Realpolitik and the empirically validated treatment debate.

The impact on Canadian professional psychological treatment practices of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) Task Force on the Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures' development of criteria and listings for empirically supported psychological treatments, along with other industrial efforts to standardize the identification of treatments with established efficacy is described in the article by J. Hunsley et al (see record 1999-01869-001). M. C. King comments on the aforementioned article by expanding on the likely impact of these initiatives on practice patterns of psychotherapy in Canada. The outline of directions for practice in Canada is clearer than Hunsley et al claim, so much so that Canadian developments are quite similar to some of the US directions. King claims that it is essential for Canadian psychology to adhere to the proposed policies, and to shape how they will be used to affect funding of and access to psychological treatments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Let us move ahead together: Commentary on "Empirically supported treatments in psychology: Implications for Canadian professional psychology."

The impact on Canadian professional psychological treatment practices of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) Task Force on the Promotion and Dissemination of Psychological Procedures' development of criteria and listings for empirically supported psychological treatments, along with other industrial efforts to standardize the identification of treatments with established efficacy is described in the article by J. Hunsley et al (see record 1999-01869-001). P. A. Pilkonis comments here on these efforts with an eye towards both producing additional information in support of the new practice criteria and establishing grounds for future progress and collaboration, especially in the research arena. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The science and practice of empirically supported treatments.

The impact on Canadian professional psychological treatment practices of the American Psychological Association""s Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) Task Force""s development of criteria and listings for empirically supported psychological treatments, along with other industrial efforts to standardize the identification of treatments with established efficacy is described in the article by J. Hunsley et al (see record 1999-01869-001). Here Hunsley et al extend their previous discussion and reply to other commentaries (see records 1999-01869-002, 1999-01869-003, 1999-01869-004, 1999-01869-005, 1999-01869-006) by viewing the current emphases in the Canadian health care system on accountability and empirically supported treatment (ESTs) as an unparalleled opportunity for professional psychology to deliver on its birthright. The generalizability of US experiences to Canadian contexts is discussed. Clinical practice guidelines should and will become the norm for providing evidence-based services in psychology, yet it would be impossible to develop such a guideline without empirical evidence proving that there are "best" interventions for a given problem. Canadian research issues in this light are discussed along with future challenges to professional psychology in Canada. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Canadian professional psychology and empirically supported treatments": Commentary.

The impact on Canadian professional psychological treatment practices of the American Psychological Association's Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) Task Force's development of criteria and listings for empirically supported psychological treatments, along with other industrial efforts to standardize the identification of treatments with established efficacy is described in the article by J. Hunsley et al (see record 1999-01869-001). D. L. Chambless comments on the importance of having empirically supported treatments (ESTs) because many clients will not have the specific problems for which ESTs have been developed. In such cases, clinicians need to decide whether they are warranted in generalizing from the samples on which an EST is based, or whether they need to devise a novel approach. Also of importance is the therapeutic relationship or working alliance: a focus on ESTs should not be taken to mean that foundational issues such as the alliance can be forgotten. Training therapists should first learn basic therapeutic skills before learning more specialized ESTs. Other comments concern traditional training in Canada and a US trend of rejecting ESTs until more efficacy studies are completed of research-to-treatment generalizability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The commerce of professional psychology and the new ethics code.

The 1992 version of the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct brings some changes in requirements and new specificity to the practice of psychology. The impact of the new code on therapeutic contracts, informed consent to psychological services, advertising, financial aspects of psychological practice, and other topics related to the commerce of professional psychology are discussed. The genesis of many new thrusts in the code is reviewed from the perspective of the psychological service provider. Specific recommendations for improved attention to ethical matters in professional practice are made. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Empirically supported psychological treatments: A natural extension of the scientist–practitioner paradigm.

The impact on Canadian professional psychological treatment practices of the American Psychological Association's Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) Task Force's development of criteria and listings for empirically supported psychological treatments, along with other industrial efforts to standardize the identification of treatments with established efficacy is described in the article by J. Hunsley et al (see record 1999-01869-001). C. M. Morin voices comments on some aspects of the article which may need further thought. The reasons for, and utility of such a movement toward empirically supported treatment (ESTs) is investigated. The defining characteristics of an EST (from the Task Force's perspective) are subject for debate. Why have only 2 categories of ESTs (well established empirical support vs probably efficacious)? The implications of the adoption of EST-based systems will reverberate throughout training, practice, and public health policies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School psychology: A specialty of professional psychology with distinct competencies and complexities.

School psychology at the doctoral level is recognized as a specialty of professional psychology by the American Psychological Association, with corresponding licensure as a psychologist granted by state boards of psychology. School psychology also is regulated by state boards of education; they set the credentialing standards for professional practice in public schools. The intent of this article is to enhance the understanding of this distinct and multiply influenced specialty. The need for psychological services in schools is highlighted, followed by a discussion of multiple influences and licensing/credentialing issues. Next, the specialty is delineated, its distinctiveness highlighted, and competencies for practice in the public schools elaborated. Finally, education/training models and mechanisms for program accreditation are described, as are the major professional organizations in school psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional ethics in rural and northern Canadian psychology.

Although the literature in rural, northern, and remote (R&N) psychology and professional ethics for this setting is limited, it is clear that this area of psychological practice presents a specific context which must be considered for ethical decision-making. Existing literature suggests that overlapping relationships, community pressure, generalist practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional development concerns are aspects of R&N practice that may be more prevalent. When they are, they pose risks by complicating professional practice and the resolution of related ethical issues. This article highlights the ways that demographic and practice characteristics may instigate ethical issues in R&N professional practice. We briefly review these considerations in relation to the literature, professional ethics, the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (Code), and case examples from our own practices. More specifically, we discuss how the Code provides guidance in applying the ethical principles to decision-making in R&N communities. Further, we suggest practical applications for ethical decision-making acumen inherent in the Code. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian psychology comes of age.

What has happened to psychology in Canadian universities in the past few years is indeed startling. It has been caught up in a wave of popularity, or public trust, which has produced disproportionately large increases in enrolments in psychology everywhere. Psychology departments now typically carry the largest or one of the largest undergraduate teaching loads, and most have also developed graduate programs. Since 1960, the number of Canadian graduate departments of psychology has more than doubled. By 1966 and 1967 psychology was, of all the traditional academic disciplines, the third largest producer of Canadian PhD's. The rapid increase in the number of faculty required to teach so many students has made it possible for departments to develop along a number of lines. The developments in the universities are only one small part of the story of Canadian psychology in the 1960's, but they are particularly significant because of the promise they hold for the discipline in the years ahead. During the present decade improvements in the state of psychology in this nation have been in every respect spectacular. Canadian psychology has come of age. The evidence is all around us. The question now before us is, will this discipline move forward with confidence into maturity? Will it accept full responsibility for itself? Will it control its own destiny? I believe that it can and that it will. The future holds out much promise if we shape it to our advantage. Opportunities to determine our fate are being presented to us now if we will only seize them. The Canadian Psychological Association is the organization which can provide the fulcrum for the efforts that are required. Hence, we must make it the strong representative organization it should be. There are many problems to overcome if we are to do this, but nothing is impossible if we keep our real goals in sight. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The governance of psychological practice: Implications of American developments for Canadian psychology.

Describes 5 means of maintaining standards for psychological practice that are currently used in the US: (1) general and criminal law, (2) peer control, (3) federal regulations, (4) state boards of examiners in psychology, and (5) civil malpractice litigation. Their relevance to the Canadian context is discussed, especially with respect to the more restricted role of the Canadian federal government in professional affairs, the lower profile for civil rights, and the lower incidence of civil litigation in Canada. Recommendations made to ensure the exemplary practice of psychology include the increased use of peer control through peer review committees, increased organization of professional practice at the national level, and a closer liaison between professional associations and governing boards at the provincial level. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychopharmacology training in psychology internships: A brief curriculum.

How might basic training in psychopharmacology be integrated into psychology internships? The present article describes a brief psychopharmacology curriculum, developed by a prescribing psychologist and a director of training for an internship program accredited by the American Psychological Association, designed to specifically address training needs of predoctoral interns. The authors maintain that focused training in differential medical diagnosis and psychopharmacology is essential to the professional development of the psychology intern. Implementation by a psychologist with advanced knowledge of psychopharmacology may enhance the intern's integration of this material with psychological principles and facilitate active involvement in primary care and remote settings in future practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethical codes in South African psychology: Contribution of the Canadian code.

Discusses the regulation of professional psychology in South Africa, and the changes that professional psychology associations there have undergone. The author discusses the Psychological Society of South Africa's review of its outdated ethical code and states that the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists is a major model for the development of a new code. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contemporary counseling psychology: Results of a national survey.

Conducted a national survey of counseling psychologists to examine counseling psychology in its current state of development. A 6-page questionnaire, which examined such variables as demographics, professional activities, institutional affiliations, and training satisfaction, was mailed to 980 members of Division 17 (Counseling) of the American Psychological Association (APA). Of these, 716 (73%) usable questionnaires were returned. Counseling psychologists (aged 29–84 yrs) were found (a) to spend the majority of their professional time providing individual psychotherapy, (b) to be primarily eclectic in theoretical orientation, (c) to be increasingly identified with the work setting of private practice, and (d) to be generally satisfied with their graduate and internship training. Additional information about counseling psychologists' professional self-views, research and publication efforts, career satisfaction, and satisfaction with the APA was also obtained. Findings are discussed in relation to the present and future of counseling psychology. (60 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The competency movement within psychology: An historical perspective.

The authors provide a recitation of events in recent years that document an increased focus on competency-based models of education, training, and assessment in professional psychology, particularly clinical, counseling, and school psychology, based on the work of the American Psychological Association's (APA's) Task Force on Assessment of Competence in Professional Psychology. The article begins with the inclusion of competencies as part of the "Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct" (APA, 2002). Next, accreditation practices in the United States and Canada are summarized. Competency-based education, training, and credentialing efforts in professional psychology are reviewed, including graduate, practicum, internship, and postdoctoral levels; licensure; postlicensure certifications; and board certification. General and specialty credentialing efforts both in North America and internationally follow. The Competencies Conference: Education and Credentialing in Professional Psychology and work on developing competencies for the profession are discussed. Then initiatives focused specifically on the assessment of competence are delineated. Implications for continued progress toward a culture of the assessment of competence are discussed in light of the historical origins within the profession of the competency-based movement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical psychology in Britain.

"Clinical psychology in Britain is a postwar development." Clinical psychology in the National Health Service is discussed in a major section of the article. "The past decade has… seen a rapid growth of clinical psychology in Britain from small beginnings. In 1945, 77 members of the British Psychological Society were identified as a group of professional psychologists in the field of mental health. Today some 400 are members of this group. "Psychologists in Britain have been vigorous in shaping their professional status. Training facilities are being extended and efforts made to extend them further. Higher degrees are encouraged. The structure of the psychological service is flexible, and adjustments have been made in response to new demands. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Empirically supported treatments: Too little, too late: A commentary.

The impact on Canadian professional psychological treatment practices of the American Psychological Association's Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) Task Force's development of criteria and listings for empirically supported psychological treatments, along with other industrial efforts to standardize the identification of treatments with established efficacy is described in the article by J. Hunsley et al (see record 1999-01869-001). D. R. Evans proposes that the evidence-based movement is too little, in that considerably more, and much more complex evidence for what professional psychologists do is required. It is too late, in that both in Canada and the US professional psychologists have suffered considerable setbacks in both the economic and popularity domains. There is a broad range of treatment proposals professional psychologists make to their clients daily, which are fraught with a lack of research backing. There is a vicious circle in that unless evidence-based practices become the norm, and, hence, the stuff of media, it is difficult to convince new and even some old practitioners to adopt them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional issues in Canadian counselling psychology: Identity, education, and professional practice.

The past decade has seen significant growth in counselling psychology's professional identity, increased visibility of the specialization within applied psychology, and advances in doctoral training and accreditation by the Canadian Psychological Association. The current article details professional issues associated with the recent evolution of the field, including the establishment of a strong professional identity for the profession, developments and challenges associated with graduate training (e.g., the limited availability of predoctoral internships), and the implications of the dynamic, changing workplace environment for graduates affiliated with counselling psychology. Recommendations are offered for continued development of the specialization in its Canadian context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Professional practice out of the urban context: Defining Canadian rural psychology.

There is an often unacknowledged difference between urban and rural practice in psychology which lacks clarity, in part, because of the lack of a common definition of rurality. Rural psychology in Canada presents complex and nuanced aspects of professional practice. The professional and social milieus of rural communities position the practising psychologist within a context that may differ vastly from urban settings. The rural context highlights the need to define this specific practice setting. This paper proposes a tentative definition of rural Canadian professional practice in psychology. This is meant to elucidate the distinct practice, training, and ethical considerations that may be the realities of the psychologists who are in professional practice in rural Canada. Rural professional practice is unique and Canadian training programs are urban-based. Training of future psychologists needs to acknowledge the unique features of rural practice to meet our obligations to students specifically and to rural Canadians generally. This is enhanced with a shared definition of rural professional practice in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hospital psychology in Canada.

Examined Canadian hospital psychology in terms of the existing organizational models, professional practices, academic activities, and professional orientations of hospital psychologists in a survey of 340 hospitals. Results reveal that psychologists were active clinically and academically in Canadian hospitals in a wide variety of health care areas in addition to traditional mental health areas. In the majority of hospitals, psychologists were organized in independent departments of psychology or behavioral science, although physician influence appeared to be a strong factor in practice. Medical staff membership and academic appointments for hospital psychologists were relatively low. Recommendations for the future development of hospital psychology in Canada are outlined. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)