Clinical psychology is defined as a subdiscipline that is included within psychology, which is responsible for studying all the elements involved in mental disorders and, more generally, those related to mental health. In this way, clinical psychology carries out all the tasks related to the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and therapeutic intervention in those individuals who present some type of mental impairment or, failing that, maladaptive behavior, in order to restore psychological balance and in that way eliminate all the suffering that overwhelms you. For their part, the professionals of clinical psychology are called psychotherapists.
An important fact that should be defined is that clinical psychology and psychiatry have some aspects in common, as is the case of the treatment of mental disorders. However, it is important to emphasize the fact that there are important differences between the two areas. Examples include psychiatrists, who are authorized to prescribe medicines while psychologists do not have allowed to do so.
The truth is that human beings are so complex that certainly, it takes the interdisciplinary work of different professionals to have a more objective view of the world. It is for that reason that there are teams of professionals that are made up of psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists, just to mention a few. It is not a secret that the human being is not a machine and not to mention that it is a personal being, which is why it is marked by its own characteristics.
This part of psychology focuses on the investigation, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, rehabilitation and preservation of all those issues that cause harm to mental health.
For its part, in terms of psychotherapy and psychological counseling, they are included among the main practices of this discipline, whose origins date back to 1896 by Lightner Witmer. Beginning in the 20th century, clinical psychology focused on psychological evaluation; Despite this, after World War II, efforts were directed towards treating the people who were affected.
