Clinical Psychology

Children may experience various psychological and mental health problems. In the
case of my neighbour, the daughter has been experiencing behavioural problems that have also
resulted in poor academic performance. It is important to ensure that the child is evaluated by
a clinical psychologist who will ensure that they apply to research and science to ensure that
she lives a better life. A clinical psychologist will also work closely with the child to assess,
diagnose, and treat the psychological and behavioural dysfunctions that have resulted in poor
academic performance. Clinical psychology plays a central role in ensuring that children are
taught proper coping mechanisms. It also ensures that children thrive in every developmental
stage. Before getting medical prescriptions to improve behaviour, the child needs to be evaluated for abnormal behaviors and, in so doing, ensure that the root of common
behavioral issues is addressed.
Clinical psychology is defined as the use of research and application of relevant
principles to understand and alleviate behavioral, psychological, intellectual, and emotional
maladjustment. Clinical psychology focuses on maladaptive behavior in both adults and
children. Clinical psychologists apply scientific methods to understand problems such as
depression and phobias (UMGC, n.d.). Through the application of science, clinical
psychologists can help the patients gain much-needed relief. The child, in this case,
can be characterized as having maladaptive behavioral problems. Through visiting a clinical
psychologist, the child will get relief. The clinical psychologist will apply scientifically
proven methods to help in diagnosing and treating the child’s behavioral issues.
Another important principle in clinical psychology is the emphasis on prevention.
Clinical psychologists help in ensuring the prevention of mental health problems is achieved
through the emphasis on positive emotions (UMGC, n.d.). The implication is that clinical

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 3
psychologists go beyond the focus on the mental and behavioral problems that are manifested
in a patient. The neighbor’s daughter can greatly benefit from the prevention of further
mental health issues (UMGC, n.d.). The prescription of Ritalin will only help the child boost
their concentration. On the other hand, having the child evaluated by a clinical psychologist
will help in ensuring that mental health problems and behavioral problems that may recur in
the future are prevented. The clinical psychologist will go beyond the mental health issues
that the child is exhibiting and work closely with the child to ensure that she is able to deal
with problems in the future.
Clinical psychology emphasizes assessment. In arriving at a diagnosis, clinical
psychology is founded on testing and assessment. An assessment helps clinical psychologists
to ensure that they evaluate each individuals’ abilities and personality traits (Carlson, 2020).
Tests and other tools are applied in clinical psychology. In addition to the focus on
assessment, clinical psychologists work towards helping individuals who are facing various
problems. The treatment of mental health disorders is one of the primary focuses of clinical
psychology (Carlson, 2020). The neighbor’s child is facing certain psychological distress. By
ensuring that the child is taken to a clinical psychologist, an assessment will be conducted to
evaluate the causes of psychological distress. The treatment given will ensure that she gets
treated and the issues that she is facing are solved adequately.
By visiting a clinal psychologist, the child will develop effective coping mechanisms
as well as ensure that she learns how to express her emotions in the future. Counseling is one
of the methods that clinical psychologist uses to address pressing concerns that children
might have. Every session addresses a specific issue in the child’s life, and this ensures that
the child learns how to cope with different situations. One advantage of psychotherapy is the
fact that it is not associated with many side effects. Using Ritalin could not only fail to treat
her existing psychological and mental health conditions but also have serious side effects that

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 4
could compound the problem. Every child can have a different response to Ritalin. Side
effects such as stomachaches, insomnia, and blood pressure problems may affect the child
(KidsHealth, 2020). On the other hand, vising a clinical psychologist will ensure that the
child is able to effectively deal with the problems she is facing without suffering from any
side effects.
Clinical assessment will be conducted in order to evaluate the abilities as well as the
needs of the child. Assessment is one of the primary roles of clinical psychologists. Through
assessment, clinical psychologists are able to assess the character and functioning of an
individual. An assessment helps psychologists to make informed decisions. In the assessment
process, the child and the parents will be interviewed (Carlson, 2020). After the interview,
psychological testing will follow. The clinical psychologist may also seek more information
from third-party informants such as the child’s teachers. The clinical interview may either be
structured or unstructured. The interviews conducted can either be unstructured, semi-
structured, or structured (Carlson, 2020). If unstructured interviews are used, no specific
questions will be asked. If semi-structured interviews are used, specific domains for
questioning the child and the parents will be used with no specific questions. If structured
interviews are used, then specific questions will be asked.
If a test is warranted, the psychologist will have to select measures that are
appropriate. There are various tests that can be used in evaluating the child’s psychological
needs. Tests have been tailormade for patients from a particular demographic. The
administration of assessments and tests will be useful in the formulation of a hypothesis.
Mental health disorders can interfere with the child’s functioning and, by extension, her
ability to excel in academics (Carlson, 2020). Based on the severity of the symptoms, the
clinical psychologists will arrive at a specific diagnosis. One of the tools that help
psychologists arrive at a diagnosis is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 5
Disorders (DSM). The fifth edition of the DSM is currently being used in clinical settings
(Carlson, 2020). The DSM-5 ensures that patients are able to get an appropriate diagnosis
through delineating symptoms that a patient has to exhibit for a particular diagnosis to be
made. The DSM-5 elaborates on various mental health disorders and groups them into
various categories. Through the use of the DSM-5, the clinical psychologist will arrive at a
diagnosis based on the symptoms that are evident in the child.
Overall, it is important for the child to be taken to a clinical psychologist before she is
taken to a pediatrician. The symptoms that she exhibits are behavioral and psychological in
nature. Clinical psychology helps in studying the symptoms and ensuring that appropriate
treatment is used to effectively address the symptoms. A clinical psychologist will also equip
the child with lifelong skills.

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 6

References
Carlson, J. (2020). Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis:
Overview. https://sk.sagepub.com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/reference/the-sage-
encyclopedia-of-abnormal-and-clinical-psychology/i10101.xml
KidsHealth. (2020). Does Ritalin Have Side Effects? https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/ritalin-
effects.html#:~:text=As%20with%20other%20medicines%2C%20each,irritability%2C%20a
nd%20blood%20pressure%20problems
UMGC. (n.d.). What is Clinical
Psychology? https://learn.umgc.edu/d2l/le/content/520181/viewContent/19756103/View