ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the history of the professionalization of clinical psychology. It briefly reviews some the circumstances and motives that contributed to the development and growth of the professionalization of psychology, including the desire to demonstrate that psychology was a serious and useful science, and the contextual circumstances that facilitated its rapid development and public acceptance. The chapter discusses an area of psychology that illustrates the potential reach of applied psychology for clinical and other psychologists, forensic psychology. It briefly describes the most common training model of doctoral clinical programs and a bit of speculation about what may shape the future of applied clinical practices. The chapter also describes the rise and demise of the Asylum Movement in America. It explains how managed care impacts clinical psychologists independent practice. Clinical psychologists’ most distinguishing activity is that of testing and assessment, which includes intellectual ability, personality traits, and psychopathology.
