Tag Archives: Clinical Psychology

Recent Reviews of Clinical Psychology in Britain: Historical Perspectives

Book Reviews, Books, General, , ,

AHP is happy to reprint two recent reviews of the new book Clinical Psychology in Britain: Historical Perspectives (announced on AHP here). These reviews were first published in the December 2015 issue of Clinical Psychology Forum, the house publication of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Clinical Psychology. The full reviews follow below.

Review by Tony Wainright

‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’
George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905

This book marks an important milestone in the history of clinical psychology in the UK, with 2016 being the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Division of Clinical Psychology. People are still around (some of the authors) who remember the founding of the NHS, which also closely marked the beginning of the profession.

I found that the best way of getting the most out of the book was to start with the last chapter – the editors’ collective reflections on writing it – and then go to the introduction. This provides a very helpful frame in which the other chapters can be viewed. They have very different writing styles; as they point out, some are clinicians, some are academics, some are historians; some have relatively mainstream views, some have much more radical and critical approaches. The editors have done an excellent job of making this all seem part of the fabric of the profession – diversity and variety being positive and generating creative energy.

In a short review it is not possible to cover all the chapters and full details of the book chapters are available on the Society’s History of Psychology Centre website.

Understanding the profession today is immensely enhanced by this book. The chapter by Pilgrim and Patel is particularly powerful in locating the emergence of the profession following the enormous upheaval of post-war politics, and charting its course through the swinging sixties to the present day. Continue reading Recent Reviews of Clinical Psychology in Britain: Historical Perspectives →

New Book: Clinical Psychology in Britain: Historical Perspectives

Books, , ,

The British Psychological Society‘s History of Psychology Centre has just published a new volume on the history of clinical psychology in Britain. The book, Clinical Psychology in Britain: Historical Perspectives, is described as follows:

This book, the second in a series of monographs published by the Society’s History of Psychology Centre, is a comprehensive and informed account of the development of clinical psychology – the largest field of applied psychology in Britain. It identifies key transitions and changes in the work and thinking of clinical psychologists; explores the relationships between disciplinary and professional concerns within their policy, political and economic context; and situates British clinical psychology in relation to wider fields of research and practice in applied psychology in health care.

Contents:

Preface and acknowledgements

About the contributors

Guide to structure of the book

Part 1: Background

  • Chapter 1 – Introduction
    John Hall, David Pilgrim & Graham Turpin
  • Chapter 2 – Engaging with the views and needs of users of psychological services
    Juliet Foster

Part 2: Contexts

Continue reading New Book: Clinical Psychology in Britain: Historical Perspectives →

Video Now Online – Stories of Psychology Symposium: “Clinically Applied: Origins of a Profession”

Events, Video, ,

The British Psychological Society‘s History of Psychology Centre held their now annual Stories of Psychology Symposium last month. Video from the symposium, which this year was dedicated to the subject of “Clinically Applied: Origins of a Profession,” is now online. The first of five videos from the symposium is featured above. Full details on the event follow below.

2015 – Clinically Applied: Origins of a Profession

Held on Wednesday 14 October 2015 at the Chancellor’s Hall, Senate House, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU

Convened by Professor John Hall (Oxford Brookes University)

The topic of this year’s symposium was chosen as a curtain raiser for the start of the 50th anniversary year of the BPS Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP) in 2016. It looks forward to the Golden Anniversary by looking back at the development of clinical psychology as a profession, a history that reaches back beyond the foundation of the DCP in 1966.

The four main speakers are all contributors to Clinical Psychology in Britain: Historical Perspectives edited by John Hall, Graham Turpin and David Pilgrim, which is due to be published by the History of Psychology Centre in December 2015.

Speakers:

Emeritus Professor Bill Yule (Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London)
‘Clinical Psychology: The Early Days, 1939-1963’

Dr Jennifer Clegg (University of Nottingham)
‘Four Lensmakers: Jack Tizard, Ann and Alan Clark, Peter Mittler’

Dr Anne Richardson (formerly of University College London and Department of Health)
‘Growing Pains and Pleasures: Psychology, Government and the Profession’s Health’

Professor Bob Woods (Bangor University)
‘Dementia in the 20th Century: Discovering the Person Behind the Label’

plus

Dr Saima Lofgren (Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust) will make a short presentation on the emergence of cultural concerns in clinical psychology.

 

BPS’ 2015 Stories of Psychology Symposium

Events, General, , , ,

The History of Psychology Centre at the British Psychological Society will be holding its 5th annual Stories of Psychology Symposium on Wednesday, October 14th. This year’s title is Clinically Applied: Origins of a Profession. 

According to the website:

The topic of this year’s symposium was chosen as a curtain raiser for the start of the 50th anniversary year of the BPS Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP) in 2016. It looks forward to the Golden Anniversary by looking back at the development of clinical psychology as a profession, a history that reaches back beyond the foundation of the DCP in 1966.

The four main speakers are all contributors to “Clinical Psychology in Britain: Historical Perspectives” edited by John Hall, Graham Turpin and David Pilgrim, which is due to be published by the History of Psychology Centre in December 2015.

Find out more about the featured speakers, session topics and registration details from the event flyer,  or on the Centre’s website.