Preface

I Choosing the Right Field and Degree

1. The Fields Of Applied Psychology - Steven Walsh

This chapter addresses the various ways a person can enter applied psychology, including but not limited to health, clinical, counseling, school, industrial/organizational, and policy formulation. It should set up the following section by discussing the entry level jobs for the bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees. It should also discuss the various departments and programs that will offer degrees and career paths that someone interested in the helping professions can consider.

2. The Bachelors Degree In Psychology - Mark Ware

In this chapter the students will be asked to look at their own values regarding the decision to enter the workforce upon graduation from their undergraduate college or to pursue a graduate degree in Psychology. If the choice is the terminal Bachelors degree then career opportunities will be discussed along with strategies for optimizing one's marketable skills. If the choice is to pursue a graduate degree then strategies for enhancing the likelihood of acceptance for advanced training will be presented.

3. The Master's Degree In Psychology - Baron Perlman

This chapter will describe the strengths and limitations of obtaining a Master's degree, training opportunities that are available, and professional issues such as role responsibilities, employment, supervision, and licensure/certification. Reasons to apply to MA programs as opposed to Doctoral level programs will be presented along with admission information.

4. The Ph.D. Vs. The Psy.D.
The Case For The Psy. D. Donald R. Peterson
The Case For The Ph.D. Arthur N. Wiens

This chapter will inform the reader about the history and philosophy of each of the degrees. Requirements of training and experiences that students should expect in each will be outlined. The strengths and limitations of each of these degree choices will be contrasted along with issues related to career opportunities.

5. Perspectives On Applying To Graduate School - Bill N. Kinder and Steven Walfish

This chapter will provide students with information to aide them in the choice as whether or not to pursue a graduate degree by outlining the coursework, research and practica that they will be facing as part of their experience. Strategies on choosing where to apply, improving probability of acceptance, preparation of the application, and an applications checklist will be provided. If multiple offers are extended factors to consider in making the ultimate choice will be elaborated upon including questions to be asked of both students and faculty members.

II Succeeding In Graduate School

6. The Politics Of Graduate School - Gerard F. Sumprer and Steven Walfish

Graduate education does not take place in a vacuum but rather in a dynamic and often complex political organizational structure. Such organizations have both formal written rules and informal unwritten rules which have a major impact on the educational and emotional atmosphere of the training program. The concept of power will be explored with the underlying theme that students have a very limited power base. The ramifications of this in terms of choosing a training program, expectations of faculty, selection of an advisor, completing one's research requirements, and clinical supervision issues will be discussed.

7. Students And Faculty: The Growth Of Relationships- Allen Hess & William I. Sauser.

There are qualitative differences between prior educational experiences and graduate education. This chapter will address how professors judge whether a student is performing well or poorly. The student will be better able to cope with the graduate school experience if knowledge about the expectations that professors have for students are made explicit. Myths of both faculty and students will be explored, along with roles and potential role conflicts between the two. A developmental stage model of graduate student-faculty relationships will be presented, along with a practical list of "Do's and Don'ts".

8. The Mentoring Relationship In Psychology Training Programs - James O'Neil and Lawrence Wrightsman

The essence of graduate education is the formation of a mentoring relationship with one or a few faculty. The faculty serve as role models for how a professional should behave, as well as an advocate for the student during the course of training and in their professional careers. A definition of mentoring will be provided factors in the mentoring relationship, parameters of the mentoring relationship, correlates of positive mentoring and tasks to be accomplished will be elaborated upon.

9. Stress And Stress Mastery In Graduate School - Erie N. Goplerud

This chapter will briefly describe the nature of stress, the prevalence of stress in graduate school, the sources of these stressors, and the types of resources available for students to cope with these difficult events and circumstances. The role of social support for both completing tasks and surviving the graduate school experience will be highlighted, along with practical tips for tackling stress will be presented.

10. Stressors and Strategies For Underrepresented Students: Gender, Sexual, and Racial Minorities - Steven Walfish and Renelle Massey

In addition to the stress and strain of graduate training groups of students may experience special conflicts and circumstances which can make the training experience even more difficult. No different from experiences they may have in society women, gay/lesbian, and racial minority students have additional issues which make a difficult situation even more difficult. The nature of these stressors along with strategies for dealing with them on will be delineated. In addition other student groups (e.g., older students, those who strictly adhere to their religious practices) that may experience specific stressors will also be discussed.

11. The Graduate Student Couple: Stresses and Strategies - Dixie J. Pederson and Harry Daniels

This chapter will address some of the strains that are inherent in marriage and intimate relationships and how they can be affected by one or both of the partners being involved in a graduate training program. Special stressors for therapists in training, professional role issues, dual-career issues, career and job search issues, and practical household management and childcare issues will be explored.

12. Learning Counseling and Psychotherapy Skills - Allen K. Hess

The heart of clinical and counseling students' motivation to engage in the long, hard and expensive 8raduate educational process is to learn about why people behave the way they do, and how we can help them to change those attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that trouble them. A stage model of trainee development, paradoxes of therapy and supervision, and the structure of effective supervision will be elaborated upon so the student can most benefit from supportive supervision.

13. Learning Psychodiagnostic Skills - Irving Weiner

In recent decades psychological assessment has seen both a decline and then a renaissance. This chapter will teach the trainee how to become an accomplished assessor of human behavior, skills and aptitudes. This includes the psychometric preparation necessary to become competent in the scoring and administration of tests, to benefit from course work and supervision in assessment, and in writing reports that convey the information necessary to answer referral questions.

14. Learning Consultation Skills - Jane Close Conoley

Psychologists impart their skills to others both in direct service as well as in indirect methods of reaching clients. Models of consultation both in schools and in the business world will be presented along with how they differ with the individual model of delivering psychological services. Methods for how students can go about learning these skills will be discussed as well as what they need to know about the types of environments in which they consult.

15. Developing School Intervention Skills - Terry Gutkin

Perhaps no setting can have as much impact on the mental health of the world as the school. Given that children are in a captive setting the school is a ripe laboratory for psychologists to be able to intervene to help diagnose and ameliorate problems at an early stage as well as to promote health and competence. The skills of the school psychologist will be discussed as well as the necessary experiences and personality attributes necessary for learning these skills and becoming an effective interventionist

16. Developing Teaching Skills - Peter Femald

No matter what the eventual career path the student develops it will most likely involve teaching in one form or another. Nonacademic psychologists will find often themselves in front of PTA groups, conducting workshops, consulting to groups within large organizations, or testifying before legislative groups. Clearly those choosing to go into academia will need to develop excellent teaching skills the nonacademic psychologist will also benefit from learning how to present information in a clear and effective manner in which these teachings will he absorbed by the target audience. This chapter will outline the necessary skills to teach well and how to structure a learning experience to maximize teaching skill development.

17. Skill Transfer From Basic Psychology To The Real World - Ray Nickerson

There are not enough academic positions available in basic experimental and social psychology for those who would like to choose this career path. Having recognized this in recent years academic psychologists have expanded their training focus to go beyond that of the traditional laboratory. Now experimental and social psychologists are generalizing their basic skills to address real world problems in government and industry. This chapter will highlight the need to learn how to conceptualize the student's thinking beyond the laboratory with the focus on developing skills that will be wanted in the workforce beyond the traditional academic and research setting

18. Learning To Become Ethical - Gerry Koocher

Ethical conundrums perfuse applying to graduate school, participating in graduate education, entering the job market, and conducting oneself in an ethical manner once a career is established. While this chapter cannot convey every circumstance it will trace the contours of how one can practice principled psychology, how to recognize potential ethical problems, how to proceed to prevent the problems or once it has occurred what steps can be taken to ameliorate the problem. The most frequent ethical charges brought against academicians and practitioners will be provided for illustration.

19. Applying To The Professional Psychology Internship - Barbara J. Sturgis and Daniel K. Sturgis

The internship is an important component of training for the professional psychologist. It is usually an intensive work experience with a larger number of clients than the student is used to treating with a wider range of clinical problems. This chapter will outline the mechanics of finding a desirable internship setting, how interns are selected, and the availability of specialty training. Issues the student must consider in making a final choice if several offers are tendered are elaborated upon.

20. Doing the Thesis and Dissertation - Roy P. Martin

After the first year of graduate school the biggest hurdle for students and the one most likely to prevent the completion of the degree are the research requirements of the thesis and dissertation. The collaborative nature of the project with the student's Major Professor and committee are described along with the types of skills and knowledge necessary for being able to produce a dissertation. Tips on selecting a research topic, a dissertation committee, drafting the proposal and the final written product, and presenting the oral defense are will be discussed.

III Making The Transition To Being A Professional

21. The Internship Year: The Transition From Student To Independent Professional - Joseph A. Denicola and Cynthia Furze

The internship year has many stressors and this chapter will describe the types of activities and expectancies the student might face during this year and some strategies to address these challenges. Preparation for beginning the training experience and logistic issues in beginning the process will be identified. The development of a professional identity is a major process that takes place during the internship year. Personal and professional relationships change during this transition period and will be elaborated upon. Finally, issues related to making oneself "marketable" for the first job will be discussed.

22. Licensing And Credentials Issues and Lifelong Learning - Bruce R. Fretz

This chapter will describe the basis for licensure and credentia!ing and the types of licensure that are available to Psychologists. Standards that have been adopted will be described along with the accompanying implications for coursework, internship, and postdoctoral experiences. Specialization credentialing beyond specific license to practice will be discussed. Tips in obtaining information and completing application materials will also be presented. The chapter will also address issues of lifelong learning. Continuing education credits may be required by licensure and certification Boards and also allows the Psychologist to increase their existing skills and to learn new ones. The importance of this activity as well as types of training activities available will be presented.

23. Community Intervention: The Application Of Psychological Skills in The Real World - Raymond P. Lorion, William C. Work, & A. Dirk Hightower

Book learning is one thing but applying what one has read and studied in an actual community setting is quite another. In this chapter the authors identify personal characteristics of the Psychologist which might serves as obstacles to effective intervention in applied settings. The groundwork in understanding the community and the setting in which the intervention is taking place, gaining entree into the setting, and issues related to completing the desired intervention and the importance of follow-up are presented.

IV Employment Issues For Psychologists

24. Career Opportunities For Applied Psychologists - Steven Walfish

This chapter will describe the plethora of opportunities that psychology holds for the student entering the field. Sources of career information, job availability, and salary issues will be presented so the student can taps these resources as they become necessary in their futures. Each area will be briefly described along with examples of the innovative work that is taking place in these specialty areas. Journals of interest and important books will be identified so the student can explore the topic area in greater depth. The chapter will show how to prepare for such emerging opportunities through course selection in graduate school and internship training and by way of continuing education.