Preview

Clinical Psychology

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1963 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Clinical Psychology
Approaches to Clinical Psychology
PSY 480
October 25, 2010

Approaches to Clinical Psychology Clinical psychology involves the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illnesses that affect human behavior (Plante, 2005). Of all psychology’s disciplines, clinical psychology is the most intriguing, both for subject matter and diverse employment opportunities. A common thread in clinical psychology is the multiple perspectives that exist to explain how mental processes influence human behavior. The student of clinical psychology will study all perspectives, perhaps landing on a favorite while retaining sufficient knowledge of all (Plante, 2005). Four distinct theoretical positions within clinical psychology include psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, and family systems approaches. Each approach reflects the theory of various icons in psychology’s history and whereas each theory has its pros and cons, the most important element in the clinical setting is the client. Although approaches differ in technique and strategy, providing the optimum experience for the client should transcend preference for one theoretical platform over another.
Psychodynamic Approach
Philosophical Origins The psychodynamic approach to clinical psychology originated from the psychoanalytic theory, which is comprised of four major schools: Freudian, self psychology, object relations, and ego psychology (Compas & Gotlib, 2002). These approaches were invented by renowned psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud. Freud proposed the idea that behavioral traits are influenced by the unconscious mind.
Goals
The psychodynamic approach is aimed at creating self awareness and an in-depth understanding of the influence of past behavior on current behavioral traits. A psychodynamic approach facilitates the client’s understanding of the effects of unresolved conflicts. This approach is aimed at making the patient understand that some symptoms are the result



References: (1982). Systems Techniques in Family Therapy: Two Pragmatic Approaches. Personnel & Guidance Journal, 61(4), 242. Retrieved from SocINDEX with Full Text database. Buhler, C. (1971, April). Basic theoretical concepts of humanistic psychology, American Psychologist, 26(4), 378-386 Compas, Bruce & Gotlib, Ian. (2002). Introduction to Clinical Psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill. Cooper, M. (2009). Welcoming the other: Actualizing the humanistic ethic at the core of Counseling, Psychology Review, 24(3/4), 119-129 Morton, G. (2002). The educational therapy contribution to a family systems approach. Psychodynamic Practice, 8(3), 327-341. doi:10.1080/1353333021000018999. Plante, T. G. (2010). Contemporary Clinical Psychology (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. Sundel, M., & Sundel, S. S. (2005). Behavior change in the human services: Behavioral and cognitive principles and applications (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Compas, Bruce, & Gotlib, Ian. (2002). Introduction to Clinical Psychology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.…

    • 1129 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    As the nineteenth century rolled in, members of psychological study started to have a more accurate understanding of the connection between the body and mind. Sigmund Freud was one such forward thinker and he promoted theories that unconscious thoughts of the mind can hold a strong influence on one’s health drawing on the original beliefs of the Greeks (Parsons, 1958).…

    • 1054 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nichols, M. P. (2012). Family therapy: Concepts and methods. (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ.: Pearson Education Inc.…

    • 862 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Psychotherapy Matrix

    • 300 Words
    • 2 Pages

    | Psychodynamic Psychodynamic approach involves therapy that tries to bring unresolved past conflicts and unacceptable behaviors from the unconscious to the conscious in order for the patients to be able to deal with the problems more effectively.…

    • 300 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Answer the following questions. Your response to each question must be at least 150 words in length.…

    • 679 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Between Cultural and Clinical Psychology there is an intersection of two academic traditional methods of study and thought. The scientific field of cultural psychology represents an ongoing evolution of decades upon decades of research and effort by psychologist in an effort to understand the ways in which ones culture shapes the individuals mental health and physical health (American Psychological Association, 2012). Cultural psychology moves beyond the confines of clinical psychology by defining the differences between the individual to the culture to provide explanations of variability, takes into consideration the ways in which culture shapes the individual, to experience, and expressions of well-being, physical health, stressors and this is done a variety of different fashions 2(Dutton, Ryder, Chang, and Butler, 2012).…

    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Meyer, R. G., Chapman, L. K., & Weaver, C. M. (2009). Case studies in abnormal…

    • 1752 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    The Therapeutic Frame

    • 2984 Words
    • 12 Pages

    The analytic frame in psychotherapy is made up of two components: the analytic attitude and the analytic setting. The analytic attitude refers to the stance adopted by the therapist towards the client, and this has four core features that have been established through many years of consistency in clinical practice – neutrality, reliability,…

    • 2984 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Psychology 200

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Prelude- When signing up for psychology 200, I expected it to be a very interesting course much like my class from high school. With such an interest in psychology, I hoped that this course would help determine if this was a potential major/minor to pursue. Aside from its academic aspect, I took psychology to gain some personal insight. With a mother diagnosed with bipolar disorder, along with other family members as well as myself suffering from depression, my interest in clinical psychology is extreme. The mind is a scary and complex place, and I wanted to understand how it functioned.…

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Griffin, W. and Greene, S (1999). Models of family therapy: the essential guide. Philadelphia, PA: Brunner/Mazel.…

    • 4808 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    blood donation

    • 1117 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A. Blood Functions/Type: The heart pumps blood through a network of arteries and veins throughout the body. Blood has many vital jobs. It carries oxygen and other nutrients to organs and tissues. Having a healthy supply of blood is important to the overall health. Blood is made up of various parts, including red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. Blood is transfused either as whole blood (with all its parts) or,…

    • 1117 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Clinical Psychology

    • 1597 Words
    • 7 Pages

    “What is wrong with that girl? Why does she seem so different from us?” This is a phrase commonly uttered by many individuals, especially the youth of today. The field of clinical psychology is a direct result of initial studies attempting to integrate mind and body with abnormal behavior. Abnormal behavior is stunningly obvious in some and quietly hidden in others, but who is to say what is normal? Once the complex field of abnormal behavior was acknowledged as a scientific discipline, clinical psychology slowly emerged from it. This paper will discuss the history and evolution of clinical psychology while providing a brief overview of how abnormal psychology evolved into a scientific discipline itself. This paper will also analyze the role of research and statistics in clinical psychology, discuss its importance, and provide an example.…

    • 1597 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Areas of Psychology

    • 1631 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Bibliography: American Psychological Association. (2013). About Clinical Psychology. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from American Psychological Association, Division 12 Society of Clinical Psychology: http://www.apa.org/divisions/div12/aboutcp.html…

    • 1631 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Advanced Theories Paper

    • 2382 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The general narrative of family systems theory is that individuals are products of their family. As stated above, the best way to understand an individual is to see him in the context of his family relationships. Families are systems; therefore, they are complex networks of interactions, relationships and patterns (Murdock, 2009). People never function alone; the people and groups around them continually influence them. To a family systems therapist, an individual is not understood alone. Individuals are seen as being similar to a single piece of a jigsaw puzzle; if he is seen without the other pieces (the family) he is not well understood. If he is seen along with the rest of the pieces, a bigger picture can be seen (Gurman, & Kniskern, 1981).…

    • 2382 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fundukian, L.J., & Wilson, J. (Ed.). (2008). The gale encyclopedia of mental health. Detroit: Gale.…

    • 579 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays