The past 30 years have seen a tremendous expansion of the roles played by doctoral level professional psychologists. The professional psychology movement has been a significant contributor to this growth of psychologists serving the needs of individuals and society.

In the early 1970's an important development occurred in the education and training of psychologists who later entered the practice of psychology. This was the creation of education and training programs modelled after other schools that trained professionals such as medicine, dentistry and law. This lead to the emergence of the practitioner-scholar model in the training of psychologists. The focus of this model is to build upon a broad base of scientific foundations of psychology a comprehensive and well-rounded course of study that prepares students to provide services and utilize practical skills, such as psychological testing, psychotherapy, consultation and clinical supervision. To distinguish this practitioner-focused model from the more academic and scientific model, professional schools of psychology typically award the Doctor of Psychology or Psy.D.

Individuals earning a Psy.D. can receive their education from programs that have been accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA is recognized throughout the United States and the world as the organization that represents the interests of psychology to the public and professional communities. In addition, persons who receive a Psy.D. are eligible to be licensed as psychologists, to receive reimbursement from governmental and private insurance, and to work in the same types of settings as persons who previously received the more research/science-oriented PhD degree.

Innovations in Education and Training

The National Council of Schools and Programs in Professional Psychology (NCSPP) includes among its members most of the accredited Psy.D. programs in the United States. NCSPP has played a very important role in advancing and improving the education and training provided to graduate students in psychology. NCSPP has been at the forefront in preparing psychologists to deal with issues such as sensitivity to individual and cultural diversity, responding to future needs for psychological services, and developing new skills in areas such as management and advocacy. As a result, the education provided to students in professional schools has been of a high caliber and responsive to the needs for psychological services of an ever-wider number of individuals and groups.

The Increasing Impact of Psychology in the World

The practice of professional psychology is no longer restricted to areas such as working in the schools or assisting individuals with mental disorder and their families. There has been a growing realization that almost every individual and social problem of our times can be improved through the application of psychological theory and research. Today psychologists work in a broad range of settings including hospitals, community health centers, business, prisons, schools, governmental agencies, social service agencies, and churches. Psychologists have become more involved in dealing with urgent social problems such as domestic violence, child abuse, workplace violence, lack of access to health care, and terrorism.

Though there are many challenges facing the world today that seem to defy efforts to address them, psychology offers important solutions to them. Because of this, the opportunities for psychologists to make important contributions to issues of social justice and the adverse impact of oppression are greater than ever. Professional psychology has and will continue to lead the way in making these much needed contributions.

Author:
Frank Gruba-McCallister, Ph.D.
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Adler School of Professional Psychology