Legal Aspects in Professional Psychology

Table of Contents Legal issues Importance of confidentiality Impact of legislation Role of competence Conclusion References Psychology is a developed field of study which can be applied in broad fields which include educational, clinical, sports, business, and health areas. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Legal Aspects in Professional Psychology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Psychologists, just like other professionals, undergo intensive education and training before they are allowed to practice (Nancy, 2007). Professional psychologists are equipped with scientific foundations that prepare them to offer high quality services and use their practical skills effectively. The skills include, but not limited to, psychological examination, clinical supervision, consultation, as well as psychotherapy. Owing to the broadness of this field, there are a number of legal aspects which should be considered in the pra ctice of professional psychology. The code of ethics clearly provide for the general principles expected in the practice of virtually all professional fields such as medicine, law, and dentistry. The essay elaborates the legal issues related to knowledgeable approval and refusal of medical care as well as evaluating the legal issues associated evaluation and diagnosis in the field of professional psychology. It also offers the explanation of the need to enhance confidentiality in the therapeutic relationship between the patient and the psychologist. Moreover, the essay offers an evaluation of the impact of government legislation and the role of competence in professional psychology. Legal issues The legal aspects in the field of professional psychology apply to all instances where psychological ethics are to be exercised. Professional psychologists are expected to understand the legal issues and concerns that may be raised especially by their clients. Apart from the practical conc erns, the legal aspects of psychology cover broad areas such as understanding the role of government laws and the regulations associated with human behavior as well as the various mental processes (Nancy, 2007). The practice of professional psychology should not violate any of the legal provisions stipulated in the professional code of conduct and ethics. Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The codes of ethics are generally uniform in all the states although licensing may be done by individual states. The handling of clients by psychologists is one of the most sensitive areas which should abide by the legal requirements. Professional psychologists are expected to ensure that they get informed consent from their clients. This implies that the client has to agree with terms and conditions of medical treatment or any assessment/testing (Nancy, 2007). Such consent must be well informed, c ompetent and voluntary in nature. In case the client is not in a position to give consent, then a recognized health attorney or next of kin may be allowed to stand in for the patient. The doctor must inform the client of the possible risks as well as benefits associated with the intended treatment process (Berger, 2002). Additionally, the client should be given the alternative ways of treatment in order to make appropriate personal choices. Another legal doctrine under informed consent is self-determination. It refers to the right of an adult client who is of sound mind to decide what can be done on their body in the course of treatment (Nancy, 2007). The psychologist is expected to communicate sufficient information to the client in order to facilitate the consent process. At the end of the consent process, the client should sign appropriate documents before the commencement of any medical care. The right to informed refusal is another legal requirement in the practice of profess ional psychology. This provision empowers the client to refuse any given medical care regardless of how crucially important it is meant to save his or her life (Berger, 2002). For example, a patient suffering from kidney failure may decline a transplant despite knowing that refusal may result in death. Furthermore, a client suffering from serious heart attack may opt to depart the hospital even though they are likely to die (Nancy, 2007). A client may refuse treatment due to several reasons such as depression, lack of trust, fear, and misunderstanding. A psychologist may make further attempts to convince the client if he or she thinks the decision to refuse treatment is incompetent. Importance of confidentiality The legal provisions are also geared towards ensuring confidentiality between clients and their psychologists. The professional code of conduct and ethics protects clients from any form of abuse especially emotional and or physical. Advertising We will write a custom e ssay sample on Legal Aspects in Professional Psychology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Recommended practices by professional psychologists are guaranteed. They include the maintenance of medical files, and appropriate ways for terminating a given therapy process. A psychologist is not expected to share any of the client’s crucial medical information in public (Berger, 2002). This goes a long way in enhancing the trust between the client and the doctor. If the patient develops confidence towards the therapist, then the treatment process is bound to be successful. In a situation where confidentiality is breached, the client may initiate legal action against the therapy provider (Berger, 2002). In general, confidentiality in the practice of professional psychology ensures that clients receive professional as well as humane handling that protects them from any form of abuse. Impact of legislation The government in the United St ates plays a central role when it comes to the practice of professional psychology. Some legislations passed from time to time by the federal government influence this filed directly (Nancy, 2007). Decisions which affect the financing and practice in the healthcare profession, particularly psychological services are made regularly. The state of healthcare policy in the United States has a lot of impacts on the training of psychologists. All professional psychologists in America are regulated by the American Psychological Association (APA) (Berger, 2002). The legislations provide the required academic achievements in order to be recognized as a professional psychologist. Clinical and counseling psychologists are the most common and are responsible for providing psychotherapeutic services and other psychological examinations. Government legislations, however, may vary from state to state but they are all designed to safeguard the clients and the credibility of the profession (Berge r, 2002). The legislations in some states have allowed psychologists with appropriate additional qualifications to provide psychiatric medicine. Efforts by other states to pass the same legislation have been unsuccessful. Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More APA has been very influential in pushing for appropriate legislations by the government. Emerging issues in the field of professional psychology have resulted in key legislations that are aimed at enhancing the quality of services offered to the clients as well as improving the welfare of the psychologists (Berger, 2002). Role of competence All professional psychologists are legally expected to provide excellent services for their respective clients. Professional psychologists should therefore demonstrate outstanding competence in their responsibilities. Competence can be defined as the ability to effectively perform specific tasks within a given field. Psychologists are trained to perform specialized tasks using the acquired skills (Berger, 2002). Psychologists are ethically expected to provide services that are within their areas of competence. They should take clients who have problems which they can competently offer solutions. Competence, therefore, ensures that psychologists utilize their acquired knowledge, skills, and appropriate behavior in handling their clients. Conclusion The essay has discussed the various concerns related to knowledgeable approval and the right to denial of treatment and concerns touching on evaluation and determination in the field of professional psychological. It has also given the details of upholding confidentiality in the therapeutic relationships between the client and the doctor. Furthermore, the essay has offered an evaluation of the impact of government legislations as well as the role of competence in professional psychology. The various legal aspects in professional psychology, therefore, play a major role in regulating the general provision of services by psychologists. References Berger, L. S. (2002). Understanding professional psychology: government regulation and competence. Trafford Plc. Nancy, M. (2007). Professional psychology: a psychologist’s comprehensive guide (2nd ed.). McGraw Hill Plc. This essay on Legal Aspects in Professional Psychology was written and submitted by user Savannah Combs to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sex Hormones In Women essays

Sex Hormones In Women essays The main issue I m going to discuss is Premenstrual Syndrome, or PMS. It is a constellation of symptoms that directly precedes menstruation. These symptoms vary from woman to woman. PMS is a hormonal disorder characterized by a regularly recurring group of symptoms. These symptoms may occur from two to fourteen days before a womans menstrual period, usually disappearing after the period begins and directly followed by a symptom-free time each month. PMS symptoms can be both emotional and physical, affecting almost every system of the body. Some symptoms of other medical conditions can resemble PMS. Some of these conditions include allergies, depression, diabetes, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, fibrocystic breast disease, and thyroid problems. To help determine whether you suffer from PMS, use symptom charting, as PMS symptoms usually come and go each month and at the same time. PMS symptoms occur in the second half of the menstrual cycle. During this time, production of the hormone Progesterone should increase and peak. About seven days before the menstrual period, Estrogen and Progesterone levels decrease dramatically, causing menstruation to occur. PMS symptoms occur as a result of low levels of progesterone, excessive levels of estrogen and/or fluctuations in both levels. Many women find that PMS worsens with age. This also suggests a correlation with hormone levels being out of balance. There are many treatments for PMS. Some of these treatments are exersize, having a balanced diet, the best way to have a balance diet and to reduce PMS is to have 6 small meals everyday instead of three large meals. Both of these techniques can help women reduce the symptoms of PMS. Recent studies are indicating that girls are going through puberty at earlier ages. The question that arises on many peoples minds is: Whats causing it? and what are the pychological effects? Melissa Carter could not believe ...

Antigone

Evil not only fascinates people in general, but writers as well. In what ways and with what effect has â€Å"evil† been treated in Antigone? In the play of ‘Antigone’, evil appears in many forms. There is the soldier who is a traitor to his nation; the sister trying to prove her love for her family yet ends up breaking the law; the king who so eagerly tries to stop rule-breakers yet he himself neglects his flesh and blood. Here the difference of the two works is seen: The Earth of Mankind gives the impression that characters of power possess evil, whereas in Antigone, evil can be inside all of these opposing individuals. Polyneices, a soldier who fought against his own nation was to be punished as a traitor by not burying him after his death. When his sister, Antigone, goes against the King’s decree and burry Polyneices, she was also seen as a traitor to her country. However their other sibling, Ismene, who sits at home as Antigone fights for her brother’s right, is also said to have performed a crime of being a traitor to her family. Now something we can see from here is that each and every character involved in the story so far possesses evil. This message is summed up by Sophocles in page 204 of the book, in Ode 1, where it says, ‘O fate of man, working both good and evil! ’ What the writer is trying to convey here is more realistic than what is said in ‘The Earth of Mankind’; both evil and good is naturally inside everyone’s mind.It is one’s choice to do which, but performing a crime is inevitable. Everyone has his or her own ‘evil’ deeds, not only the powerful ones. As seen in my previous explanation on who performs evil deeds in the play of ‘Antigone’, we can see that one evil act leads to another, whereas the chain of good doings ends sooner. Eteocles, who was a soldier and a brother to Antigone, fought bravely for his nation and was buried with honor by the King. Although many respect him for his virtuosity, the play didn’t show that further kindness was done because of him.However, when Polyneices betrays his nation and fought against it, a number of people are forced to perform evil in his affect. Antigone had to break the law in order to give him his right of getting a burial. Ismene, who was too scared to go against the decree, was said to be a traitor to her family, as she didn’t come to assist Antigone in her mission. They then cause Creon to imprison the sisters, punish them, which then cause him to have a fight with his son. Creon then causes death of Haimon, and therefore leads to the suicide of the Queen.On page 243, the messenger says, ‘†¦and her last breath was a curse for their father, the murderer of her sons. ’ A number of misfortunes occur as being the result of one act of evil. The play now gives the effect that evil gives more negative outcomes in comparison to good giving positive results. Here, evil is powerful enough to make such a big impact on its surrounding; bigger than the good. Creon sees Antigone as a traitor to his rules, despite her reasons. Creon imprisoned both Antigone and Ismene for the burial of the nation’s traitor, Polyneices, who is their brother.It is true that Antigone has broken the law, but according to her logic, it is more important to follow the rules of the Gods than the King. She feels that the dead, no matter what they did in their lives, deserve respect and be buried, and that it was her duty to do so as Polyneices’ sister. She didn’t care that she is breaking the decree, and may be punished to die, as long as this task is done. Creon, being a non-believer of the Gods in the beginning, thinks that breaking the law is crime, no matter for what purpose.Polyneices was a traitor and he suffers because of himself, thus no one should help him. On page 211, Creon even said to Antigone, ‘An enemy is an enemy, even dead. ’ There is truth in both arguments, and no one can say what is right. Here, the play depicts that the existence of evil depends on how one views it. ‘Antigone’ treats evil as a subjective topic, where it may be seen as a crime from one point of view, but is actually a good deed from another. No evil deed is done without a reason, and the play shows that one should explore, not only what crime has been done, but also why it was done.

The Native Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Native Language - Essay Example The factor responsible for the gearing up of my voice change is that I am using literature skills in my voice. Friends are the only people who can influence a person tremendously on how he or she situates his or her voice. The employment of consonants and vowels in my speech is a key factor indicating a progressive movement in my voice thus introducing a radical change in this voice. My voice simply indicates to the people the true meaning of the message I am giving them. If I am telling about a certain issue, the way I construct my sentence and the voice portrayed means a lot in terms understanding and the intensity of that certain topic (Klaiman 7). In this world, my voice hugely portrays who I am passionate that is how it describes my personality (Klaiman 7). People will tend to observe how I present my language amongst the public. This aid in respect and admiration from the people depending on the smooth flow my voice with the employment of beautiful vowels, consonants, and appli cable advanced literacy skills in the voice. According to Smith the voice of Barrack Obama simply describes even his powers in the states. One can actually feel the thrill accompanying his voice. The courage applied sentence construction and many more literature skills employed in most of his speeches. As for me, the employment of these skills will automatically lead to a powerful picture to the public. My voice is responsible for who I am in this world because it indicates the power within it as I speak.... The factor responsible for the gearing up of my voice change is that I am using literature skills in my voice. Friends are the only people who can influence a person tremendously on how he or she situates his or her voice (Klaiman 6). The employment of consonants and vowels in my speech is a key factor indicating a progression movement in my voice thus introducing a radical change in this voice. My voice simply indicates to the people the true meaning of the message I am giving then. If I am telling of about a certain issue, the way I construct my sentence and the voice portrayed means a lot in terms understanding and the intensity of that certain topic (Klaiman 7). In this world, my voice hugely portrays who I am passionate that is how it describes my personality (Klaiman 7). People will tend to observe how I present my language amongst the public. This aid in respect and admiration from the people depending on the smooth flow my voice with the employment of beautiful vowels, conson ants and applicable advanced literature skills in the voice (Klaiman 8). According to Smith the voice of Barrack Obama simply describes even his powers in the states. One can actually feel the thrill accompanying his voice. The courage applied, sentence construction and many more literature skills employed in most of his speeches. As for me, the employment of these skills will automatically lead to a powerful picture to the public. My voice is responsible of who I am in this world because it indicates the power within it as I speak. The intense of the voice quality uttered might be of a huge effect in the portrayal of a person’s real class and power. Many will simply analyze what you do via your voice (Klaiman 9). Thesis on Zadie Smith and Amys’

The night mother Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The night mother - Essay Example It is mentioned she is a lonely girl who doesn’t find much interest in talking to other people, but struggles to put herself together. Unlike her daughter, Thelma Cates is described as chatty and nosy yet as we read the play we realize that she is just as lonely as her daughter. She is in her late fifties and is quiet aware of her age. She tries to take this in positively, but cannot ignore the obvious that she is getting older and her time will soon come too. The play takes places in Thelma’s house and from there on Jessie has made the decision to take control of her life, thoughts and feelings. By the very first look of â€Å"Night Mother† we are able to determine that the play revolves around gloom and loneliness, from Jessie and Thelma, and grows around the issues they have had throughout life with a failed marriage, her epilepsy, and her delinquent son, Ricky. The main issue revolving the story sets around the fact that Jessie has decided to commit suicide, and straightforwardly tells her mother of her plans. â€Å"Jessie is full of vengeance and decides to commit suicide; oblivious to the fact that it might hurt her mother† (Brustein 160.) Before she does so, she must complete the list of things she has set herself to make before she kills herself, or as she told the people around town, â€Å"taking a vacation† (Norman 15). ... The author makes a remark by indicating that the appearance of the house shouldn’t be associated with the personality of Jessie, given that her mother is the one who is most outgoing. Norman adds on to the dialogue invisible characters that come up, meanwhile the two of them are having a deep conversation about how and why Jessie has taken the decision she has. While talking, they bring up characters like Dawson, Jessie’s brother, Loretta; Dawson’s wife, Ricky; Jessie’s son, and Cecil; Jessie’s ex husband. In addition to these characters, Jessie’s dad plays a very important role. From the conversation she and her mother are having, her mother admits to never loving him, but unlike Thelma, Jessie loved her father very much. I believe the importance of Jessie’s father plays after his death, since she did not have a father figure and her mother did not seem to worry about other than herself. It is also mentioned in the play that Cecil, wa s a handy man that made the porch and Thelma ended up marrying him to her daughter. Such actions have made the character of Jessie to submerge herself in the memory of her father, because â€Å"she never saw an environment in which love and harmony were abundant† (Burkman 36). In my opinion, Jessie’s suicidal thoughts come from the lack of affection she has received throughout her life. Cecil, her ex-husband has also taken most of her happiness since she became epileptic and fell off a horse and he divorced her. Her ideal marriage never really came together, and to only see her son grow to be somewhat of an antisocial or a delinquent. Although her mother wants to convince her that this is just a phase Ricky is going through, she

A Thai Learner in the Learning Context Essay Example for Free

A Thai Learner in the Learning Context Essay 1. Introduction The Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA), offered by the University of Cambridge (ESOL Examinations), is run in over 120 centers around the world and it is considered by many authorities as the most important form of training in the TELF (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) industry. Between 30th of August and 24th of September 2004 I attended the Cambridge CELTA course at English and Computer College (ECC) from Bangkok. Cambridge ESOL is a not-for-profit department of the University of Cambridge. It is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group, Europes largest assessment agency. Cambridge Assessment was established in 1858 as the University of Cambridge local Examinations Syndicate (UCLESS). Cambridge ESOL provides exams and tests covering a large range of subjects and levels with more than 8 million assessments taken every year in over 150 countries. English and Computer College was established in 1990 and is the largest private language school from Thailand, with more than 50 branches spread all over the country. It runs a wide variety of courses from general conversation and grammar to specialized test preparation. It also provides pre-service and in-service teacher training programs for native and non-native speakers of English. During the CELTA course that I attended, the trainers exposed the students (most of them teachers of English themselves) to the principles of effective teaching while the students acquired a range of practical skills for teaching English to adult learners. The course included theory sessions, teaching practice with real students, observation of experienced teachers and completion of a range of practically focused written assignments. The present paper was built upon one of these assignments. It is a case study of a Thai young woman who was a student in my CELTA teaching practice lessons. The paper focuses on the learner in the learning context and identifies specific problems and recommends ways of dealing with the language problems that the interviewed student encountered . The paper ends with the rationale  for the recommended activities and an overall conclusion. 2. Profile of the learner The student I chose to observe and interview was Miss P.R. Her nickname is Nun, and she comes from Thailand. She was 24 years old at the time of the interview in 2004 and graduated from Busayarat Commercial School from Bangkok, with a degree in Computers in 1998. She had been studying English ever since primary school, when she was taught the basics of the English language. In high school, her English teachers focused mainly on vocabulary work, and during her university studies she had a few classes of English every week. She had been studying English by herself and had taken different language courses intensively since 2003. She joined the CELTA English classes at English Computer College in Bangkok on the 30th of August 2004. She attended all the classes, joining her 15 classmates five times a week. Miss P.R. had an outgoing personality. She was always willing to take part in the activities that the teachers prepared for the CELTA English lesson at ECC. The materials used by the teachers during the lessons varied, ranging from visual aids to worksheets, tape recorders, books, and game boards. Each lesson she took part in different writing, reading, listening, or speaking activities, but she also played fun games. When asked, she said that she believed the focus of the English lessons was mainly on speaking skills. She considered the lessons at ECC relaxed, and the students had and wanted to have a lot of fun. She felt that the foreign teachers were friendly and that they all had interesting personalities, which were reflected in their teaching styles. She noticed that the teachers have different accents too. She confessed that some of the teachers talked too fast, and sometimes she had to translate or explain the activities to her classmates. In her opinion, a good teacher should be kind and listen to all the students in the class. She would like teachers to pay more attention to the weak students and have in mind the fact that Thai students are shy and do not like to express their personal feelings. She thought it was a good idea for the teachers to  ³force them [the students] to speak ´ if they [the students] were reluctant to speak up in English. One of the main reasons why she was so outspoken was the fact that she had the chance to speak English outside the classroom with other foreigners too. Her educational background and her motivation were also important factors that built up her confidence. 3. Specific problems Her nationality was also important in her English learning context due to the fact that Thais have a specific mind set regarding languages. During my observations and interview I had noticed that she made frequent mistakes in pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.

Book Review On Tavriss The Mis Essay -- essays research papers

Carol Tavris’s The Mismeasure of Women offers the reader insight into the inequality and problems women face in society. I approached this book with the assumption that it would glorify women and belittle men. I figured that the author would blame all the problems women face on men. After completing the book I had a very different opinion. The author looked to society for the actual source of women’s inequality and never placed the blame on any one group of people. The book explains that although there are differences in the behavior of men and women in certain situations both types of behavior are equal and for the most part influenced by society. It is for that reason I recommend The Mismeasure of Women for both male and female readers. It offers a wealth of information and insight that would benefit society as a whole, as well as, the relationships between men and women. To help explain my recommendation and reasoning it is necessary to take a short look at what the book is saying. The book starts off by talking about the various reasons society feels women to be inferior to men. It seems to be built into our modern society to view men as the norm. Tavris explains early in the book about the experiments that were set up to study the male and female brain. The scientist’s were trying to prove that the male brain is superior to the female brain. The results were usually not what the scientist expected and were often never published. It was found in the study of the brain and almost all other areas where men and women are thought to differ that the male and female are alike in more ways that they are different. Tavris’s The Mismeasure of Women shows that point very clearly, “Thus, one must not overlook perhaps the most obvious conclusion, which is that basic patterns of male and female brain asymmetry seem to be more similar than they are different'; (Tavris 55). The book points out that many of the stereotypes about women’s behavior are untrue. One of the most important examples of this is the notion of PMS and other so-called women’s disorders. Tavris points out that many of the normal body workings of women are now looked at as disorders needing treatment. The author feels that this further makes the male the norm of society because society fails to turn male behavior and body functi... ... feminine behaviors are influenced and created by society can also be backed up from sociology lectures I have attended. Overall the books arguments are consistent with many other arguments on the same general subject. I spent a great deal of time looking for any point or idea the author left out that could be of vital importance for this book. I came up with nothing. The book presents all the information needed to effectively portray and defend the arguments. I found no area of the book that needed added support and/or thought. I found the areas dealing with women in the military and the workplace to be very well supported. I have known women in the military and they were very pro-war contrary to belief. Carol Tavris’s The Mismeasure of Women offers the reader insight in to the true cause of so-called women’s problems. It provides both men and women with the information to improve relationships between lovers, co-workers, friends and family members of the opposite sex. It increases the awareness of societies influence of the behaviors of men and women without putting the entire blame on any one group of people. In general I recommend this book for all people.