Professional Psychology Training Research Articles

Predictors of doctoral student success in professional psychology: characteristics of students, programs, and universities

In the face of the rising number of doctoral recipients in professional psychology, many have voiced concerns about the quality of nontraditional training programs. Past research suggests that, on a variety of outcomes, graduates from clinical PhD programs outperform graduates from clinical PsyD and, to a lesser extent, counseling PhD programs. We examine an aggregate archival dataset to determine whether student or university characteristics account for the differences in outcomes among programs. The data show meaningful differences in the outcomes of clinical PhD, PsyD, and counseling PhD programs. Furthermore, graduates from research-intensive universities perform better on the psychology licensure exam and are more likely to become American Board of Professional Psychology diplomates. The available data support the notion that the ability to conduct research is an essential component of graduate education. In this light, PsyD programs represent a unique opportunity to train students in the types of evaluation and outcomes assessments used by practicing psychologists. We discuss implications for graduate-level training in professional psychology.

Measuring students' perceptions of faculty competence in professional psychology: Development of the Perceived Faculty Competence Inventory.

This paper documents the development of a measure designed to assess doctoral students’ perceptions of the professional competence of faculty in clinical, counseling, and school psychology. Study 1 yielded 33 items via principal components analysis that accounted for over 72% of the variance in the data across 5 domains: (a) Professionalism/Ethics; (b) Clinical Supervision; (c) Research; (d) Multicultural Competence; and (e) Advising/Mentoring. A confirmatory factor analysis in Study 2 provided support for the construct validity of the 5-factor model. Multilevel modeling was also used in Study 2 to demonstrate concurrent validity as aggregated group-level scores on the Perceived Faculty Competence Inventory were shown to explain significant variation in individual-level counselor and research self-efficacy. Implications for training and research in professional psychology are discussed.

The history of broad and general education in scientific psychology: The foundation for professional psychology education and training.

The history of broad and general education in scientific psychology: The foundation for professional psychology education and training.

Clinical supervisor training in Australia: A review of current problems and possible solutions

Clinical supervision cuts to the heart of professional psychology training. It is the most expensive single investment of staff time in the training of the psychology practitioner, and it appears to be the single most important contributor to training effectiveness, repaying that investment. Now there are changes afoot internationally which may change its pivotal role. For example, the Psychology Board of Australia has recently proposed that supervisors undergo approved supervisor training; in the USA, a competence-based emphasis is gaining ground; while in the UK, supervisors within the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies initiative are receiving unprecedented training and support. It is therefore timely to clarify the need for such training and to consider promising options for its effective delivery. Following a summary of the changes within Australia, we next address these emergent problems and promising solutions by examining the available scientific evidence and by considering professional consensus statements.

Knowledge competence in clinical and counseling training and readiness for internship

The concept of competence has become the driving force in the education and training of professional psychologists. In fact, competence has evolved into increasingly sophisticated forms, now perhaps best represented by the cube model, which integrates foundational, functional, and developmental variables into ideas about professional training. This article considers one component of professional training, scientific knowledge, and argues that knowledge competence, measured by the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, should occur before a student is certified as internship ready.

Training professional psychologists in school-based consultation: What the syllabi suggest.

Training professional psychologists in school-based consultation: What the syllabi suggest.

Workforce Factors for Psychologists in CAMHS in New Zealand.

Recruitment and retention of psychologists for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is difficult worldwide. This study: 1) identified factors that promote or hinder recruitment and retention of CAMHS psychologists; 2) explored training and its impact on CAMHS as a career choice; and 3) identified strategies to improve recruitment and retention of CAMHS psychologists in New Zealand. Surveys were undertaken with four New Zealand groups: 1) all registered psychologists; 2) final-year professional psychology interns; 3) directors for professional psychology training programmes; and 4) psychology professional leaders in the public health system. Psychologists with more pre-qualification training in CAMHS were more likely to work in CAMHS. Other psychologists reported they would have more likely worked in CAMHS if they had received more pre-qualification training. Factors that promote or hinder training, recruitment and retention are discussed. A range of practical strategies for improving recruitment and retention of psychologists to CAMHS were identified, including particular strategies for psychologists from minority cultures (particularly, Maori and Pacific Island psychologists). While undertaken in New Zealand, many of these findings are relevant internationally.

Social justice in the training of professional psychologists: Moving forward.

Social justice in the training of professional psychologists: Moving forward.

Clinical psychology graduate students' perceptions of their scientific and practical training: A Canadian perspective.

The scientist-practitioner is the most commonly used training modality in Canadian clinical psychology graduate programmes. Despite pervasive endorsement throughout Canadian psychology programmes, there is a paucity of data available on Canadian student opinions of the model's implementation. The current study assessed 134 students from 9 provinces with a 38-item questionnaire developed by the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology for assessing students' perceptions about the quantity, quality, and breadth of science training in their clinical psychology doctoral programmes. Most students described their programs as providing a mix of research and clinical focus, with slightly more weight given to research. Science training was reported as very important to students, with indications they receive a good amount of high-quality training in science. Moreover, there was a high level of agreement between desired levels of science training and the science training received. Implications for future research and training are discussed. Keywords: clinical psychology, clinical psychology graduate training, clinical psychology graduate students, scientist-practitioner The primary goal of clinical psychology graduate programmes in Canada, as expressed in many departmental mission statements, is to train students according to the scientist-practitioner or Boulder model of training (Raimy, 1950). This is geared toward training students to adequately develop both scientific research and clinical practise skills (D. Myers, 2007). Most programmes acclaim the model; however, each programme differs in the extent to which the scientific or practical aspects of training are emphasised. Moreover, incorporating a balance between research and clinical training is indicated throughout the current Canadian Psychology Association (CPA) guidelines for accreditation and ethical conduct (CPA, 2002). The question of what proportion of focus should be given to each aspect of training has been a subject of debate for over 50 years (Aspenson et al., 1993; D. Myers, 2007). Some Canadian researchers have argued that the scientist-practitioner is illusory and that each programme ultimately focuses on whichever side - science or practise - the programme sees fit to emphasise (Conway, 1984). To understand the status of the scientist-practitioner in a Canadian context, it is necessary to understand the developmental history of clinical psychology training in Canada. The existing documentation regarding the early history of applied psychology is scant; however, it is widely held that training in professional and clinical psychology was prompted by the ending of the Second World War (C. R. Myers, 1970). At that time, the utility of applied psychology had been demonstrated through successful selection, training, and rehabilitation of military personnel (Vipond & Richert, 1977; Wright, 1974). Consequently, there was increasing demand for applied psychology in education, government, and health sectors. Clinical training in Canada was not geared toward professional specialisation; that is, training was encompassing and broad, offering students training in educational, industrial, and counselling sectors (Conway, 1984). The status of applied psychology amongst other academic disciplines was considered suspect, largely because the psychologists of the day paid little attention to scientific research (Wright, 1969). In an attempt to secure status and legitimize itself as a profession in universities, psychology programmes began adopting stronger scientific foci. The shift was so profound that professional and applied areas were eventually relegated to an inferior status in favour of rigorous science and research (Conway, 1984). Growing concern over professionalization and the development of professional training in psychology prompted the CPA to stage the Opinicon conference in 1960. …

Clinical Psychology and Diversity: Progress and Continuing Challenges

The diversity of the clinical psychology workforce is an important contributing factor in ensuring that clients are able to access services that can reflect their own particular culture and personal identities, and also to allow the possibility of choice surrounding diversity across therapists and psychologists. Unfortunately the make up of clinical psychology trainees frequently does not reflect the population demographics of the communities within which training courses are located or serve. This mismatch has been recognised for many years both within clinical psychology and other healthcare professions. Despite various attempts at promoting diversity and equality within the profession, there is a widespread recognition that insufficient progress has been made, and the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP) in particular, promoted a series of projects looking at selection and widening access across professional psychology training courses, culminating in a Professional Practice Board (PPB) Report that was published in 2004. In addition, through initiatives supported by the Group of Trainers in Clinical Psychology, various research and other practical projects were established. The purpose of this paper is to review the PPB Report and associated projects and to informally assess their impact. Finally, there is recognition that not only should the workforce be representative but psychologists and therapists ought to be culturally aware and trained to work with difference despite their own particular identities as individuals and therapists. Accordingly, we will also review initiatives to promote cultural awareness and sensitivity within clinical psychology training.

Technology of introduction of professional-psychological training in the process of training competent professionals in graphic design into

The article is devoted the problem of technology of introduction in the educational process of the professionally-psychological training «Forming of adequate self-appraisal of own level of professional competence at the future specialists of graphic design in institutes of higher».

Implications of the Counseling Psychology Model Training Values Statement Addressing Diversity for Education and Training in Professional Psychology

Implications of the Counseling Psychology Model Training Values Statement Addressing Diversity for Education and Training in Professional Psychology

Notas Preliminares Sobre a Pesquisa "A Formação em Psicologia da Ufmg e o Processo de Reforma Psiquiátrica em Minas Gerais nas Décadas de 60, 70 e 80"

This paper is part of a wider research entitled “University organizations and the psychiatric reform process in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s in Minas Gerais, Brazil”, funded by FAPEMIG and coordinated by Maria Stella Brandao Goulart, from PUC-Minas. We researched the university training offered in the period at the following institutions of Belo Horizonte: PUC-Minas, UFMG and FUMEC Psychology courses; post-graduation in Psychiatry offered by FHEMIG at Instituto Raul Soares; post-graduation in Public Health offered by ESMIG (Minas Gerais School of Health). The goals are: to identify and evaluate the participation of formal culture variables in social change processes; to investigate the relationship among the main organizations of professional training in Psychology and Psychiatry in the Psychiatric Reform process in Minas Gerais. In the present article, we present the results related to Psychology courses at UFMG.

Graduate school mentoring in clinical, counselling, and experimental academic training programs: an exploratory study

This study focused on graduate student mentoring within clinical, counselling and experimental psychology programs. A nationwide survey of 336 psychology graduate students indicated that counselling students reported higher levels of socioemotional support in their mentoring relationships, as well as higher overall levels of satisfaction, compared with clinical and experimental students. Clinical and experimental students, however, reported higher levels of selected outcome variables, such as research productivity. The relationships between mentoring qualities and several outcome variables were noted and discussed. This study adds to the developing literature concerning graduate student mentoring within professional psychology training programs.

Increasing advocacy awareness within professional psychology training programs: The 2005 National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology Self-Study.

Increasing advocacy awareness within professional psychology training programs: The 2005 National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology Self-Study.

Professional education of psychologists using online problem-based learning methods: Experience at Charles Sturt University

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical approach to professional training that emphasises the development of clinical reasoning skills and self-directed learning. In contrast to more traditional lecture-based approaches that focus upon the linear acquisition of course content, PBL is undertaken in the context of actual case presentations. Although PBL has been adopted widely in the professional training of medical practitioners and nurses, it is only just beginning to be used in the professional education of psychologists. This paper examines the nature and benefits of PBL for education in clinical and forensic psychology by outlining its implementation and development at Charles Sturt University, located in a rural area of Australia. Although a full and independent evaluation of PBL for education in clinical or forensic psychology is yet to be undertaken, this paper argues that PBL can make a significant contribution to professional training in psychology.

University psychology clinics in Australia: Their place in professional training

There is universal recognition of the need for developmentally appropriate supervised clinical experience in professional psychology training. University clinics were established to provide a bridging function for postgraduate clinical psychology students, assisting the integration of psychological theory and research into real-world clinical applications and professional identity development. The aim of training in university clinics is to provide opportunities for clinical practice and high-quality supervision to monitor and shape clinical skills. The experiences gained in external practicum settings complement this initial training but cannot replace it. The recent introduction of Medicare rebates for psychology services has threatened the survival of university clinics because low-cost psychological treatment is now available from experienced practitioners. This paper provides data on Australian university clinics collected before the introduction of Medicare. Concerted efforts are needed to protect university clinics in order to maintain standards required for accreditation of clinical psychology training programs. The potential impact of the loss of university training clinics is discussed and strategies to ensure their survival are suggested.

Inside the Clinic: Health Professionals’ Role in Their Clients’ Psychological Rehabilitation

Health professionals (ie, physical therapists, athletic trainers) can play an integral role in the psychological recovery from injury. To examine health professionals' perceptions of the roles they play and their influence on the psychological recovery of their clients. A qualitative design using semistructured interviews that were transcribed and analyzed using interpretational analyses to reveal themes. 4 rehabilitation clinics specializing in sport- and physical-activity-related injuries. 18 participants (17 physical therapists, 1 athletic trainer) with a mean age of 36 years. Using thematic coding of the interview data, general-dimension data themes identified were centered on the roles of rapport builder, educator, and communicator. Health professionals perceive that they play important roles in the psychological recovery of their clients in spite of a lack of professional training in psychology and strive to create a caring and supportive environment. Results demonstrate the perceptions of the roles they play and the influence they have on the psychological component of the recovery process.

The legal exosystem: Risk management in addressing student competence problems in professional psychology training.

The legal exosystem: Risk management in addressing student competence problems in professional psychology training.

Learning to Use Discourse Analysis on a Professional Psychology Training Programme: Accounts of Supervisees and a Supervisor

Qualitative research methods have become more prominent in professional psychology training over recent years, yet there are relatively few published accounts of how students learn to use these methods. In this article we describe the experiences of three British trainee clinical psychologists as they learn to use one qualitative method, Discourse Analysis, for their major research project. Based on these experiences, we discuss key aspects of the research process (e.g. supervision) and delineate dilemmas, theoretical questions, suggestions, and practical advice. Extracts from a group discussion conducted involving the supervisor and supervisees (after the trainees had completed their studies) are provided to illustrate some of these themes.