The Competency Benchmarks document outlines core foundational and functional competencies in professional psychology across three levels of professional development: readiness for practicum, readiness for internship, and readiness for entry to practice. Within each level, the document lists the essential components that comprise the core competencies and behavioral indicators that provide operational descriptions of the essential elements. This document builds on previous initiatives within professional psychology related to defining and assessing competence. It is intended as a resource for those charged with training and assessing for competence.

Accurate empathy, long argued to be important in psychotherapy, now is an object of social-cognitive research. Graduate-level psychology students viewed brief portions of a therapy session and inferred the thoughts and feelings of the client. Accuracy scores were the rated similarity of their inferences to the client's reported thoughts and feelings. Throughout the semester course in interviewing, experimental participants practiced such judgments with feedback, while controls did not. Both groups' accuracy increased from pre-to post-test on inferred feelings, in part because the post-test was easier. Nonetheless, experimental participants on the post-test had greater accuracy of inferred feelings than controls. Women were more accurate than men in inferences for thoughts at post-test. Implications for training and future research are discussed.Empathy is a factor common to most theoretical orientations in clinical/counseling psychology as a means of increasing practitioners' effectiveness (Truax & Carkhuff, 1967). Empathy usually is conceptualized as a skill that can be developed and learned if properly instructed. The

One hundred and twenty-two adult outpatients, 81 women and 41 men, in a community mental health center responded to a survey of history of sexual assault and abuse. Overall, 48% reported they had been sexually assaulted or abused, 59% of women and 24% of men. Forty-two percent of women and 17% of men reported they had been raped, 27% of women and 7% of men reported attempted rape, and 31% of women and 10% of men reported molestation. Characteristics of assaults and assailants were examined. Implications for training clinicians in the treatment of victims of sexual assault and abuse are discussed.

The concern in professional psychology about the growing disparity between the numbers of available internship positions and applicants prompts reevaluation of the contributing factors and potential solutions. The problem is more than the "supply and demand" metaphor implies and involves issues of funding, a disconnect between internship and doctoral programs, and need for innovation in training. Solutions include creation of internship positions, advocacy, and a national conference for changing the infrastructures of training, reimbursement and credentialing in psychology and in other systemic forces. Changes requiring a paradigm shift in psychology training are envisioned in order to address systemic problems.

Integrating health care into primary and specialty physician practices and clinics has potential benefits for women; racial/ethnic minorities; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered populations, thus making a major contribution to the health disparities in America. Mounting evidence suggests that physical illnesses are accompanied and exacerbated by emotional, social, and cultural factors. Many of the chronic diseases, cardiovascular disease, HIV-AIDS, diabetes, and some cancers can be prevented and altered by behavioral changes and are thus considered behavioral diseases. In addition, nonadherence to medication is a significant factor in less-than-optimal treatment of any illness. Thus, medical treatment without coordinated attempts to also treat the behavioral and social factors compromises its effectiveness. Treatment is often complicated by the lack of timely diagnoses of issues such as domestic violence, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Furthermore, helping patients negotiate medical visits, treatment options, and disease prevention and management can be effectively addressed within an integrated primary care system of health delivery with better outcomes for minorities.