This course will cover the basic concepts of clinical psychology -- the study of diagnosing, treating, and understanding abnormal and maladaptive behaviors. Much of the information in this course is based on the Diagnostic Statistical Manual IV-TR (DSM), which is the industry standard for both clinical psychologists and psychiatrists. Few issues in the field have hard-and-fast answers. As such, rather than providing you with step-by-step directions, this course has been designed to assist you in making educated decisions when diagnosing and treating a mental disease. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Describe the historical context of the emergence of clinical psychology; Demonstrate an awareness of the differences between mental health professionals in the broad field of clinical psychology; Identify the subspecialty areas within clinical psychology (i.e., community psychology, health psychology, and neuropsychology); Define the main tasks of the clinical psychologist and explain how the contributions of this subspecialty fit into or relate to the broader field of psychology; Define the criteria for what is considered 'abnormal' versus 'normal' and explain how these definitions fit into the notion that psychopathology exists on a continuum; Compare/contrast the different types of psychotherapy treatments; Discuss the ethical considerations related to the practice of psychotherapy; List the main diagnostic features of a variety of mental disorders (i.e., mood disorders, schizophrenia, etc.); Identify the potential factors that may contribute to the instigation and persistence of mental illness for individuals across the lifespan (i.e., children, adults, and older adults). (Psychology 205)

Emphasis will be placed upon application of psychological knowledge to daily situations, and upon accessing and assessing information from a variety of sources about behavior. Skills in scientific reasoning and critical thinking will be developed during this course. Areas of psychology to be included are: research methods, neuroscience, human development, perception, consciousness, learning, memory, intelligence, motivation, emotion, personality, psychological disorders, psychotherapy, stress and health, and social psychology.Login: guest_oclPassword: ocl

Psychology is designed to meet scope and sequence requirements for the single-semester introduction to psychology course. The book offers a comprehensive treatment of core concepts, grounded in both classic studies and current and emerging research. The text also includes coverage of the DSM-5 in examinations of psychological disorders. Psychology incorporates discussions that reflect the diversity within the discipline, as well as the diversity of cultures and communities across the globe.Senior Contributing AuthorsRose M. Spielman, Formerly of Quinnipiac UniversityContributing AuthorsKathryn Dumper, Bainbridge State CollegeWilliam Jenkins, Mercer UniversityArlene Lacombe, Saint Joseph's UniversityMarilyn Lovett, Livingstone CollegeMarion Perlmutter, University of Michigan

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Distinguish between psychotherapy and biomedical therapy
Recognize various orientations to psychotherapy
Discuss psychotropic medications and recognize which medications are used to treat specific psychological disorders

Psychotherapy refers to the practices clinical psychologists use to treat mental disorders. While 'therapy' can denote any intervention undertaken with the goal of healing someone (including medicinal treatments for physical problems), psychotherapy is specific in that it uses certain cognitive, behavioral, and emotional regulation techniques. Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to: Define psychotherapy and describe the historical development of its practice; Identify the qualities most useful in a psychotherapist; Discuss the different ways in which psychotherapy affects both patient/client and counselor/therapist; Describe how each theory/therapy conceptualizes a) human nature, b) psychopathology, and c) the therapeutic change process; Identify the major therapeutic techniques used to promote change in each type of therapy; Compare and contrast individual theories/therapies with family theories/therapies; Describe a) the important historical figures associated with each theory and b) the historical context in which the theory emerged.