Course

Clinical Psychology

Faculty
Humanities & Social Sciences
Department
Psychology
Course code
PSYC 4375
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
This course examines both professional issues and selected topics in clinical psychology. Selected topics include, but are not limited to, educational and training requirements, history, professional ethics, research designs and issues, controversies in clinical assessment and therapy, and how to become a clinical psychologist. The focus will be on the practice of clinical psychology in Canada but occasionally comparisons with other countries will be made.
Course content
  1. The Evolution of Clinical Psychology: Healing Art to Evidence-Based Practice.
  2. Contemporary Clinical Psychology: Science, Ethics, and Controversies.
  3. Classification and Diagnosis: Current Problems and Future Directions.
  4. Research Methods in Clinical Psychology: Science, Ethics, and Controversies.
  5. Intellectual and Cognitive Assessment: Science, Ethics, and Controversies.
  6. Self-Report and Projective Assessment: Science, Ethics, and Controversies.
  7. Intervention: Theoretical Approaches and Ethics.
  8. Intervention: Evidence-based Treatments and Controversies.
  9. Intervention: Evidence-based Therapeutic Relationships and Controversies.
  10. Intervention: Evidence-based Principles of Therapeutic Change.
Learning activities

The primary method of instruction will be lecture. The course may also involve group activities, presentations, audiovisual media, and guest lectures.

Means of assessment

Evaluation will be carried out in accordance with Douglas College policy. Evaluation will be based on course

objectives and include some of the following:

  1. multiple choice, short answer, or essay exams
  2. term paper, research project, or written assignments
  3. oral presentation or teaching demonstration

 

The instructor will provide a written course outline with evaluation criteria at the beginning of semester.

 

An example of a possible evaluation scheme is as follows:

Research paper                                    20%

Three exams at 20% each                     60%

Presentation                                         20%

Total                                                  100%

Learning outcomes

Students will acquire and be able to summarize, critique, and debate issues related to:

  1. Historical factors that shaped the evolution of clinical psychology.
  2. Contemporary clinical psychology and its controversies.
  3. The differences between clinical, counseling, and school psychologists, as well as other mental health professionals
  4. Research methods and research controversies in clinical psychology.
  5. Ethics and ethical controversies in clinical psychology.
  6. Current classification systems for psychopathology, their limitations, and future directions.
  7. Clinical assessment, diagnosis, testing, and related controversies.
  8. Theoretical approaches to psychopathology, psychotherapy, and related controversies.
  9. Interventions and related controversies.
Textbook materials

Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students:

 

Textbook(s) such as the following, the list to be updated periodically:

Lee, C., and Hunsley, J. (2018). Introduction to clinical psychology: An evidence-based approach (4th ed.). Mississauga, Canada: John Wiley & Sons.

Requisites

Prerequisites

PSYC 1100 and PSYC 1200 and PSYC 2341

Corequisites

Courses listed here must be completed either prior to or simultaneously with this course:

  • No corequisite courses

Equivalencies

Courses listed here are equivalent to this course and cannot be taken for further credit:

  • No equivalency courses

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer details for PSYC 4375
Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) KPU PSYC 4XXX (3)
Simon Fraser University (SFU) SFU PSYC 441 (3)
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) TRU PSYC 3XXX (3)
University of Northern BC (UNBC) UNBC PSYC 405 (3)
University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) UFV PSYC 375 (3)
University of Victoria (UVIC) UVIC PSYC 365 (1.5)

Course Offerings

Winter 2025

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
29
Remaining seats:
6
On waitlist
0
Building
New Westminster - North Bldg.
Room
N4215
Times:
Start Time
11:30
-
End Time
14:20