Examination of Clinical Psychology

Examination of Clinical Psychology

Michele Sterns

PSY/480

April 30, 2012

Christa Banton

Examination of Clinical Psychology

Psychology itself has been around in one form or another for centuries. Psychology has evolved by leaps and bounds over the last couple hundred of years. Currently there are a number of different fields that can be major in and a number of different jobs a person can choose to apply this trade within. First it is necessary to briefly explain the history and evolving nature of psychology, then the roles of research and statistics will be discussed, and finally the different types of mental health professionals that are involved in psychology today will be discussed.

History and Evolving Nature

Mental illness and “treatments” for such are recorded as far back as 2500-500 B.C. At that time, the supernatural, magic, herbs, and reason was the approach to mental and physical illness. The Greeks used a holistic approach to illness with attention paid to the biological, psychological, and social influences. During the Middle Ages, the supernatural was once again believed to influence health and illness. Scientific thinking was used to help explain health and illness as well as the movements of the stars, moon, and sun influencing behavior. Humane moral therapy in France was developed from 1745-1826. Beginning in 1802 Dorthea Dix advocated for the humane treatment of the mentally ill in America. In 1848, New Jersey built the first hospital for the mentally ill.

Psychology was founded as a field after the works of Theodor Fechner and Wilhelm Wundt were published. In 1879 the first psychology lab was developed by Wundt at the University of Lepzig, Germany. The APA , American Psychological Association, was founded in 1892 with the birth of clinical psychology in 1896 following. Lightner Witmer was the first psychologist to help an individual through his understanding of the principals of human behavior. In 1896, he described how he...