Clinical Psychology Training Programs Research Articles

Bringing Psychoanalytic Thinking to a Contemporary Clinical Psychology Training Programme: A Personal Perspective on a Dynamic Process

Bringing Psychoanalytic Thinking to a Contemporary Clinical Psychology Training Programme: A Personal Perspective on a Dynamic Process

Making psychology ‘just’? The challenges and opportunities of delivering human rights based pedagogical & experiential teaching to trainee clinical psychologists

There is a long history of human rights violations in healthcare and those perpetrating such human rights violations have included healthcare professionals, including clinical psychologists (Soldz, 2008; Balfe, 2016). Furthermore, individuals who have been subject to human rights violations which can include torture, discrimination, war, genocide, abuse, and trauma to name a few, are more likely to come into contact with mental health services and as a result, with clinical psychologists. Therefore, clinical psychologists have an ethical responsibility to critically engage with and examine issues pertaining to human rights, as well as their own positionality in respect of this (Patel, 2003). To support this examination, Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) training programmes should include opportunities for exploration and engagement with Human Rights violations as part of the training of clinical psychologists, however this is not currently consistently the case.In this paper the authors outline and examine the delivery of Human Rights Based teaching to trainee clinical psychologists using pedagogical, participatory and experiential learning techniques. The authors offer qualitative and quantitative feedback from four cohorts of trainee clinical psychologists on the impact of the Human Rights based teaching on their sense of self, their sense of others, their practice, and their ability to critically reflect on clinical psychology as an oppressive structure. The authors present some of the challenges and opportunities of embedding a Human Rights based framework in the teaching and education of trainee clinical psychologists and the implications of this on the practice of clinical psychology. The authors make a case that training institutions which embody principles and values connected to human rights and just psychology are likely to foster a psychological workforce that is attuned with ethics, justice and privilege.

A re-introduction of the psychodynamic approach to the standard clinical psychology curriculum.

There is a strong evidence-base for a psychodynamic approach, supporting primary theoretical tenets as well as the treatment effectiveness. Additionally, there are increasing calls from the field for more individualized treatment for clients, and the lack of training in multiple orientations limits the ability of students in clinical psychology Ph.D. programs in the United States to personalize their treatments. The accumulated evidence-base for contemporary relational psychodynamic theory and therapy places it in good standing to return to the standard clinical psychology curriculum, along with other evidence-based approaches. We use data from the Insider's Guide (which describes clinical Ph.D. programs in the United States) from three time points over 20 years to document the waning psychodynamic approach in clinical psychology programs. We review the scientific evidence for four primary tenets of a contemporary psychodynamic approach: three related to development-from healthy to psychopathological: (1) unconscious processes; (2) internal representations of self and other; (3) dimensional model of psychopathology, and a fourth tenet that builds on these three and is the foundation for a contemporary psychodynamic approach to psychotherapy: (4) therapeutic relationship as a primary mechanism of change. Based on the review of the evidence, we make specific recommendations for clinical psychology training programs about how to include a psychodynamic approach in the curriculum.

Unsettling the ‘master’s house’

Psychology and psychotherapy have long been regarded as a Eurocentric and largely homogenous field primarily dominated by white, socioeconomically privileged/middle-class women. This lack of racial/ethnic diversity and inclusion within the field has become an area of increased focus of discussion within psychological professions due to its significant impact on the care, experience, and outcomes of service users. Individuals from racially minoritised backgrounds face multiple systemic barriers when accessing the profession during their training and as qualified psychological professionals. Extensive research indicates that clinical psychologists from racially minoritised backgrounds experience racism in clinical psychology and this has persisted over the years. Similarly, in the psychotherapy literature, there has been an emphasis on addressing the lack of acknowledgement of racial disparities in psychotherapy training. As a result, it feels imperative that there is a radical shift in psychology and psychotherapy which involves acknowledging its role in creating and perpetuating racism and discrimination, as well as an urgent need to adopt a decolonised, socio-constructionist approach.
 Despite this, there has been little focus or momentum on clinical psychology training programmes to actively address issues of racism and to develop anti-racist practice. The Newcastle University Clinical Psychology Doctorate Programme recently made an active stance to adopt anti-racist practice and implement an approach that supports collective responsibility and accountability. In this article, the authors engage in a critical, radical, and collective dialogue around their experiences, and share their reflections on developing a clinical psychology anti-racism strategy, attending to power, discomfort, and the role of systemic oppression. The diverse voices of trainers, trainees, and aspiring clinical psychologists presented suggest that collective action, solidarity, as well as attending to power and relationality, had a profound impact on the development of the anti-racism strategy, as well as on relationships, trust, and relational safety. The authors offer critical reflections on how these experiences can be helpful in further understanding the complexity and multi-faceted nature of anti-racist praxis in clinical psychology and psychotherapy.

Reflexivity on medicalisation of the mind and the biomedical invasion on being human

Clinical psychology practice is characterised by three core functions; assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. We challenge the biomedical imperative in clinical psychology through our shared personal experiences in training as clinical psychologists in South Africa. We pose that the training of clinical psychologists historically was and continues to be focused through a biomedical lens. Alluding to the perennial debate on the relevance of psychology and current arguments around the contemporary relevance of clinical psychologists’ training; we propose clinical-community psychology as the main way forward for psychology practice in South Africa. Our position is that in South Africa, clinical psychology training and services should be appropriate and equitable in response to the needs of individuals and communities. We highlight the lack of contextual relevance that has been perpetuated in most of the clinical psychology training programmes. This misplaced historical legacy does not serve the people within the South African context. Current and future clinical psychology training should be re-aligned toward the service of members of the South African communities and settings.

A national study of the psychological theories and therapies covered within clinical psychology training programs in Australia

ABSTRACT Objective Recent advancements in the field of psychotherapy have included a diversification in Cognitive Behaviour Therapies (CBTs), often referred to as the “third wave”, yet relatively little is known about their coverage in Australian postgraduate clinical psychology training. Data were gathered to study the relationships between training program theoretical orientation, therapies covered, and factors determining the coverage of therapies. Method Responses to a semi-structured interview of 28 Directors of Clinical Training (DCT) or equivalent of Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) approved clinical psychology training programs (representing 72% of all accredited programs) were examined. Results Behaviour and cognitive theories were identified as dominant in programs. Coverage of Beck’s CBT was not correlated with other CBTs, and the number of therapies covered did not distinguish integrative (64.3%) from non-integrative programs. In an examination of the factors guiding the adoption of insight orientated therapies (i.e., Cognitive Analytic Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Humanistic Therapy, Psychoanalytic Therapy, Process Experiential/Emotion-Focused Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, and Existential Therapy), the focus of clinical research, and student interest emerged as significant predictors (β = −.16, SE =.06, p < .05, 95% Boot CI [−.27, −.03]). Conclusions Beck’s CBT, and its undergirding theories emerged as dominant and was not associated with coverage of more recent CBTs, suggesting that there is opportunity to diversify therapies covered considering their evidence base.

Competency-based pre-service education for clinical psychology training in low- and middle-income countries: Case study of Makerere University in Uganda.

Reducing the global treatment gap for mental health conditions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) requires not only an expansion of clinical psychology training but also assuring that graduates of these programs have the competency to effectively and safely deliver psychological interventions. Clinical psychology training programs in LMICs require standardized tools and guidance to evaluate competency. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF developed the “Ensuring Quality in Psychological Support” (EQUIP) platform to facilitate competency-based training in psychosocial support, psychological treatments, and foundational helping skills, with an initial focus on in-service training for non-specialists. Our goal was to design the first application of EQUIP to implement competency-based training into pre-service education for clinical psychology trainees. With Makerere University in Uganda as a case study, we outline an approach to develop, implement, and evaluate a competency-based curriculum that includes seven steps: (1) Identify core clinical psychology competencies; (2) Identify evaluation methods appropriate to each competency; (3) Determine when competency evaluations will be integrated in the curriculum, who will evaluate competency, and how results will be used; (4) Train faculty in competency-based education including conducting competency assessments and giving competency-based feedback; (5) Pilot test and evaluate the competency-based education strategy with faculty and students; (6) Modify and implement the competency-based education strategy based on pilot results; and (7) Implement ongoing evaluation of the competency-based curriculum with continuous quality improvement. This approach will be formally evaluated and established as a foundation for pre-service training in other low-resource settings.

A mixed method evaluation of the North East Black, Asian &amp; Minority Ethnic mentoring scheme launch: Reflections &amp; actions

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals are underrepresented in the UK clinical psychology workforce and in the wider psychological professions (Scior et al., 2016). An ethnically diverse and representative workforce within the psychological professions is imperative to addressing the well-documented inequity in access and disparities in the NHS (Kline, 2014). Diverse organisations also lead to safer, more effective, and culturally responsive service provision (Haigh et al., 2014), including better patient care (Kline, 2014).The lack of diversity in the qualified workforce is reflected on clinical psychology training programmes, including evidence that applicants from BAME backgrounds experience multiple barriers at several stages across recruitment and selection as well as during training itself (Ragavan, 2018). These disparities exist despite psychology being a popular choice of undergraduate degree for BAME students (Turpin &amp; Fensom, 2004). Recently there have been calls to ‘even the playing field’ and to develop initiatives to increase equity of access for aspiring clinical psychologists from a BAME background (BPS, 2015).With this in mind the North East Clinical Psychology Training programmes collaborated to develop a regional BAME mentoring scheme to address evidenced disparities faced by BAME aspiring Clinical Psychologists. To initiate the mentoring scheme, a virtual Launch event was hosted by the Newcastle Clinical Psychology Doctorate in August 2020.Out of 120 attendees, 48 completed the pre-evaluation questionnaire and 28 attendees completed the post-evaluation questionnaire. Some questions were relevant to both North-East courses, relating, for example, to a general sense of belonging in the profession and confidence and hopefulness about securing a training place in future. Other questions were specific to the Newcastle Clinical Psychology Doctorate and assessed, for example, intention to apply to this course, belief that training at Newcastle would be positive, and understanding around what skills and experiences would support a strong application to Newcastle.For the Newcastle-specific questions, results indicated that post-event, participants reported that they were significantly more likely to understand the skills and experience required for admission to the course. Participants were also more likely to believe that the Newcastle DClinPsy training programme would support individuals from a BAME background, however this result was not statistically significant. For the cross-course questions, participants reported that they were more likely to feel inspired to be part of the profession following the event, however this finding was not statistically significant. Qualitative analysis found that participants felt the event was ‘insightful’, ‘inspiring’ and ‘informative’.Although the feedback from participants was generally positive, this paper additionally explores and critically reflects on the value of widening access schemes and highlights the need to address structural and institutional barriers and disparities in clinical psychology beyond ‘widening access schemes’.

Applied Psychology in Bangladesh: Progress and Prospect

Psychology classes were first taught at Rajshahi University in 1956. In 1965, the University of Dhaka established the Department of Psychology. The Department of Psychology at Jagannath University offered an MSc programme in Psychology within the Faculty of Science in 1986. Chittagong University’s Department of Psychology was founded in 2005 as part of the Biological Sciences Faculty. During the 1993–94 academic years, the University of Dhaka began a postgraduate professional training program in conjunction with the University of London as part of the link initiative. In 1995, the MS in Clinical Psychology program began. Since 1997, Dhaka University has had a separate Department of Clinical Psychology within the Faculty of Biological Sciences, which offers clinical psychology masters and training program as well as produces professional clinical psychologists. In 2012, the Department of Psychology at Jagannath University introduced one-year master’s degrees in psychology in three areas: clinical and counseling psychology; industrial and organizational psychology; and educational and developmental psychology. In 2015, Rajshahi University created a new Clinical Psychology Department inside the Faculty of Life and Earth Science. The Department of Clinical Psychology provides a fouryear BSc Honors degree in Clinical Psychology and a one-year Master’s program in Clinical Psychology. The availability of applied psychologist placement chances in Bangladesh is still limited, indicating that there is a great need for and numerous opportunities to work as a professional psychologist in various fields in Bangladesh.

Transnational Counseling for Mass Trauma

Abstract. The authors examined the experiences of nine American doctoral students completing a clinical psychology practicum in a primary care clinic in Blanchard, Haiti. This training followed natural and human-made disasters that have traumatized Haitians since the 2010 earthquake. The clinical psychology training program partnered with Haitian medical staff and the trainees provided diverse services, incorporating the use of community-based translators: individual counseling; art and play therapy groups for children; psychoeducational classes; and support groups for diabetic, cardiac, and sickle cell disorder patients. In addition, they conducted research on child disaster trauma assessment and engaged in community resilience-building conversations. The trainees wrote daily self-reflections recounting their challenges, cultural and economic differences, successes, expectations, fears, and personal and professional development. Ninety daily reflection notes were coded applying the consensual qualitative research method. A coding team identified domains and their respective categories/themes in relation to two research questions addressing doctoral clinical psychology trainees’ experiences of a practicum in Haiti and their Haitian clients’ mass trauma and responses to counseling interventions. The domains related to experiences of the Haiti practicum were Impact of Practicum Experiences in Haiti on Doctoral Trainees and Use of Translators in Global Mental Health Practice. The domains related to intervention experiences in this international trauma-affected community were Transnational Disaster Counseling, Respect for Human and Civic Rights, and Haitian Client-Specific Practice. The findings have direct implications for training in transnational disaster counseling and accessibility to services.

Interprofessional Leadership Development: Role of Emotional Intelligence and Communication Skills Training.

IntroductionAmong the many skills required for leading interprofessional health care teams, emotional intelligence and communication skills are critical to building professionalism, establishing patient trust, and providing optimal patient care. Nonetheless, these skills are often overlooked in medical training. We implemented a 2.5-hour workshop for interprofessional trainees to self-assess, reflect, and apply their emotional intelligence and communication skills.MethodsParticipants were interprofessional trainees, including internal medicine residents, medical students, and graduate students in clinical pharmacy, physician assistant, and health psychology training programs. The workshop consisted of reflective activities to self-assess emotional intelligence and communication styles; a didactic presentation focused on leadership, emotional intelligence, and communication styles; and a teamwork activity to apply emotional intelligence and communication skills.ResultsForty-four trainees participated in this workshop. After the workshop, trainees reported increased knowledge about positive strategies to communicate with team members, felt more comfortable working with other professionals to encourage positive team dynamics, and were more prepared to encourage leadership in their interprofessional teams. Examination of learner evaluations suggested that residents endorsed higher mean ratings than the other learner groups in knowledge attainment (p = .02) and meeting all learners' needs (p = .01).DiscussionThis workshop enhanced our trainees' self-reported comfort, awareness, and preparedness regarding using emotional intelligence and communication strategies. An interprofessional approach can be beneficial for leadership training in the health professions.

Educating for the Future: a Preliminary Investigation of Doctoral-Level Clinical Psychology Training Program's Implementation of Telehealth Education.

Literature has reinforced the importance of telehealth-focused education to foster provider competence and optimal patient care. As clinical psychology evolves to meet field needs, many have suggested graduate school as an optimal time to offer comprehensive telehealth education. Despite the rapid expansion of telehealth post-COVID-19, the extent of telehealth-specific doctoral-level programming, as well as the foci of available trainings, has remained unclear. To address this gap and inform future work, the current study evaluated doctoral-level clinical psychology training programs throughout the USA. Fourteen doctoral-level training programs completed author-created REDCap-hosted demographic and telehealth training surveys. Pre-COVID-19, three of fourteen programs reported implementing some form of telehealth-focused education, with a majority of the information being viewed as optional targets for instructors. Contrastingly, thirteen programs indicated implementing telehealth-focused education post-COVID-19, with a majority of the information being indicated as mandatory educational targets. Despite increases in educational activities, a large number of programs endorsed a desire for additional telehealth-focused education for students as they transition into future roles. Educational foci, methods of training, and instructor preparation are discussed. While participation was limited, the current study demonstrated positive trends in the development of telehealth-focused education. Nevertheless, there remains an ongoing need for both specialized coursework and a wider range of educational topics. Ultimately, the current study is believed to have provided a preliminary evaluation of the types and foci of telehealth-focused education among doctoral-level clinical psychology training programs.

Service user and carer representatives’ experiences of the personal effects of involvement in clinical psychology training

PurposeExtant literature exploring service user (SU) involvement in clinical psychology training has been limited by its sampling from singular training programmes and its restricted application of psychological theory. This research seeks to counter limitations by exploring SUs’ experiences across multiple clinical psychology training programmes in the UK and by deductively applying psychological theory relating to power, recovery, identity and group development.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 participants. A deductive thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data.FindingsFive main themes were identified: environment determines sense of safety; meeting challenges; sense of purpose, worth and value; the person you see now is not the person I was; and wanting to break the glass ceiling.Research limitations/implicationsCarers are underrepresented and the sample does not contain SUs who were no longer involved in training.Practical implicationsIt is important that the environment fosters psychological safety for SUs, via positive and supportive relationships with trainees and staff, with SUs being treated as equals and financially reimbursed as such. SUs and professionals need to explore managing and sharing power to enable SUs to feel valued and to reap benefits from involvement, including developing a positive sense of identity.Originality/valueThe research is part of the early literature exploring SUs’ experiences of involvement in clinical psychology training and is, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the first to explore the personal effects of involvement across multiple programmes.

Motivation to lead in trainee clinical psychologists: service evaluation of a UK doctorate programme

PurposeThis paper aims to explore whether a United Kingdom (UK) clinical psychology training programme (the programme) was effective in producing graduates who are confident in leadership, within the context of the National Health Service and reflecting the British Psychological Society’s views of leadership.Design/methodology/approachMixed methods design surveys were administered to prospective-, current- and alumni trainee clinical psychologists on the programme, enquiring about their view of leadership, motivation to lead (MtL) and aspects of the course that are helpful and which need further development. Data collected from 92 individuals were analysed using content and thematic analysis (TA).FindingsFrom the TA, three themes were identified concerning the meaning of leadership as follows: professional identity, Improving the quality of services (team; organisations and wider context), professional skills. Overall, participants thought leadership was important to the role of a clinical psychologist, with prospective trainees reporting that the desire to develop as leaders influenced their decision to apply to the programme. Moreover, participants felt confident in leadership skills and that the training programme helped develop their leadership skills, with the alumni participants demonstrating a greater MtL. Placements, group study and specific modules were identified as contributing to the development of their leadership skills, but participants felt more teaching on leadership is needed. Recommendations have been suggested to improve the development of leadership skills on the programme.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was undertaken on a small cohort of trainees based in the UK.Practical implicationsParticipants were motivated to become clinical leaders but this motivation needed to be nurtured and developed particularly through structured placement and teaching experience.Originality/valueThis service evaluation is the only audit of the leadership of the programme and the findings will contribute to the existing body of reviews in this area.

Psychology graduate outcomes: evaluating the quality and impact of clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology training in Australia

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate graduates’ experiences in Australian postgraduate training programs and the registrar program in clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology, and to identify which components of training were most useful in preparing graduates for the workforce. Method: An anonymous online survey was distributed among recent (2013-2018) graduates of clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology training programs. Results: 170 graduates (95 clinical psychology, 75 neuropsychology; 82% female) responded to the survey. Ninety-six percent of respondents were working in a clinical or academic setting that utilised their postgraduate qualifications, though 4% had not yet obtained work in their specific desired role. Neuropsychology graduates were more likely to report a lack of relevant professional development. Both disciplines wanted increased focus on interventions in their training, including a broad range of psychological therapy approaches. Both disciplines consistently rated the practical elements of their training (clinical work on placement, roleplays, case discussions) the most valuable preparation for their current roles. Conclusions: Universities should maximise practical training and assessment methods, and provide comprehensive therapy training for clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists in preparation for the types of roles in which they are likely to be employed. Employers may need to ensure that access to supervisors and professional development is provided through the workplace. Key Points What is already known about this topic: Clinical psychologists and clinical neuropsychologists tend to report learning best through practical forms of learning and observation. It is unclear whether Australian postgraduate psychology training programs are preparing graduates adequately for the modern workplace. The Psychology Board of Australia registrar program has been in place for over 10 years, and not been systematically evaluated in terms of its impact on recent graduates’ capabilities and confidence in transitioning to the workforce. What this topic adds: The vast majority of recent graduates of Australian clinical psychology and clinical neuropsychology programs are employed in roles that utilise their postgraduate qualifications. While the quality of Australian postgraduate programs was rated highly by recent graduates, they wanted greater focus on a broader range of psychological interventions. Psychology registrars should be provided more support to meet their professional development and clinical supervision needs.

Interprofessional Education Activities for Students in Physician Assistant, Clinical Psychology, and Athletic Training Programs Utilizing Aspects of Team-Based and Problem-Based Learning Practices.

Interprofessional education (IPE) allows two or more professionals to learn from one another through partnership to improve patient outcomes. Implementation of IPE varies within health profession programs and universities, requiring programs to develop IPE activities that adhere to specific learning objectives or accreditation standards. These activities were a preliminary investigation on the feasibility of IPE activities at an institution with no substantial IPE infrastructure. Students integrated aspects of team-based learning (TBL), problem-based learning (PBL), and didactic components into diverse simulated patient cases with health profession students to develop skills in interdisciplinary patient-centered care. Lessons learned and future directions are discussed.

Experiences of newly qualified clinical psychologists in CAMHS

Purpose There is a gap in the literature regarding the experiences of newly qualified Clinical Psychologists (NQCPs) working within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the National Health Service (NHS). This paper aims to explore three aspects of newly qualified Clinical Psychologists’ experiences: their transition and development; working in multi-disciplinary teams located in large organisations; and support and coping in the role. Design/methodology/approach Seven participants each engaged in one semi-structured interview, and an interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted. Findings Three super-ordinate themes emerged from the analysis: A big jump, the transition from trainee to NQCP; The support of home comforts, old and new; and Acknowledging and desiring ongoing development. Originality/value Implications and recommendations for both Clinical Psychology training programmes and NHS employers are discussed, to support the development and wellbeing of this staff group, and in turn the clinical population they serve. These include gradually increasing caseloads on training, a staggered workload at the outset of the transition, and CAMHS teams ensuring appropriate supervision for NQCPs.

Workforce challenges in digital health implementation: How are clinical psychology training programmes developing digital competences?

ObjectivesDigital practice in psychological services is a rapidly expanding and innovative area which is supporting continuation of clinical provision during the COVID-19 pandemic. Training the workforce to deliver safe and effective online psychological provision is key to service success and relies on accurate mapping of competences and current training needs. This paper discusses the initial stage for developing the first digital mental health competence framework for applied psychology in the UK. It reports on the digital training currently provided nationally and barriers/facilitators to acquiring these competencies.MethodsEighteen of the thirty UK Clinical Psychology Doctoral training programmes completed a 16-item survey. This mapped current digital health teaching and skills acquisition for trainee Clinical Psychologists throughout their 3-year pre-registration training. Furthermore, potential barriers and facilitators to developing these digital skills for both trainee and qualified Clinical Psychologists were investigated.ResultsThe quantitative analysis highlighted the majority of respondents viewed developing digital mental health competencies with importance, but were not integrating this into teaching or clinical placements activity. The qualitative, inductive content analysis revealed seven key themes influencing the development of digital mental health skills, with the majority of respondents identifying with two themes; the need for practice guidelines (50% of respondents) and opportunities for digital mental health experience.ConclusionsThe findings suggest the need for a greater focus on developing the digital health knowledge, skills, and confidence across trainee and qualified Clinical Psychologists. Strategic analysis indicated the need to develop a framework for digital mental health competences across the curriculum and placement experience. Easily accessible learning packages may support the implementation of training nationally.

From teaching psychology in conqueror South Africa to teaching Africanswa moyain the psychology curriculum: critical reflections and experiences in a Masters Clinical Psychology programme

The democratic transition in conqueror South Africa in 1994 from the colonial and apartheid education system to the current epoch did not transform and address the epistemological and ethical injustices embedded in the psychology curriculum. This is despite the Constitutional provision for the exercise and enjoyment of cultural rights by the multiple ethnic groups existing in the country. Despite the fact that most departments of psychology in conqueror South African are led by Blacks and the staff and students composed mainly of Black African bodies, the philosophies, methodologies, and theories which are taught in the psychology curriculum still reflect the dominance of the conqueror’s epistemological paradigm manifesting in the exclusion of African swa moya (life discerning power of the soul). From the viewpoint of the conquered, the epistemological and ethical justification on which African experiences are excluded from the psychology curriculum are questionable. In order to fully gain legitimacy, relevance, and reflect the multiplicity of the realities of the current student population, and to serve the local communities, psychology in Africa in general and conqueror South Africa in particular must be premised on swa moya curriculum. Swa moya (life discerning power of the soul) is the resolute reaffirmation of African humanness. It also recognises the humanisation of the colonial conqueror and its posterity. In this article, I present the epistemological and ethical basis for an authentic African swa moya, as well as the development and practical implementation of swa moya curriculum in the Master of Science in Clinical Psychology training programme that is currently being taught at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.

COVID-19 pandemic and clinical psychology placements: a provisional psychologist's perspective.

COVID-19 pandemic and clinical psychology placements: a provisional psychologist's perspective.