Clinical Psychology Tasks and Areas of Focus

Clinical Psychologists (CPs) - Major Tasks

• Provide psychological assessments and interventions for clients of all ages.
• Offer direct services, including intellectual and personality assessments, neuropsychological evaluations, psychopathology assessments, and forensic psychological examinations. Services are provided individually, in couples, groups, families, and communities.
• Consult with other professionals on mental health issues.
• Conduct research and provide training.
• Provide mass psychological support and psychoeducational activities following disasters or critical incidents (e.g., suicides).

Clinical Psychologists (CPs) - Target Areas

• Difficulties and life changes (e.g., identity crises, relationship breakdowns, family problems, parenting issues, work stress, illness, and bereavement).
• Chronic illnesses and physical disabilities (e.g., asthma, heart disease, hypertension, renal failure, diabetes, chronic pain).
• Delinquent behavior, drug/alcohol abuse, child abuse/domestic violence, and pathological gambling/gaming.
• Subclinical psychological problems (e.g., chronic sleep disturbances, anxiety, phobias, depression, eating disorders).
• Psychiatric disorders.

What is Ethics? - Deontology Approach

• A normative ethical position judging the morality of an action based on rules and duties.
• Ethics based on a duty, obligation, or rule; focuses on a narrow set of moral values.
• Ignores exceptions, outcomes, mitigating circumstances, or subjective judgment; the action itself is prioritized over consequences.
• Dichotomous in nature (right or wrong).

What is Ethics? - When Rules Conflict

• Example: A marital therapist witnesses a husband's abusive behavior towards his wife. The wife flees, and the husband later contacts the therapist concerned about her whereabouts. This creates a conflict between maintaining confidentiality and ensuring the wife's safety.

What is Ethics? - Teleology Approach

• The study of the ends or purposes of things.
• Focuses on results or endpoints.
• Rules are based on avoiding negative consequences of prohibited activities.

Educational Psychologists (EPs) - Major Tasks

• Psycho-educational assessment and diagnosis of students’ psychological state, learning situation, and developmental needs.
• Counseling services for children and adolescents with learning, emotional, or behavioral difficulties.
• Consultation services for parents, teachers, schools, and other professionals to assist children and adolescents.
• Design of educational programs or procedures for children and adolescents with special educational needs.
• Development and implementation of remedial, preventative, or developmental programs using a whole-school approach.
• Promotion of quality learning and teaching to cater to individual student differences.
• Development and implementation of professional development programs for educators.
• Assistance to schools in crisis management, including developing preventive measures and implementing treatment.
• Conducting research on educational psychology.
• Analysis of organizational needs in schools and provision of consultation. Focus on applying principles of individual, group, and organizational behavior to solve workplace problems.

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists - Major Tasks

• Organizational consultancy and development.
• Organizational research and surveys.
• Organizational decision-making.
• Policy and strategy development.
• Organizational and job design.
• Personnel selection and psychometric testing.
• Performance appraisal.
• Leadership and team development.
• Change management.

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists - Target Areas

• Staff training and development.
• Quality improvement.
• Program evaluation.
• Work motivation and satisfaction.
• Career counseling.
• Conflict management.
• Work stress.
• Consumer and marketing research.
• Human factors/ergonomics.
• Occupational health and safety.

Counseling Psychologists - Professional Standards

• Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's or Doctoral degree in counseling psychology or a related field from a recognized university.
• At least 1000 hours of supervised practicum.
• Regular supervision, consultation, and reflective practice.
• Training includes research and supervised therapeutic practice. Training covers assessment and diagnosis of mental health functioning, formulating interventions tailored to client needs, and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.

Researchers/Academics - Major Tasks

• Teaching in tertiary education.
• Conducting research.

Researchers/Academics - Requirements

• Usually a Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Philosophy, primarily focused on research (4-6 years to complete).

Researchers/Academics - Purposes of Research

• Understanding human beings (e.g., why some people are anxious).
• Solving real-life problems (e.g., how to reduce anxiety).

Researchers/Academics - The Ph.D. Process

• Research on a specific area under the supervision of a mentor.
• Extensive literature review to become an expert in the field.
• Planning, conducting, analyzing, and writing up research for publication in international journals.
• Primarily independent work.