Role of Technology in Clinical Psychology

Abstract

Abstract This chapter highlights the current impact of technology on the practice of clinical psychology. Within the field of education and training, computer conferencing systems are increasingly used to offer coursework at a distance. The pedagogy goes beyond the presentation of didactic materials to include collaboration, “communities of practice,” and the learning of meta‐skills such as reflective thinking and real‐world problem solving. Online supervision of graduate students within a psychology training program is part of the larger domain of “telehealth,” which uses telecommunication technology to provide health information and intervention, and consultation and supervision across distances. The technology is expanding to include interactive videodisks and expert system‐based, computer‐assisted training programs (ESCATs). The Internet offers a rich lode of counseling and psychotherapy to the public both in self‐help form and from professionals. Such Internet information and resources help to demystify psychology and provide business opportunities to enterprising psychologists for products and consultations. There are, however, ethical concerns ranging from privacy and cross‐jurisdictional licensing issues to responding appropriately to serious mental disorders online. Many psychologists today employ desktop computers to provide administration, scoring, and interpretation of psychological tests. The most common psychotherapy applications are cognitive‐behavioral interventions and manualized therapies for specific dysfunctions and the greatest resistance to their adoption seems to come from relationship‐oriented therapists. There is a need for more outcome and validation research, for determining what aspects of clinical practice and training are most easily automated, and how to provide an optimal blend of the technological with the human.

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