ABSTRACT
Lightner Witmer, founder of the first psychological clinic at the University of Pennsylvania, is associated with the birth of clinical psychology. The date, 1896, is undisputed and it is agreed that Witmer deserves to be named as the founder (Garfield 1974). Without questioning this fact, this chapter investigates why the birth of clinical psychology was made possible. This journey in time is important, not only because it might help us to better understand the way clinical psychology has developed, but also to understand where it is now. My purpose, however, is not to relate the history of clinical psychology, but rather to examine some of the conceptual changes that have taken place in the field, especially since the end of the First World War and up to the present time. Before doing so, I would like to examine briefly the roots of these changes.
