Psychology industry "manufacturing a crisis" says Social Service Outcomes Researcher

Post-Graduate Psychology funding cuts a “manufactured industry crisis in search of a legitimate problem, says Social Services Outcomes Researcher

The manic drum-beating by The New Zealand Psychological Society and the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists over post-graduate funding cuts is a “manufactured crisis looking for a legitimate problem to solve” says Steve Taylor, Director of 24-7 Ltd, and Social Services Outcome Researcher.

“The client outcome research regarding what makes for a successful clinical intervention has illustrated time and time again that the type of professional discipline of the helping practitioner makes absolutely no difference to client wellbeing".

"It would appear that the field of Psychology is undergoing a none-too-subtle exercise in “patch protection”, and is scare-mongering in an attempt to secure post-graduate funding”.

“The are many other mythical assumption inherent in informing social services funding, including the role of gender matching, professional registration, length of time in the industry, cultural competence, or type of qualification – none of these factors make any difference to successfully achieving positive client outcomes – rather, it is the person of the helping professional that makes the greatest contribution to a successful client outcome, and the formal measurement of progress, coupled with solid skills training and competent supervision” says Mr Taylor.

“Psychologists seem to assume that “more training” equals “more competent – it doesn’t, and the outcome research says it doesn’t. Appeals to the contrary are grounded not in science, not in outcomes, but rather in popular opinion, assumption, corporate egocentrism, and myth”.

Organisations such as ACC and The Family Court have been willingly duped into believing that Psychologists have a level of industry competence above and beyond other helping professions, yet the outcome research shows that a lay person can achieve the same client outcomes as a long term helping practitioner, regardless of discipline”.

Unfortunately, while it is now known worldwide that Psychology has long had a validity, consistency, and reliability problem in terms of diagnostic criteria, service delivery, and outcomes, New Zealand continues to believe that the metaphorical Psychology emperor is fully closed – they are in fact naked, and will remain so, despite the best lobbying efforts of industry zealots” said Mr Taylor.

ENDS

© Scoop Media