Doctor of Psychology
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The Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree is a professional doctorate which is earned through one of two established training models for Clinical Psychology. In the United States, the other doctorate-level degree in Clinical Psychology is the Ph.D.. An individual who earns a Psy.D. or Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from an accredited program is eligible to be licensed to diagnose and treat any number of mental disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV, TR (DSM-IV, TR), though in most states this excludes the use of pharmaceutical interventions. An Ed.D. (Doctor of Education) is sometimes also recognized as a clinical degree, often with a limited scope, focusing on counseling or developmental psychology.
The practitioner-scholar model and the associated Psy.D. degree were recognized by the Vail Conference on models of training in clinical psychology.[1] At this conference, it was argued that the field of psychology had grown to a degree warranting training persons explicitly in the clinical practice of psychology. While both the Ph.D. and Psy.D. models of training include basic science and a practical skills component, there are clear differences in relative emphases on the role of research versus clinical activity, with Ph.D. programs emphasizing research and Psy.D. programs putting greater emphasis on clinical applications and interventions. Graduates of both training models are eligible for licensure in all states (licensing exams and renewal requirements are the same for both degrees).
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[edit] Definition
The Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) is an American degree (abbreviated as a "D.Psych." degree in certain countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia) that puts primary emphasis on training for practice as a clinical, counseling, or school psychologist. The Psy.D. degree is an applied clinical doctorate on the same level as (in alphabetical order) D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine). D.D.S. (Doctor of Dental Surgery), D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy), D.P.M. (Doctor of Podiatric Medicine), D.V.M. (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), Au.D. (Doctor of Audiology), M.D. (Doctor of Medicine), O.D. (Doctor of Optometry) and other applied or specialty doctoral degrees. Unlike many other professional doctoral degrees, completion of the Psy.D. requires submission of a (usually quantitative) doctoral dissertation. The Psy.D. dissertation is similar to the dissertation required in a psychology Ph.D. program, however the Psy.D. dissertation almost always focuses on clinical/applied topics, wheareas the Ph.D. dissertation tends to put a heavier focus on original research.
Psy.D. coursework and practica are designed to produce a professional who is a practitioner first, and a scientist second. A solid understanding of scientific method and behavioral science is required of both Psy.D.'s and Ph.D.'s alike, however Psy.D. programs focus particularly on applying this knowledge to direct clinical intervention in the diagnosis and treatment of various mental illnesses, brain injuries, and other clinical impairments in which psychological approaches can be of use.
[edit] Background
In 1973, the American Psychological Association at its 'Conference on Levels and Patterns of Professional Training in Psychology' (The Vail Conference), endorsed the Doctor of Psychology degree (Psy.D.), indicating support for applied training that would be responsive to the healthcare industry's demand for an expanded role and presence of psychologists able to function in a variety of practitioner roles. Ph.D. programs, usually quite small, were not producing enough professional psychologists to satisfy the needs of the growing field of mental health care.
Before this period, professional training for psychologists followed "The Boulder Model" (est. 1948) in which a psychologist earned a Ph.D. for competence both as a scientist and as a professional. The Boulder Model's ability to prepare its graduates for academic and research positions was unquestioned for years by the psychology establishment, by and large, but there was a growing interest in a degree that was self-identifying, as well as growing evidence that Ph.D. graduates in clinical psychology nearly always chose to be practitioners. The Vail Conference recognized that opportunities for psychological practice were now both diverse and complex and required training that focused on applications of psychology toward practice. It was decided that it was high time to develop applied programs that would award an applied doctorate, the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree. The Ph.D. and the Psy.D. would now stand together as two different degree-designations for professional psychologists and allow prospective doctoral students many more choices in training programs.
Each degree has its criticisms. The Ph.D. in professional psychology is criticized for taking too long to complete (typically 6–7 years). The length of the program, which may be twice as long as medical school, makes it extremely difficult to complete. Some even suggest that the high GRE score requirements and rigorous structure of the program is biased against minority candidates. Still others argue that the research emphasis in Ph.D. programs does not adequately prepare such candidates for actual practice.
The Psy.D. has been criticized by some for taking too many students. As demand for qualified psychologists grows however, the academic demands placed upon students are growing (see "Accreditation" below), gradually forcing programs to become more selective with regard to who can be admitted. In addition, Psy.D. programs typically require students to pay to attend just as medical, dental, and other professional schools would, while Ph.D. programs typically provide an assistantship package, a feature common among other academic and research oriented programs.
Ph.D.'s, with their heavier training emphasis on research, are often considered more likely candidates for academic positions in teaching and research institutions, whereas Psy.D.'s have gained favor in many clinical settings. Essentially however, a doctoral-level psychologist is licensed and qualified to perform the same functions whether she or he has a Psy.D. or a Ph.D.
[edit] Accreditation
The American Psychological Association (APA) accredits some Psy.D. and Ph.D. programs. It is important to note that some schools issuing a doctorate in psychology are not "APA-accredited." Programs that are APA-accredited are in fact much more difficult to be accepted into because of the extremely stringent criteria (very high GRE scores, near-perfect undergraduate GPA, to name only two). Some speculate that one reason for the variance in skills among psychologists is that not every practitioner has attended an APA-accredited program. This is gradually becoming less true however, as more states, local jurisdictions, and managed care organizations have required psychologists to obtain Psy.D. or Ph.D. degrees from academically rigorous APA-Accredited programs in order to be licensed or otherwise credentialed to provide services and use the title "psychologist."
After obtaining a Psy.D. or Ph.D. in psychology, another year of post-doctoral clinical work (similar to medical residency) must be completed in most states in order to sit for state and national boards to obtain licensure as a psychologist. Some states require two years of work, while a few have removed the requirement all together. Some argue that the post-doctoral year, which was originally instituted to provide much needed clinical experience to psychologists from research-heavy clinical programs, is becoming obsolete given the vast amount of experience afforded to students in most accredited doctoral psychology programs today. It is necessary to have a doctorate and a license in order to refer to oneself as a "psychologist." There are exceptions, however. Master's-level school psychologists can still use the title in some states. This has led to a lot of confusion among consumers. Consumers can easily discern psychologists from non-psychologists by verifying the name of a practitioner with their state Board of Psychology.
[edit] Curriculum
Upon graduation, students are expected to understand psychology at a psychological-service-provider level, use their clinical skills as practitioners, use scientific findings for clinical practice, and conduct independent research.
One benefit of the Psy.D. is that by having a separately distinguishing degree, e.g., Doctor of Psychology, psychologists have a direct designation as psychologists. While the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) was once considered fully adequate for psychologists seeking an applied orientation, it was felt that a self-identifying degree would contribute to the non-psychologist's perception of psychology as a clinical science rather than a primarily educational, social, or behavioral science discipline.
This type of clear designation is general and typical practice for applied degrees (e.g., Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Optometry, Doctor of Chiropractic). Arguments against a specialty degree include complaints about its applied nature, which some persons (primarily Ph.D.-trained psychologists) feel places it "below" research-emphasizing degrees such as the Ph.D. But such an argument holds little water; medical degrees such as the M.D. and D.O. for instance, are in fact specialized, practice-oriented, scientist/ professional degrees that have long since proven themselves indispensable to humankind.
As is the case in other fields of professional practice (medicine, optometry, etc.) psychologists have diverse theoretical orientations. About 30 percent subscribe to various psychodynamic theories (e.g., psychoanalytic, Adlerian). Another 30 percent[citation needed] prefer various cognitive-behavioral orientations (e.g., CBT, DBT, IPT). About 20 percent[citation needed] adhere to a social systems/family systems orientation. The remaining 20 percent[citation needed] favor an array of theories, including behavioral, existential, and humanistic.
Historically, psychology was often housed in schools of education. After being widely recognized as a science (behavioral), especially in recent years as it has increased its emphasis on the the study of evidence-based practices, it has migrated from the confines of such schools. With the broadening of health care concerns to include matters of perception, attitude, and behavior, professional psychology has increasingly been incorporated into the medical realm of health professionals. For example, clinical psychologists are often trained in psychoeducation and cognitive-behavioral restructuring which can assist noncompliant patients adhere to their treatment regimens (taking medications, etc.) Likewise, clinical neuropsychologists use numerous assessment techniques to determine the impact of various brain illnesses and injuries on a patient's behavior. These specializations within the field of professional psychology are based firmly in a blend of biology, physiology and behavioral science, and while they are far removed from the stereotypical "couch therapy" portrayed in the media, they have proven themselves to be of great value in the provision of health care across many settings.
The Doctor of Psychology, or Psy.D., is the practice-oriented half of the two doctoral degrees at the very top of the ever growing field of psychology. Trained as clinicians and leaders in the field, Psy.D.'s provide informed, collaborative care at the highest standards.
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