We're excited for the upcoming annual conference of the American Psychological Association in Toronto, Canada this year from 6-9 August 2015. The conference will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The annual convention of the American Psychological Association is the largest assembly of psychologists and psychology students in the world.
The post Get ready with Oxford for the 2015 APA Convention appeared first on OUPblog.
By David Murphy
Clinical psychologists help a huge range of people, of all ages, with an increasing number of mental health problems. Here are my top tips for getting into clinical psychology training.
(1) Firstly, and probably most importantly, when you are at University, do your best consistently in your Psychology degree. Relevant experience can always be gained later down the line, but you only have a limited time to work on your degree and then your marks stay with you. Your degree transcript containing your marks from every module is used in selection.
(2) Once your degree is in the bag then you need to get relevant experience. Not just to put on your application form but to make sure that working in this field is really what you want to do. Getting a paid assistant psychologist posts is very competitive; in fact nowadays it is actually more competitive than getting onto a doctoral training course. If you can’t get a traditional assistant psychologist post, there is a wide range of other types of relevant clinical experience; nursing assistant posts and/or some voluntary work are also a useful first step on the ladder.
(3) When you do come to filling in your application form, try and communicate something about yourself, what you have learned, and what skills you have developed through your clinical experience and also in your other activities. Think of ways to set yourself apart from other applicants.
(4) Choose your referees wisely and support them. It’s true that you can’t write the references but you can choose who you ask and help your referee by providing them with information about what the courses are looking for, particularly if they are not used to writing forms for clinical psychology. It’s such a shame when you see a great form accompanied by a clinical reference from someone who has only recently met the applicant or who can’t really comment on their clinical work, or an academic reference from someone who appears to have forgotten all about the applicant. If this information is lacking then it makes it very difficult for a course to know whether or not you meet the selection criteria.
(5) Reflect and review. I’ve heard a lot of people say they were told not to even think about applying for Clinical Psychology training because of how competitive it is. Nevertheless, each year several hundred applicants do get places, so it is certainly possible. You may well not get a place on your first attempt but don’t let that put you off. However, you also need to be realistic and reflect on your progress. It’s true that you generally need to have 1-2 years of relevant experience to maximize your chances but if, after a number of attempts you find you still haven’t been successful, it is probably time to rethink. There are plenty of other ways in which you can apply your psychology degree within healthcare and also within many other fields.
Whatever way it turns out I wish you all the best!
David Murphy is the Joint Course Director of the University of Oxford Clinical Psychology Doctoral Training Programme, and co-editor of What is Clinical Psychology? He trained as a clinical psychologist at the Institute of Psychiatry in London and worked for over 20 years as a full-time clinical psychologist in acute hospital settings within the National Health Service before taking up his current position.
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The post Five tips for getting into clinical psychology training appeared first on OUPblog.
On 14 December 2012, Adam Lanza shot and killed his mother before driving from his home to Sandy Hook Elementary School and opening fire on students and staff. Twenty children and six adults were murdered before the gunman committed suicide. Many Oxford University Press authors felt compelled to share their expertise to offer comfort, explanations, and understanding. Here’s a round-up of their recent articles on the tragedy.
UCLA Professor Emeritus Rochelle Caplan on the significant reduction in public mental health care in the United States.
Pediatric psychologist Brenda Bursch offers helpful approaches for parents to explain the tragedy to their children.
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry J. Reid Meloy on warning behaviors that precede mass violence.
Professor of Criminology Kathleen M. Heide on the parricide element of Adam Lanza’s actions.
Associate Professor of Government Elvin Lim on the different political perspectives on the massacre, essential to understanding across party lines and taking non-partisan action on the issue of gun control.
School psychologist Eric Rossen advocates for stronger mental health services in schools.
Professor of Psychiatry Donald W. Black on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of antisocial behavior.
School psychologist Robert Hull offers some advice and resources to help traumatized children.
The post Oxford authors on Sandy Hook appeared first on OUPblog.
I have the pleasure of hosting the multi-faceted author, Joyce A. Anthony. Joyce will be featured here today and January 18th.
Joyce is the author of “Storm”, a spiritual fantasy. She also has two books to be released in 2009: Spirit of the Stallion and Shattered Rainbow. Joyce lives in PA with her teenaged son, good friend, and mini-zoo. She is a homeschooling mother, photographer, genealogist, animal advocate and psychologist, as well as a freelance writer and editor. In addition to all this, Joyce answers questions as an "expert" on bipolar disorder at AllExperts.com and is currently working on two additional blogs--one for bipolar disorder and one for Asperger's Syndrome.
Here is a blurb from “Storm” to wet your appetite:
Who he is and why he's here is a mystery even to Storm-a mystery that can only be answered within the whirling rainbow. His search puts him in touch with many of society's forgotten people; he changes their lives and heals their souls. When he finds the answer to his identity, the world is changed forever. You'll ask yourself: Is it only a fantasy--or is it real?
And if that isn't enough, here is a wonderful review:
What a breath of fresh air this book is! In an age when “God” has become a four letter word, and in a contemporary society that by and large considers all things Biblical to be babble, author Joyce Anthony brings us home to all things spiritual and meaningful with this charming and insightful story. Her boldness of faith is evident throughout and admirable. Also impressive as I read “Storm” was her depth of understanding of human nature, psychology and spiritual condition.
As a literary work “Storm” is well crafted; Anthony is definitely a gifted writer who can capture you and transport you into the sights, sounds, smells, feelings and aura of a different world and make you feel as if you really know the characters involved. I don’t want to spoil the fun for potential readers, so I will not divulge the plot. However, I will tease you with this: it is the greatest true story ever re-told before it comes true.
Plan on a few hours of uninterrupted trance-like reading, you won’t want to do anything else except keep turning the pages once you’ve started. Get ready to examine yourself, our society, and our world as it relates to its’ creator. There are many sad truths in this book. But in the end, the truth will set you free.
Review written by: Marvin D. Wilson, author of “I Romanced the Stone” http://www.rockofallages.com/
You can pick up your copy of “Storm” at:
Amazon Link: http://www.storm.2freedom.com/
And, you can visit Joyce at:
Website: http://joyceanthony.tripod.com
Blog: Books and Authors http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog
Please be sure to come back on January 18th for questions and answers with Joyce A. Anthony.
Karen
Good post! And what a wonderful review - who is that guy? (smile)
Storm IS a wonderful book. And Joyce is just as wonderful a person.
Hey, Marvin,
It's a bird; it's a plane. No, it's Marvin the Reviewer! Thanks for stopping by. Great review!
Good review. I wasn't sure what a "spirtual fantasy" was but I see from the info what it is. Thanks for introducing Joyce to us. Keep up the good work - E :)
Joyce is an interesting person and writer. She's a great part of the blogging team.
Thanks Eysabeth and Vivian for stopping by.
I wasn't sure what a spiritual fantasy was either. You learn a lot through these tours.
Great review and post!
Thanks, Karen--and thanks for stopping by everyone :-) We honestly couldn't figure out exactly WHAT to call the genre of Storm, so settled on spiritual fantasy. Of all the reviews I've goten for Storm, Marvin's line "it is the greatest true story ever re-told before it comes true." is my absolute favorite!