Clinical psychology in australia: A survey of activities and aspirations

Abstract

A questionnaire concerned with current professional activities and future aspirations was sent to members of the Division of Clinical Psychologists of the Australian Psychological Society. Replies from 108 clinical psychologists were examined to allow comment on the present status of clinical psychology in Australia. Two resulte were prominent: firstly a number of deficiencies in clinical training emerged and, secondly, notwithstanding this, Australian clinical psychologists were largely satisfied with their choice of career. Comparative data from a study of American clinical psychologists revealed an interesting consistency in responses.

Professional activities and theoretical orientations of Australian clinical psychologists

“…However, when individual categories were examined, private practice and university appointments headed the list. Individual psychotherapy was by far and away at the top of the list, though the order of activities was very similar to that found in the initial survey (Byrne, 1982). Respondents reported their range of clinical activities by nominating the percent of time in an average week spent on a broad range of possible activities, and the distribution of these may be seen in Table 6.…”

“…This instrument, inter alia, repeated questioning used in the initial survey of Australian clinical psychologists (Byrne, 1982(Byrne, , 1983 and an earlier survey of American clinical psychologists (Garfield & Kurtz, 1976), though it was added to in order to expand information regarding professional orientations and practice. This instrument, inter alia, repeated questioning used in the initial survey of Australian clinical psychologists (Byrne, 1982(Byrne, , 1983 and an earlier survey of American clinical psychologists (Garfield & Kurtz, 1976), though it was added to in order to expand information regarding professional orientations and practice.…”

“…Clinical psychology is now expanding its scope beyond its traditional ties with psychiatry to a broad concern with the provision of health care (Byrne & Caddy, 1989), it is reevaluating its programmes of academic training to incorporate specialist qualifications (Martin, 1989) and it is extending beyond the public sphere to the private one for the employment of its practitioners (Byrne, 1982). Clinical psychology is now expanding its scope beyond its traditional ties with psychiatry to a broad concern with the provision of health care (Byrne & Caddy, 1989), it is reevaluating its programmes of academic training to incorporate specialist qualifications (Martin, 1989) and it is extending beyond the public sphere to the private one for the employment of its practitioners (Byrne, 1982).…”

A survey of the current and future directions of professional psychology in Acute general hospitals in australia

“…Australian psychologists often express dissatisfaction with the adequacy of training to perform many functions (Byrne, 1982;Thomas and Wearing, 1986) and yet there is a widening of the demands made on them (Byrne, 1980;Over, 198 I, 1953). Australian psychologists often express dissatisfaction with the adequacy of training to perform many functions (Byrne, 1982;Thomas and Wearing, 1986) and yet there is a widening of the demands made on them (Byrne, 1980;Over, 198 I, 1953).…”

Professional training of child psychologists

“…Some relevant data has been collected by Byrne (1982) with respect to the training of clinical psychologists. Byrne surveyed all the members of the then Clinical Division of the Australian Psychological Society, and amongst other things asked about the highest degree that they had obtained.…”