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Examination of Clinical Psychology Paper

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Examination of Clinical Psychology Paper
Tammy Poe
PSY 480 University of Phoenix
April, 23, 2012
Ross Seligman

Examination of Clinical Psychology Paper
Clinical psychology is a branch of psychology that involves the concern with assessing and treating abnormal behavior, mental illness, and other psychiatric disorders. Clinical psychology is the science of psychology. Clinical psychologists treat young children to the elderly, individuals or families, thus, an individual’s socioeconomic status is not an issue in the decision-making process of whether or not an individual should receive treatment. There is a broad range of specialties that clinical psychologists deal with, such as individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, or individuals coping with his or her personal issues, such as going through a divorce or losing a job. Clinical psychologists allow patients the opportunity to express his or her anger or frustrations while assisting the patient in understanding and controlling his or her situation in a healthy manner. Psychologists have the knowledge and skill in using a variety of methods developed to help patients, depending on the psychologist’s area of expertise. History of Clinical Psychology Established in the 1800s, psychology has been known since 2500 B.C. During this time, the approach to examining mental health involved holistic, supernatural, medical, and religious aspects. The father of ancient medicine, also known as the Greek physician Hippocrates, played a role in the development of psychology. The Hippocrates came up with the theory of humors, which consists of four bodily fluids, and they are the key to good health. The fluids are yellow bile, black bile, blood, and phlegm (Plante, 2010). A body with too much phlegm causes an individual to experience tiredness

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