Investigating Clinical Psychology

Investigating Clinical Psychology takes a deep dive into the field of clinical psychology through the lens of pseudoscience and fringe science. An expert panel of authors honors the role of science in the field while also exploring and guarding against the harms that pseudoscience can cause. Clinicians have an ethical duty to provide the best available, evidence-based care. Engaging, accessible, and open-minded in approach, this book outlines the distinction between science and pseudoscience in order to prevent the false, and often quite harmful, effects that pseudoscientific practices can have on patients in need of mental health services. The book covers a variety of topics, including harmful therapies, purple hat therapies, animal-assisted therapies, hypnosis, and energy medicine. Featuring world-renowned voices from health care specialists to skeptics on the outside of the field gazing in, it equips readers with the skills needed to differentiate between pseudoscientific and evidence-based approaches in both study and practice. Aligning with many major undergraduate textbooks for easy course integration, Investigating Clinical Psychology is valuable supplemental reading in undergraduate and graduate courses in clinical psychology. It is also a beneficial reference for clinicians in practice, as well as anyone interested in pseudoscience within the mental health sector.

Jonathan N. Stea, PhD, RPsych, is a practicing clinical psychologist and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Calgary (UofC) in Canada. He's a two-time winner of the UofC's Award for Excellence in Clinical Supervision and the 2022 recipient of the Psychologists' Association of Alberta's media and science communication award. His forthcoming book about mental health misinformation and pseudoscience will be published in 2025 by Penguin Random House Canada, Oxford University Press, and Audible. Stephen Hupp, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) in the United States. In 2015, he won the Great Teacher Award from the SIUE Alumni Association. He has published several books, including Pseudoscience in Therapy and Science-Based Therapy, and he is the Editor of Skeptical Inquirer: The Magazine for Science and Reason.

Foreword Timothy Caulfield Preface Stephen Hupp PART I: Introduction 1. The Role of Science in Clinical Psychology Jonathan N. Stea 2. Intellectual Humility and Historical Roots in Pseudoscience Daniel Machado, Owen Hicks, and David J. A. Dozois PART II: Assessment 3. Dubious Diagnoses Blake A. E. Boehme, Andres De Los Reyes, & Gordon J. G. Asmundson 4. Rorschach Inkblots James M. Wood, M. Teresa Nezworski, and Howard N. Garb 5. Personality Assessment Gerald P. Koocher and Yilong Peng PART III: Intervention 6. Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy Miranda A. L. van Tilburg 7. Harmful Mental Health Interventions Yevgeny Botanov, Alexander J. Williams, John Sakaluk, and Robyn Kilshaw 8. Energy Medicine Jon Guy, Melanie Trecek-King, Ruth Ann Harpur, and Jonathan N. Stea 9. Purple Hat Therapies Eve A. Rosenfeld and Carmen P. McLean 10. Animal-Assisted Therapies Kitti Bessenyei, Igor Yakovenko, Lindsey Snaychuk, and Andrew (Hyounsoo) Kim PART IV: Special Topics 11. Child and Adolescent Psychology Jaden Sangoi, Keaira Cox, and Stephen Hupp 12. Alternative Medicine Edzard Ernst 13. Neuropsychology Isabella Hartley and Indre V. Viskontas 14. Forensic Psychology Montana L. Ploe, David K. Marcus, and John F. Edens PART V: Conclusion 15. Science-Based Clinical Psychology Stephen Hupp and Vyla Hupp