Clinical Psychology

Clinical psychologists can help work with children, adolescents, and adults across the lifespan. The interventions of clinical psychology could be disseminated in an individual setting, with couples, families and even in groups. The scope of clinical psychology is not restricted to populations from any ethnic, cultural, or socioeconomic backgrounds. Clinical psychologists use scientific principles and evidence-based practices to deliver care in various settings, including hospitals, private practices, schools, and community centers.

• Screening, Assessment, Diagnosis and Monitoring Progress: Clinical psychologists are trained to assess a wide range of psychological issues, which is often the first step in understanding an individual's mental health, using interviewing, behavioural assessment, administration and interpretation of psychological test measures. The primary goal of assessment is to gather comprehensive information to guide treatment planning. Standardized measures can assess cognitive, emotional, and behavioural functioning. These tests may include paper-pencil questionnaires, self-report or clinician-rated measures, performance tests, and projective techniques.
• Individual Psychotherapy: Various psychotherapeutic approaches are aimed at the treatment and management of mental illnesses, helping individuals cope with mental health challenges and improving their emotional well-being.
• Couples and Family Therapy: Family therapy focuses on improving communication and resolving conflicts within families. Couples therapy helps partners resolve interpersonal conflicts, improve communication, and strengthen their relationship.
• Group Therapy: Commonly used for small groups of individuals with homogenous concerns like substance use, social anxiety, or grief and loss, where the therapist facilitates therapeutic group dynamics to foster a sense of community and reduce feelings of isolation.
• Cognitive Retraining and Neuropsychological Rehabilitation: Helping individuals regain their cognitive, emotional, and behavioural functioning after experiences of traumatic brain injuries or neurological disorders, including exercises of cognitive stimulation and retraining, adaptive coping strategies, and family education.
• Mental Health Advocacy: As a mental health professional, clinical psychologists can play a significant role in various settings, providing expertise on mental health issues and helping to shape mental health policies and programs.