A common specialisation in psychology is clinical psychology. The work of a clinical psychologist is directly in the field of mental health with patients. They may perform this task one-on-one with patients or in a group, screening, diagnosing, testing, and treating patients for various kinds of mental disorders.

Clinical psychologists are different from other kinds of psychologists, the difference being that they are specialists in abnormal psychology. Although some clinical psychologists handle various mental behaviours and disorders, others may decide to pay more attention to one particular disease, like schizophrenia, for instance.

An important point to note is that clinical psychologists don’t prescribe drugs often. According to law, only psychiatrists, who are also physicians, can prescribe medication for psychiatric patient., although this is being reviewed in some countries.

Although psychiatrists and psychologists may work in the field of mental health, they also carry out various roles. A clinical psychologist’s goal is to guide and assist their patient in identifying their emotional, psychological, and behavioural problems and help the patient define their goals and action plan in achieving their personal, educational, social, and vocational improvement.

A Brisbane clinical psychologist uses the most advanced and current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) published by the American Psychological Association (APA) to confirm their diagnosis and guide them in their treatment plans.

Therefore, they must pattern their treatment plan to suit each patient, as every person has a specific problem, thus responding to various forms of therapy and treatments. Interestingly, two people having the same problem or ailment may give different responses to particular procedures and recovery plans.

To develop concrete and trustworthy means of measuring the extent of effectiveness and potent power of specific treatments and interventions, and assessment research in clinical psychology is carried out. Thus, a significant aspect of a clinical psychologist’s job includes trial, assessment, and improvement of appropriate and reliable tests.

This assessment can be carried out by chicking medical records, speaking with patients, and doing clinical observations. Also, testing can be carried out through tests for intelligence and accomplishment, vocational analysis, or other trials used to quantify aptitude and level of skills.

By conducting this kind of comprehensive assessment approach on patients, clinical psychologists can decide for the best psychological treatment and the appropriate interventions for a patient. In the city of Brisbane, you can visit a clinical psychologist to offer excellent services.

Specific Skills

Clinical psychologists possess specific skills that they apply in their job, which includes:

  • Assessing standardised psychological test ratings and personality evaluation to become more productive when treating patients
  • Consulting with various behavioural professionals and related experts and organisations about suicide, violence, and severe mental illnesses.
  • Acquire a broad knowledge of mental illnesses and how they can be diagnosed and treated.
  • Understand the vast stretch of mental health conditions and how they can happen at any age.
  • Carry out research and gather data to improve better understanding and awareness of clinical psychology.

What are some sub-specialties for Clinical Psychologists?

Child Psychology

Experts in this field or specialty work with young patients at the stage of childhood and adolescence. They incorporate scientific methods into their health care delivery suited to understand the emotional needs and cognitive functions of their patients. The common issues they handle include learning disabilities, developmental disorders, anger management, and physical and emotional abuse.

Health Psychology

Health psychologists apply a biopsychosocial method into the treatment of their patients. They examine and detect the impact biological and social factors have on psychological health. Their primary focus is on injury, illnesses, harmful behaviour, stress, thoughts of worry, and beliefs.

Neuropsychology

These professionals study psychological behaviour and the effect of the brain and central nervous system anatomy and function on irrational behaviour. The bulk of their work includes detecting and treating conditions like traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease.

Geropsychology

Geropsychology specialists are experts in the aspect of mental well-being and the general health of adults; physical, social, and emotional health. Usually, they treat cognitive dysfunction, depression, and chronic diseases. When handling aged patients with progressive diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, neuropsychologists usually cooperate with geropsychologists to evaluate psychological conditions and know the appropriate treatment method.