A History of Clinical Psychology : Second Edition

First published in 1991, this book begins in the late 18th century with a climate of ideas receptive to the development of clinical psychology, and proceeds to trace its growth in theoretical systems, techniques, practices, and professional organization. After the first chapter, each chapter is devoted to a particular decade.

Originally published in 1991, A History of Clinical Psychology: Second Edition begins in the late 18th century with a climate of ideas receptive to the development of clinical psychology, and proceeds to trace its growth in theoretical systems, techniques, practices, and professional organization. After the first chapter, which sets the stage for what follows, each chapter is devoted to a particular decade and is divided into these sections: a brief sketch of events, mostly outside psychology, to give a hint of the Zeitgeist; concepts and theories concerning "normal" personality functioning and some of the persons who advocated them; the major diagnostic techniques employed and the people who devised them; diagnostic formulations which were influential and those who conceived them; treatments proposed and used and those who practiced them; and the development of the profession and those who promoted it. This edition required two new chapters along with a few changes to the earlier chapters to bring it up to date. During the time between editions clinical psychologists had become an influential, if not dominant, voice in American psychology, and clinical psychology could be found in varying stages of growth throughout the world.