Domains of Clinical Psychology

Specialists in clinical psychology focus their careers on working with a particular age group or diagnosis, with a specific population, in a select setting, or with emphasis on a type of therapeutic modality, or stage of intervention. Some combination of these parameters can also be chosen to create unique and valued specialities.

Communication, thought and reasoning processes, expression and experience of emotion, physical responses to stressors, social relations, perception and experience of one’s environment, and even the types of psychopathology manifested differ across the life span. Three specialities that are recognized within the field are clinical child and adolescent psychology, pediatric psychology, and clinical geropsychology.

The focus of the speciality in clinical child and adolescent psychology is on the scientific, training, practice, and professional aspects of furthering knowledge, welfare, and mental health of children, youth, and families. The major problems of clinical child and adolescent psychology include “Parenting and Families”, “Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in School Settings”, “Child and School Related Disorders”, “Child Maltreatment and Violence, and “Child and Adolescent Anxiety”.

Scientists and professionals practicing pediatric psychology focus on health care of children, adolescents, and their families. Pediatric psychologists work to address such issues as coping with chronic illnesses, behavioral change for prevention or maintenance of child or adolescent weight gain/loss, preparation for surgical or medical procedures, psychological development of children who have chronic or acute medical illnesses, traumas, or physical disabilities.

Geropsychology focuses on mental health of older adults and psychological service delivery for them. The psychological care of older adults coinciding with normative or age-expected life events often requires greater attention to medically related problems, medication use and compliance, medication or substance abuse, differential diagnoses (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease versus Depression), neuropsychological phenomena, systemic issues (e.g., nursing and assisted home care, family involvement; insurance), and death and dying issues.

Specialities by Disorder. Many practitioners and researchers specialize their practices by focusing on populations of individuals who have their psychological disorders or intervention needs in common. Some psychologists primarily treat individuals with mood disorders, whereas others predominantly work with patients who have personality disorders. Psychologists may specialize in substance abuse, sexual dysfunctions, developmental disabilities, or neuropsychological disorders.

Clinical Health Psychology. Clinical psychologists whose distinct focus is on physical health problems and the maintenance of physical health specialize in clinical health psychology. This field aims to apply scientific knowledge to the promotion and maintenance of health; the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of illness and disability; and the improvement of health care system. Clinical health psychologists may help with any of the following problems: behavioral and psychological risk factors for disease, illness, or injury; somatic presentations of psychological disorders; and behavioral and psychological aspects of medical procedures such as surgery, chemotherapy, and dental work in need of attention because of the way psychological phenomena are thought to impact physical health, or vice versa.

Clinical Neuropsychology. Clinical neuropsychology focuses on the scientific study of brain-behavior relationships, and the clinical application of that knowledge to human problems. Clinical neuropsychologists emphasize problems of management, retraining, and rehabilitation. Patients who suffer from strokes, degenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease, Huntungton’s chorea), traumatic brain injury, or neurological problems secondary to other medical problems or treatment (e.g., chemotherapy) are typical clients of the clinical neuropsychologist.

Task 9. Study the following words and word combinations. Say what you know about these concepts:

Therapeutic modality – лечебное/терапевтическое воздействие; somatic presentations – соматические проявления; management – ведение, коррекция (заболевания); stroke – апоплексический удар; health promotion – укрепление здоровья; sexual abuse – развратные действия, сексуальное насилие; sexual dysfunction – сексуальное расстройство; developmental disorder – нарушение развития; compliance – комплаентность, соблюдение режима лечения; nursing and assisted home care – уход в домах для престарелых и на дому; child maltreatment – плохое/жестокое обращение с детьми; setting – учреждение (здравоохранения); reasoning – мышление, рассуждение; to further knowledge – способствовать получению знаний; physical disability – физическая недееспособность.

Task 10. Match the English phrases with their Russian equivalents:

1. to recognize	A. черепно-мозговая травма
2. to manifest psychopathology	B. участие семьи
3. welfare	C. специалист-практик
4. anxiety	D. выделять, различать
5. to cope with	E. вмешательство
6. to coincide with	F. тревожность
7. family involvement	G. проявлять признаки психопатологии
8. practitioner	H. справляться с
9. intervention	I. благосостояние
10.traumatic brain injury	J. совпадать с

Key: 1D; 2G; 3I; 4F; 5H; 6J; 7B; 8С; 9E; 10A;

Дата добавления: 2014-11-08