Week Four - Clinical Psychology (Adult)

Question 1

What do clinical psychologists do?

Answer 1

• Assessment, diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and mental illness
• Design and implementation of a wide range of prevention and mental health promotion programs
• Deliver a range of (non-drug) techniques and therapies with demonstrated effectiveness in treating mental health disorders
• Apply psychological theory and scientific research to solve complex clinical problems requiring individually tailored interventions

Question 2

Under medicare, who can refer a patient to a psychologist?

Answer 2

GP, psychiatrist, paediatrician, self-referral over telephone

Question 3

What is DBT?

Answer 3

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

• developed as a therapy for clients with Borderline Personality Disorder
• largely involves teaching clients to accept who they are but to be willing to change some aspects of their personality
• a key component is teaching ‘mindfulness’ skills

Question 4

What is the Psychology Board of Australia guidelines for being a clinical psychologist?

Answer 4

A specialist in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and mental illness

Question 5

What are the PBA core competencies of Clinical Psychologists?

Answer 5

Knowledge of the discipline (DSM-V); Ethical, legal and professional matters (Code of Ethics); Psychological assessment and measurement (Theory, research); Intervention strategies (Delivery of evidence-based therapies); Research and evaluation; Communication and Interpersonal Relationships; Working within a cross cultural context; Practice across the lifespan

Question 6

How do I maintain registration as a Clinical Psychologist according to AHPRA?

Answer 6

Minimum of 30 hours per year, with majority of CPD in area of endorsement. Includes minimum 10 hours of peer consultation, with reflection on own practice; log books, journals, receipts, etc.

Question 7

What type of therapy does a Clinical Psychologist practice? Give an example.

Answer 7

Empirically supported; demonstrated effectiveness for specific mental health disorders, use with specific client population. E.g. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Question 8

What is CBT?

Answer 8

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy; behaviours and thoughts linked - resolve emotional difficulty by changing one’s beliefs about their experience. Examples include exposure therapy.

Question 9

What does DBT involve?

Answer 9

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy; acceptance enables change. Involves using emotional regulation, interpersonal skills, distress tolerance, mindfulness skills

Question 10

After giving a talk on time-out interventions to teachers at a public school, a psychologist found out that, several weeks later, had interpreted his talk as a license to lock up misbehaving kids in a dark closet. What happened here/

Answer 10

Barriers and Actions for Change.