A reorientation of clinical psychology? Look before you leap

A recent proposal by Fox (1982) has suggested that the field of clinical psychology needs to undergo a reorientation away from psychopathology to the totality of human problems. This is viewed as a natural extension of the evolution of clinical psychology and is justified by the position that "Psychology is the only discipline that has both a comprehensive science of human behavior and an established professional arm" (Fox, 1982, p. 1052). Evidence is cited that suggests that many of the roles which Fox sees as appropriate for doctoral-level clinical psychologists can and are being performed adequately by master's-level professional social workers. The proposed reorientation of clinical psychology would be neither cost effective of educational resources nor feasible in terms of training adequate numbers of psychological service providers. This proposal by Fox further reflects a lack of awareness of the empirically based service tradition of many professional social workers (Thyer, 1981).