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The quality of our Clinical Associates and the care they provide is a cornerstone of the TAPA experience. As such, the credentials of each Clinical Associate are provided under the About TAPA/Professional Staff tab. Because there are many different types of licenses, credentials, and training in the field of mental health, a brief glossary of terms is provided below to help you understand the meaning of the credentials that various members of the TAPA team have.
- ABPP (American Board of Professional Psychology)
The ABPP is a professional board that examines and certifies qualified psychologists who demonstrate competence in particular areas of professional psychology. Psychologists who demonstrate such competence are “board certified” by the ABPP and may put the initials ABPP after their graduate degree(s). ABPP certification is extremely rigorous and very few psychologists in the United States are ABPP certified.
- AAFP (American Academy of Forensic Psychology)
The AAFP is a branch of the the American Board of Forensic Psychology (ABFP) and provides education and training to forensic psychologists. The Board is also responsible for the diplomating process in forensic psychology. Both the AAFP and the ABFP are part of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), which provides certification in various specialty areas in psychology. The AAFP was organized in order to provide development and maintenance of forensic psychology as a specialized field of study, research and practice. The mission of the Academy includes: providing continuing education programs in forensic psychology; providing an ongoing forum for members to exchange scientific information; awarding outstanding practitioners of forensic psychology; and facilitating other activities that advance the field and profession of forensic psychology.
- APA Accredited Doctoral Training Program in Clinical Psychology
The American Psychological Association offers accreditation of doctoral programs in Clinical Psychology, should those programs wish to submit for accreditation. In the words of the American Psychological Association, the purpose of APA accreditation is to “foster excellence in [graduate] education through the development of principles and guidelines for assessing educational effectiveness.” Why is APA accreditation important? Again in the words of the APA, “Accreditation assures public accountability of a program or institution … in other words, that there is ‘truth in advertising.” There are less than 250 APA Accredited Doctoral Training Programs in Clinical Psychology in the USA and Canada, and all TAPA Clinicians are graduates of these programs.
- APA Accredited Predoctoral Internships in Clinical and Professional Psychology
The APA accredits predoctoral internships in professional psychology, and in the past has accredited predoctoral programs in clinical psychology. The APA defines professional psychology as “that part of the discipline in which an individual, with appropriate education and training, provides psychological services to the general public.” The purpose of the accreditation process is “to promote consistent quality and excellence in education and training in professional psychology.” There are less than 50 APA Accredited Predoctoral Internships in California.
- Certified Crisis Negotiator
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team conducts an annual 40-hour training course in Crisis Negotiation. Mental health professionals and law enforcement personnel from across the nation are selected to participate in this unique and highly competitive certification process. Holders of this certification are trained in hostage negotiation and techniques to speak with barricaded suspects and suicidal individuals. Continued quarterly training is conducted to refine perishable skills.
- Clinical Psychology/Clinical Psychologist
A clinical psychologist is a psychologist who graduated from a doctoral training program in clinical psychology. Many if not most psychologists are not clinical psychologists, and graduated from other branches of psychology (general psychology, counseling psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology). Clinical psychology is that branch of psychology that involves the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. Clinical psychology training programs are extremely competitive and rigorous and involve years of highly specialized curricula that involve the application of research and methodologies in the assessment, evaluation, and treatment of psychological and psychiatric conditions.
- Clinical Psychopharmacology
Psychoeducation of a patient by a highly trained psychologist about the types, effects, advantages, and disadvantages of medications to treat mental disorders and emotional conditions. A psychologist specializing in clinical psychopharmacology also frequently collaborates with the prescribing physician to optimize clinical care.
- Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy (CRT)
CRT, also known as cognitive retraining, is a therapy specifically focused on cognitive skills enhancement and rehabilitation of specific brain impairment. Individuals who sustain any number of neurologically based disorders and/or psychiatric disorders frequently experience cognitive impairments or thinking problems that decrease optimal daily functioning. CRT is designed to reduce cognitive dysfunction and improve brain skills in attention, memory, problem solving, thinking and decision making, and processing speed. CRT is best accomplished with a qualified, competent therapist who utilizes a treatment program focused on brain retraining strategies with the goal of assisting the individual to acquire the highest possible level of cognitive functioning. Although CRT can be used in inpatient facilities, it is primarily used in an outpatient, office-based setting with intensive, interactive, individual sessions.
- DBT Specialist (Supervised)
A DBT Specialist is a clinician who has attended extensive training and supervision with the psychological intervention known as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for the treatment of trauma and Borderline Personality (BP) Disorder. Due to invalidating environments during upbringing as well as hypothesized biological factors, individuals with BP features react abnormally to emotional stimulation. Their level of arousal goes up much more quickly, peaks at a higher level, and takes more time to return to baseline. This explains why individuals with BP features are known for crisis-strewn lives and extreme emotional lability (emotions that shift rapidly). Because of their past invalidation, they have limited methods for coping with these sudden, intense surges of emotion DBT is a method for teaching skills that will help an individual to manage “roller coaster emotions” and interpersonal difficulties. Four modules (Mindfulness, Emotional Regulation, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Skills) help an individual to build a more satisfying and meaningful life.
- EMDR Specialist (Supervised)
An EMDR Specialist is a clinician who has attended extensive training and supervision with the psychological intervention known as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is an information processing therapy and uses an eight phase approach to address the experiential contributors of a wide range of pathologies. It attends to the past experiences that have set the groundwork for pathology, the current situations that trigger dysfunctional emotions, beliefs and sensations, and the positive experience needed to enhance future adaptive behaviors and mental health. During treatment various procedures and protocols are used to address the entire clinical picture. One of the procedural elements is "dual stimulation" using either bilateral eye movements, tones or taps. During the reprocessing phases the client attends momentarily to past memories, present triggers, or anticipated future experiences while simultaneously focusing on a set of external stimulus. During that time, clients generally experience the emergence of insight, changes in memories, or new associations. The clinician assists the client to focus on appropriate material before initiation of each subsequent set.
- Forensic Psychology/Forensic Psychologist
Forensic psychology is the intersection between the legal system (criminal justice and civil law) and psychology and requires a thorough understanding of criminal and civil law, both in federal and state jurisdictions. A forensic psychologist works with judges, attorneys and other legal professionals, translating psychological findings into the legal language of the courtroom. Forensic psychologists often testify in court about psychological aspects relevant to legal questions. For example, in criminal law a forensic psychologist is frequently appointed by the court to assess a defendant's competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility, sentencing recommendations, treatment recommendations, and any other information the judge requests, such as information regarding alternative sentencing options, mitigating factors, assessment of future risk, and evaluation of witness credibility. In civil law, a forensic psychologist may be asked to evaluate for emotional disability or workers’ compensation.
- IPT (Interpersonal Therapy) Therapist, supervised
A psychologist that has been trained and supervised in a formal six month interpersonal therapy training program. IPT is a form of brief psychotherapy designed to treat depression. A fundamental assumption of IPT is that factors related to depression occur within an interpersonal context, and that addressing the current interpersonal context will help alleviate the patient's depression. The patient and therapist together select one of four specific interpersonal problem areas to focus on for the duration of treatment: Interpersonal Disputes, Role Transitions, Grief (Bereavement), or Interpersonal Deficits. Treatment proceeds in a highly structured way to address the specific interpersonal problem area within the timeframe of this brief therapy. IPT has been adapted to Dysthymia, Bulimia Nervosa, Substance Abuse Disorders, Somitization Disorder, and other psychiatric diagnoses.
- IPSRT (Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy) Therapist, supervised
A psychologist that has been trained and supervised in a formal six month interpersonal and social rhythm therapy training program. IPSRT is an adaptation of Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) for the treatment of Bipolar Disorder. The fundamental structure of IPT has been expanded, primarily by adding a fifth interpersonal problem area, Grief for Loss of the Healthy Self, in which patients with Bipolar Disorder are coming to terms with the fact that they have a chronic illness. IPSRT adds an additional major component, social rhythm therapy, which address the well-documented fact that patients with Bipolar Disorder are at increased risk for relapse if their social rhythms - for example time of waking, sleeping, and eating - are consistently dysregulated. IPSRT helps the patient establish and maintain stable social rhythms to assist in relapse prevention.
- Licensed Psychologist
A psychologist that has been licensed by the state of California. Only a person with a license to practice psychology may call themselves a psychologist in a treatment setting in the state of California; it is a legally defined term.
- National Institute of Mental Health Postdoctoral Fellowship
A postdoctoral fellowship awarded to a Principal Investigator by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a federal agency in the greater Washington, DC area that supports grants and research projects by outstanding scientists across the country at universities and institutions. NIMH funds research in the neurosciences, research on mental disorders, and research on a wide variety of other mental health related interdisciplinary topics.
- National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology
The National Register is a nonprofit organization. Membership in the National Register requires that a psychologist meet stringent educational requirements regarding the quality of the university at which they received their doctoral degree, and that the quality of their predoctoral and postdoctoral training meets similar high quality standards. In addition, membership in the National Register assures the consumer that the psychologist holds a valid license and is in good standing with their state licensing board.
- Neuropsychologist
A neuropsychologist is a licensed clinical psychologist with added credentials and advanced pre-and-post-doctoral training, supervision, and expertise in how behaviors are related to structures and systems within the brain. Neuropsychology is the evaluation of how the various structures and functions within the brain relate to specific psychological processes. Neuropsychological testing provides a pattern of strengths and weaknesses across many areas of brain functioning, including intelligence, memory, language, learning, executive functioning, attention, sensory processing, visual-spatial, and motor skills. A neuropsychological evaluation is often needed to assist in diagnosis of head injury, stroke, seizure, the cognitive deficits associated with psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia, dementia, and pervasive developmental disorders. A clinical neuropsychologist then makes one or more diagnoses, assists in treatment planning, and may provide specific specialty therapy such as cognitive rehabilitation.
- Postdoctoral Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology
Postdoctoral Master of Science in Clinical Psychopharmacology: A post-doctoral, post-licensure master’s degree in clinical psychopharmacology covering such topics as biochemistry, neurochemistry, neurophysiology, neuroanatomy/neuropathology, clinical medicine and pathophysiology, broad topics in psychopharmacology, chemical dependence, and pharmacotherapeuctics.
- Psychoanalyst (Certified)
A certified psychoanalyst has a doctorate in psychoanalysis and a certificate of completion of training from his or her Psychoanalytic Institute (a doctoral program that specializes in training psychoanalysts). Only psychologists who hold a certificate in psychoanalysis may ethically identify themselves as psychoanalysts in the state of California. Contemporary psychoanalysis is an interpersonal process between patient and analyst designed to treat emotional pain and discomfort, to help with personal growth and effective development, and to improve the quality of the patient's interpersonal relationships. Contemporary psychoanalysis focuses on exploring the patient's unique experiences to better understand him or herself and others so as to have a richer, more satisfying life.
- Psychoanalyst, Training and Supervising
A psychoanalyst who is qualified by his or her Psychoanalytic Institute to supervise psychoanalytic candidates (professionals who are training to become psychoanalysts), and to perform a special form of psychoanalysis on candidates (what is called a ‘training analysis’).
- TMS Psychoeducation Specialist
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a form of non-invasive, non-systemic medical treatment in which short pulses of magnetic fields are used to stimulate brain cells that are believed to control mood. Non-invasive means that the treatment does not involve surgery, anesthetics, or sedation; non-systemic means that the treatment is not taken by mouth and nothing circulates through the bloodstream. TMS is an outpatient procedure performed in a psychiatrist’s office while the patient is awake and alert. A TMS Psychoeducation Specialist is a clinician who has specialized training and knowledge about TMS and has expertise in providing detailed psychoeducation to patients and family members about TMS as one option to consider for the treatment of depression for patients who have not benefited from prior antidepressant medication treatment.
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