Clinical Health Psychology

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Formal Specialty Definition:

 

Clinical health psychology is a professionally recognized specialty that investigates and implements clinical services across diverse populations and settings to promote health and well-being and to prevent, treat and manage illness and disability.

Clinical health psychology sees health as the confluence of psychological, social, cultural, and biological factors and applies this understanding to professional activities including:

• Research.

• Clinical services.

• Consulting with, educating and supervising other health care providers and psychologists.

• Advising organizations, institutions, the public and policymakers.

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Overview of Organization and Goals:

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Clinical Health Psychology Specialty Presentation 2022

 

Bylaws:

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Clinical Health Psychology Specialty Council

 

Levels of Specialty Training:

 

Education and training in clinical health psychology occurs at doctoral, doctoral internship, and postdoctoral levels.  The paradigmatic sequence of training consists of either:

(A) Completing a health service psychology program in a major area of training (i.e., clinical, counseling, school), completing a doctoral internship with some degree of emphasis in clinical health psychology, and completing a postdoctoral residency/fellowship in clinical health psychology; or

(B) Completing a health service psychology program with an Emphasis or Major Area of Study in clinical health psychology, completing a doctoral internship that provides clearly articulated clinical health psychology training, and receiving one year of postdoctoral supervision in clinical health psychology.

 

Specialty Board Certification:

 

Board Certification in Clinical Health Psychology is available through the American Board of Clinical Health Psychology, which is a Specialty Board of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).

 

Sources of Specialty Recognition:

 

1. APA/CRSPPP recognition

2. ABPP recognition

 

Clinical Health Psychology Specialty Council Membership:

 

The specialty council includes the following member organizations:

 

• American Psychological Association, Division 38: Society for Health Psychology

• Council of Clinical Health Psychology Training Programs

• American Board of Clinical Health Psychology

• American Academy of Clinical Health Psychology

• Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers

• American Psychological Association, Division 17; Society of Counseling- Health Psychology Section

 

Specialty Related Web Links:

 

• APA Division 38: Society for Health Psychology

• Council of Clinical Health Psychology Training Programs (CCHPTP)

• ABPP--Clinical Health Psychology

• American Academy of Clinical Health Psychology

• Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers

• APA Division 17: Society of Counseling Health Psychology Section

 

Education and Training Guidelines:

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• Taxonomy for Clinical Health Psychology

• CHP 2018 Education and Training Guidelines

 

Representative: 

Lloyd S. Berg, Ph.D., ABPP​