Leola Neal

Personal Life

Leola Neal was a Canadian psychologist born in Merlin, Ontario in 1911. Her family valued education and moved to London, Ontario, so that Neal could attend college at the University of Western Ontario. Leola Neal died in 1995 at the age of 84 years.

Academic Life

While at the University of Western Ontario, Neal was an exceptional student. Illness forced her to move from the honors program to the general program in the college. Her academic excellence caught the eye of Dr. Doug Wilson, who gave her the chance to do graduate work. she was one of three students to receive Master of Arts from the school in 1935, she went on to teach introductory psychology, experimental psychology, statistics and various other courses at the university after her graduation. As a psychologist, Leola Neal conducted studies focusing on schizophrenia, mental illness, psychological testing, and conducting clinical and educational studies. Later on, around the time World War II broke out, she received both a Reuben Wells Leonard Scholarship, the Northway Fellowship and attended the University of Toronto. Her success in academics lead to her being appointed the Dean of Women at the University of Western Ontario and the first female president of the Ontario Psychological Association, being only the second woman to serve on the board of the Canadian Psychological Association.

Psychological Studies

Canadian Psychologist Leola Neal. Original image found on: http://www.feministvoices.com/leola-neal/.

In 1947, Leola Neal worked on a study called The First Course in Psychology in Canadian Universities that investigated what could be done to improve the teaching of psychology courses in Canadian universities. The First Course in Psychology in Canadian Universities was conducted in response to a movement to expand the field of psychology and produce much more knowledgeable psychology students following the end of World War II. The study was conducted by sending questionnaires to non-Roman Catholic colleges and universities (group a) and Roman Catholic colleges and universities (group b), where it was measured how many introductory courses were offered, how many classroom demonstrations were conducted, in addition to other course activities. As a result, it was discovered that there was a minimal amount of course activities provided in many colleges and universities. After questioning many groups of individuals it was preferred that college and university institutions provided such course activities as they were deemed beneficial and essential to positive student development. This study by Neal is one of the many that demonstrates how she contributed to the world of psychology as a mentor and psychologist.

Leola Neal's study The Psychologist as a Counselor investigates the benefits of having a psychologist as a counselor. In this study, she communicates that there is a need to set a clear definition of the word 'counselor.' Investigations done as a procedure of this study revealed that many individuals who identify themselves as psychologists in the A.P.A (American Psychological Association) have degrees and a professional background which separates them from the people who have claimed to be licensed counselors despite the little to no training they’ve received. Neal then clarifies that counseling is thought of as a form of mental therapy and that it has three forms: vocational, personal, and educational. There are times when these fields overlap, and clients are confused about which type of counseling psychologist they should pursue. This also applies to the counselor, who must determine whether or not he/she can effectively deal with the issues of the client. Thanks to research conducted by Leola Neal, the requirements of a counselor have been effectively identified. The research also helped individuals understand that if customers do not receive a properly-trained individual in the field of counseling, severe psychological damage could be inflicted.

References

• Gul, P. & Young J. L. (2011). Profile of Leola Neal. In A. Rutherford (Ed.), Psychology's Feminist Voices Multimedia Internet Archive. Retrieved from http://www.feministvoices.com/leola-neal/
• Liddy, R. B., & Neal, L. E. (1947). The first course in psychology in Canadian universities. Canadian Journal Of Psychology/Revue Canadienne De Psychologie, 1(2), 61–66. doi:10.1037/h0084026
• Neal, Neal, L. E. (1952). The psychologist as the counselor. The Canadian Psychologist, 2(2), 17–19. doi:10.1037/h0083813