Practical experience forms a huge part of clinical psychology training and a new study has found that there is “a small but significant number” of trainees with psychological, behavioural and/or developmental competency problems, which poses a problem for trainers.
Researcher Alice Shires, psychology clinic director in the UTS Graduate School of Health, said that due to the high academic standards needed to gain a place on a clinical psychology course and a rigorous selection process, the number of trainees with competency problems is low.
“However, it is still a big concern for trainers who have a duty of care to the public in ensuring that clinical psychology trainees are fit to practice."
The study was published in a special issue of Australian Psychologist focusing on clinical supervision and was conducted by UTS, the Australian College of Applied Psychology, University of Wollongong and Macquarie University, aimed to identify the extent of the problem and potential for improvement.
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