Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of trying to change an individual's sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual using psychological or spiritual interventions. There is no reliable evidence that sexual orientation can be changed and medical institutions warn that conversion therapy practices are ineffective and potentially harmful. Medical, scientific, and government organizations in the United States and United Kingdom have expressed concern over the validity, efficacy and ethics of conversion therapy. Various jurisdictions around the world have passed laws against conversion therapy.
The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 121,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It has 54 divisions—interest groups for different subspecialties of psychology or topical areas. The APA has an annual budget of around $115m.
A psychologist studies normal and abnormal mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior by experimenting with, and observing, interpreting, and recording how individuals relate to one another and to their environments. Most psychologists need a license to practice psychology. Typically, psychologists need a doctoral degree in psychology, although a master's degree is sufficient in some situations. Licensing and regulations can vary by country and profession.
Applied psychology is the use of psychological methods and findings of scientific psychology to solve practical problems of human and animal behavior and experience. Mental health, organizational psychology, business management, education, health, product design, ergonomics, and law are just a few of the areas that have been influenced by the application of psychological principles and findings. Some of the areas of applied psychology include clinical psychology, counseling psychology, evolutionary psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, legal psychology, neuropsychology, occupational health psychology, human factors, forensic psychology, engineering psychology, school psychology, sports psychology, traffic psychology, community psychology, and medical psychology. In addition, a number of specialized areas in the general field of psychology have applied branches. However, the lines between sub-branch specializations and major applied psychology categories are often blurred. For example, a human factors psychologist might use a cognitive psychology theory. This could be described as human factor psychology or as applied cognitive psychology.
The British Psychological Society (BPS) is a representative body for psychologists and psychology in the United Kingdom.
A mental health professional is a health care practitioner or social and human services provider who offers services for the purpose of improving an individual's mental health or to treat mental disorders. This broad category was developed as a name for community personnel who worked in the new community mental health agencies begun in the 1970s to assist individuals moving from state hospitals, to prevent admissions, and to provide support in homes, jobs, education, and community. These individuals were the forefront brigade to develop the community programs, which today may be referred to by names such as supported housing, psychiatric rehabilitation, supported or transitional employment, sheltered workshops, supported education, daily living skills, affirmative industries, dual diagnosis treatment, individual and family psychoeducation, adult day care, foster care, family services and mental health counseling.
Mahzarin Rustum Banaji FBA is an American psychologist at Harvard University, known for her work popularizing the concept of implicit bias in regards to race, gender, sexual orientation, and other factors.
In Scotland, a Clinical Associate is a shortened designation for a Clinical Associate in Applied Psychology (CAAP). A Clinical Associate is a specialist regulated mental health professional whose duties include assessing, formulating, and treating clients all within specified ranges of conditions and age. Clinical Associates work either in primary care adult mental health settings or in a range of setting working with children, young people, and their families.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah is the ninth Malaysian public university located in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, established on 24 November 1994.
William James College, formerly Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology (MSPP), is a private college of psychology in Newton, Massachusetts. With more than 750 students, William James College offers graduate academic degree and certificate programs across four departments: Clinical Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Organizational and Leadership Psychology, and School Psychology, as well as a Bachelor of Science completion program in Psychology and Human Services.
Well-being, wellbeing, or wellness is the condition of an individual or group. A higher level of well-being means that in some sense the individual's or group's condition is more positive. According to Naci and Ioannidis, "Wellness refers to diverse and interconnected dimensions of physical, mental, and social well-being that extend beyond the traditional definition of health. It includes choices and activities aimed at achieving physical vitality, mental alacrity, social satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment, and personal fulfillment".
Psychology encompasses a vast domain, and includes many different approaches to the study of mental processes and behavior. Below are the major areas of inquiry that taken together constitute psychology. A comprehensive list of the sub-fields and areas within psychology can be found at the list of psychology topics and list of psychology disciplines.
Norman Bruce Anderson is an American scientist who was a tenured professor studying health disparities and mind/body health, and later an executive in government, non-profit, university sectors. Anderson is assistant vice president for research and academic affairs, and research professor of social work and nursing at Florida State University. He previously served as chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association (APA), the largest scientific and professional association for psychologists in the United States. Anderson became the APA's first African-American CEO when he was named to the post in 2003. He was the editor for the APA journal American Psychologist. Prior to joining APA, Anderson was an associate director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and held other roles in academia.
Peter Kinderman is professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Liverpool, and is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist.
Nicholas Troop is a health psychologist and a principal lecturer in health psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. His range of works include the role of life events, coping and crisis support in the aetiology of eating disorders, stress- and trauma-responses, and mobility into the social rank and attachment.
The Psychologist is the monthly publication of the British Psychological Society. It provides a forum for communication, discussion and controversy among all members of the society and helps it promote the advancement and diffusion of a knowledge of psychology, pure and applied. The Psychologist is read by more than 50,000 members in print, and many non-members read the online version. It was launched in 1988, incorporating the existing Bulletin of the British Psychological Society. The 2016 issues are volume 29.
Victoria Tischler is Professor of Arts and Health and Head of Dementia Care at the University of West London. She is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Mental Health.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is a Filipino mental health blogger and columnist for Free Malaysia Today. He presents the radio show Psych Chat at Men's Radio Station. Relojo-Howell is based in London, United Kingdom, and is the founder of psychology website Psychreg. Relojo-Howell carries out research on the therapeutic benefits of blogging.
