Interest in clinical psychology has been growing as indicated by large numbers of undergraduates applying for admission to graduate programs and the professional degrees granted. This book is written for anyone with a strong interest in clinical psychology, but also provides a comprehensive and realistic view of the field.

The book, therefore, can serve as a reference for courses in clinical psychology, but it will be relevant to courses in personality and personal counseling. Professional clinical psychologists and members of related professions may also find the book valuable because Garfield describes important historical developments that have helped to shape the field, the roles and functions of the clinical psychologist, their training programs, and contemporary issues and problems. The text also describes the theoretical models that guide the work of the clinical psychologist and upon which the divergent approaches to clinical work are based. Changes in the functions of the clinical psychologist are reflected in the greater emphasis on psychotherapeutic and behavior change methods and in the correspondingly reduced emphasis on diagnostic testing procedures--a development discernible in the decline in studies of high quality bearing on diagnostic issues.

This book provides a reliable source of information for the individual who contemplates a professional career as a clinical psychologist and seeks to learn what the profession encompasses.

Sol L. Garfield (1918-2004) was Professor of Psychology and Director, Clinical Psychology Program, Washington University in St. Louis. Garfield has been widely published in the major journals and his books include Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change (co-edited with A. E. Bergin) and The Practice of Brief Psychotherapy. He is a former President of the Division of Clinical Psychology, American Psychological Association, and has been Consulting Editor for the American Journal of Mental Deficiency, the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, and the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.