The Practice of Clinical Psychology
University of Phoenix Material The Practice of Clinical Psychology Worksheet Answer the following questions. Your response to each question must be at least 150 words in length. 1. What are at least two legal issues associated with clinical psychology? Provide an example of a situation that could be legal but unethical. Explain your response. Confidentiality is one issue associated with clinical psychology. It intersects the legal and ethical jurisdictions in the realm of psychotherapy. These issues are in conflict when legal requirements contradict the APA’s Ethics Code (Plante, 2011).
Confidentiality agreement exceptions between patient and therapist include danger that is immediate (suicide, homicide, or any type of abuse). When the Code of Ethics and the law cross the Code of Ethics should always be followed and any discrepancies should be explained to a court of law (Plante, 2011). There are, however, exceptions to the confidentiality rule: in specific situations, a patient may opt out of confidentiality. This may be when a patient wants to involve their spouse, child, or even a friend in their therapy (Plante, 2011).
Clinical psychologists must be careful by documenting exceptions in writing, to maintain integrity because of concerns with confidentiality. Forensic activities are another area where legal issues may affect a psychologist. It is important when psychologists are giving expert testimony that they make sure the assessment tools they choose to use were developed specifically for the purpose the psychologist is using it (Plante, 2011). This is an ethical issue with legal implications rather than a legal issue. 2. What are at least two ethical issues associated with clinical psychology?
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Provide an example of a situation that could be ethical but illegal. Explain your response. A major point of concern in any ethical discussion in psychology is competence. Appropriate training and instruction that concerns changes in a psychologist’s specialized field must be kept up to date (Plante, 2011). According to Plante (2011) 50% of the material learned during a psychologists graduate work becomes obsolete 10 to 12 years after they graduate. This means that clinical psychologists have to relearn half of their specialized field every ten years or so.
Psychologists must practice in the field in which they have been trained. It is important that clinical psychologists are not being misleading or deceptive in advertising or public statements (Plante, 2011). A psychologist must never overstate their points of views or their qualifications. Psychologists must correct any misleading statements that have been made by another person on the psychologists behalf. This causes the psychologists to be very clear about their points of view and not overstate their credentials (Plante, 2011). 3. Define professional boundaries, boundary crossings, and boundary violations.
What effects do boundaries have on the therapeutic relationship? Dual relationships are at the heart of most professional boundary violations in the U. S. (Plante, 2011). A dual relationship is when the patient and psychologist develop a relationship outside the professional one. This could be as simple as the psychologist and patient going out for coffee or as extreme as the psychologist and patient engaging in a sexual relationship. Of course psychologists are disciplined when the violations happen, but are encouraged to avoid conflicts of interest and dual relationships with patients (Plante, 2011).
Boundary crossings and violations happen when the psychologist engages in an extra psychotherapeutic relationship with the patient. There is a counter argument in this area and that is the psychotherapy must sometimes occur in the patients natural environment. This happens if the patient is severely disabled. To maintain a relationship that is professional and boundaries that are professional the relationship must be kept in a setting that is professional and in situations that is professional.
There are some situations though that are unavoidable such as a psychologist who has a small town practice and knows everyone in town (Plante, 2011). 4. What are at least two cultural limitations associated with assessment and treatment? In your response, discuss the use or misuse of assessment instruments, therapy techniques, research results, or any other facet of clinical practice that could have potentially harmful, culture-specific implications. There are some behavioral problems that are culturally specific and require treatment approaches that are culturally specific (Plante, 2011).
For example during the Victorian Era, conversion disorders were popular but are not today. I t is telling hta most psychological studies that have been conducted in the last 50 years have been on the Caucasian race from the upper and middle classes (Plante, 2011). This would mean that the results of these tests to minorities is questionable. Culturally specific treatment options are being looked at by psychologists, as legitimate alternatives to traditional individual 50 minute insight oriented psychotherapy.
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