Clinical psychology in Spain

A general view of the field of clinical psychology in present-day Spain is offered here. The field has experienced an enormous development over the past two decades. Many journals and specialized societies have been established, and a large number of professionals now are working in the field, most of them in private practice, but some in medical centers belonging to the Spanish national health service. This great expansion seems due mainly to the creation of a degree in psychology(1968) and the continuous flow of students demanding training in clinical subjects. A theoretical orientation toward a cognitive-behavioral approach seems to dominate, closely followed by those choosing a dynamic orientation. A large group of professionals dealing with health problems are reinforcing their idiosyncratic profile among the clinical psychology. A new study program to become a specialist in our field recently has been implemented and is just entering its initial stages (Internship in Psychology-PIR); it represents a significant improvement in the curriculum of the clinical psychology. All of these facts seem to prove the great vitality of this field in present-day Spain.