Clinical psychology in Canada: Challenges and opportunities.

Abstract

This article reviews the definition of this area, and the history of clinical psychology in Canada. Based on this introduction, the developments in 3 critical areas for clinical psychology are discussed at length, including training, evidence-based practice, and practice issues. It is argued that training models have been consistent in Canada, and relatively homogenous, as these models serve to create national standards and high levels of service quality. The movement toward evidence-based practice in health care is reviewed, and the roles of clinical psychology in this movement. Notwithstanding the strong training models and the increasingly reliance on evidence-based care, it is argued that clinical psychology is not adequately funded to provide the range of services that it might, and some of the areas for growth are discussed. A final section of the article identifies a series of challenges and opportunities in contemporary Canadian society that affect clinical psychology. These issues include prescriptive authority, medically assisted death, aboriginal services, refugee services, access to services, technological advances in treatments, and the development of the psychological workforce. The article concludes with general suggestions for the development of clinical psychology in Canada.

The national summit on the future of professional psychology training: Overview and recommendations.

“…Finally, the nature of work and life today is much different than when the Mississauga Conference was held. Technology has altered the nature of human communication and social connection, as well as the manner in which health care services are delivered (Dobson, 2016). Psychology has also witnessed an increasing encroachment by nonpsychologists on activities that were once the sole purview of psychological practice (Votta-Bleeker & Cohen, 2014).…”

“…Many public institutions that have served as practicum and internship sites have done away with formal Departments of Psychology. Psychologists in these institutions report to managers or directors that are not part of the profession (Dobson, 2016). Although identification with training programs and individual supervisors continue to be means of solidifying the professional identity of psychology trainees within the broader health care system, the loss of formal Departments of Psychology has made this task more challenging.…”

Professional psychology training in Canada: How did we get here and where could we go?

“…In doing so, we are mindful of the fact that both authors are graduates of the same clinical psychology training program, and both practice in this domain. As such, our information and experience is mostly within this domain (K. S. Dobson, 2016;D. J. G. Dobson & Dobson, 2017).…”

Psychology in Canada: Opportunities and challenges.

“…2 The underappreciation of psychologists has concerned psychologists and their professional organisations since the early years of the discipline and profession (see Hartman, Fergus, & Reid, 2016), although in its present form, it is certainly more obvious in certain areas of practice, settings, or provinces. In these pages, Dobson (2016) writes that clinical psychologists are often seen as "simply another clinician in a team of comparable health professionals" (p. 212). This, combined with the fact that health care managers and policy makers as well as most members of the public may not recognise the differences between many of the different health and psychosocial service providers, leads to a belief that psychologists and other professionals are for the most part interchangeable and that similar services can be procured at a lower fee by another professional.…”

“…One exception was their respective stance on the relationship between ethics and international law regarding the treatment of prisoners (see also Pope, 2016) whereby, as O’Neill (2016) argues, APA’s Code of Ethics tends to give precedence to U.S. laws over international laws, whereas the CPA gives pride of place to international law. Perhaps, as Dobson (2016) suggests, one of the distinctive strengths of Canadian society truly is our desire to get along with each other and with others. This does not mean, however, that we shy away from tackling difficult societal problems, including emotionally charged and politically divisive issues such as assisted death.…”