychologist has done the mandate then they’re done an amazing job.

It isn’t always easy to help alleviate psychological distress or improve lives. But it is amazing when you can.

And if you follow this mandate and use it as an internal compass then hopefully this will help you in clinical psychology.

I never ever say these things to scare you.

I say them to make you realise clinical psychology is an amazing area of psychology to love and want to work in.

So please remember the mandate and read on, there are a lot of amazing things to reflect on...

SHOULD PSYCHOLOGISTS BE ABLE TO PRESCRIBE MEDICATION?

Today on my podcast The Psychology World Podcast, I did an episode on the for and against arguments for should psychologists be able to prescribe medication as treatment.

So, the episode introduced the background information and the for and against arguments.

Personally, I found the background information rather interesting because in 5 states of the USA psychologists can prescribe medication, and I discussed the training required as well.

Therefore, I think it’s interesting to think about psychology in these states has developed.

However, this raises a number of valid questions about prescribing privileges.

Why hasn’t this spread to other states or countries?

Could it mean it doesn’t work?

What other factors could lead to these States to adopt prescribing privileges? Such as: a shortage of psychiatrists or prescribing