A PsyD degree for every practitioner. Truth in labeling

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Health Care Professions

Background:

• Approximately 70% of American Psychological Association (APA) members are health care providers.
• The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, a scholarly degree, is commonly awarded to psychologists, leading to consumer confusion about provider qualifications.
• Consumers struggle to identify psychologists qualified for health care services due to the generic nature of the PhD degree.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) as a distinct credential for psychologists providing doctoral-level health services.
• To enhance clarity for consumers seeking qualified health care providers in psychology.
• To suggest a mechanism for recognizing existing qualified PhD psychologists with the PsyD degree.

Main Methods:

• The study suggests establishing the PsyD as a specific health service provider credential.
• It proposes a retroactive awarding of the PsyD based on credential review for licensed PhD psychologists.
• The model is compared to the historical awarding of the Juris Doctor (JD) to lawyers with prior LLB degrees.

Main Results:

• The implementation of the PsyD would clearly identify psychologists engaged in health service delivery.
• Licensed PhD psychologists could obtain the PsyD without relinquishing their original degree.
• Individuals approved would be identified by both PsyD and PhD credentials (PsyD, PhD).

Conclusions:

• Adopting the PsyD as a health service credential can resolve consumer confusion.
• A retroactive credential review process is a viable mechanism for awarding the PsyD.
• This change would improve the identification of doctoral-level health service psychologists.