This taxonomy was developed to provide a consistent set of terms and definitions related to education and training in health service psychology specialties recognized by the American Psychological Association. You can download a PDF of the taxonomy here: Clinical Health Psychology CoS Taxonomy_final
*The term “focus” should be used to describe opportunities in areas of training which are not recognized specialties. Training programs should strive to provide explicit explanations of the type of training provided in these non-specialty areas.
Clinical Health Psychology E & T Taxonomy was approved by CoS Board of Directors on 10- 29-2021. CoS will request an updated Taxonomy for CoS review and approval one year prior to Clinical Health Psychology’s next petition for renewal of specialty recognition by the Commission for Recognition of Specialties and Subspecialties in Professional Psychology (CRSSPP). The updated Taxonomy will be due at end of 2023.
Common Definitions and Criteria Across All Recognized Specialties
Clarifications to help recognized specialties use the APA-Taxonomy** in a consistent manner
• Broad and general training forms the core of education and training in health service psychology. Programs are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), Commission on Accreditation (CoA) or Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). Programs integrate the broad and general training with those educational and training activities related to recognized specialties as determined by the specialty and described in a specialty taxonomy. In addition, each specialty will have education and training guidelines consistent with its specialty area. Specialty training may be acquired at the doctoral, doctoral internship, postdoctoral, or post-licensure stages as defined by the specialty.
• By definition, postdoctoral education and training is a Major Area of Study in a specialty recognized by the Commission for the Recognition of Specialties and Subspecialties in Professional Psychology (CRSSPP) and requires that 80% or more of time be spent in the specialty area. At the postdoctoral training stage, as per above, it is recognized that training in the Major Area of Study will be consistent with the education and training guidelines set forth by the specialty.
• A course is typically defined as 3 semester-credit hours (or equivalent) in a health service psychology training program accredited by APA or CPA.
• A practicum is typically defined as the equivalent of one academic year (e.g., 9 months, in semester or quarter systems) consisting of supervised training for at least 8 hours per week, or its equivalent, with at least 50% of time in the provision of clinical services.
• Consistent with what is described in CoA Standards of Accreditation, supervision should be provided by persons with competencies in the specialty demonstrated by appropriate training, credentials, and qualifications for training in the specialty as defined by the specialty.
• Additional training experiences can also include, but are not limited to, research experiences, lab meetings, brown bags, lecture/colloquia series, and grand rounds, as defined by the specialty.
• For definitions of continuing education (CE) and continuing professional development (CPD) see the APA Quality Professional Development and Continuing Education Resolution. A continuing education (CE) course is defined as an organized program by the American Psychological Association or Canadian Psychological Association, a State Psychological Association, or other major provider of CE (e.g., Society of Behavioral Medicine).
** Taxonomy; www.apa.org/ed/graduate/specialize/taxonomy.pdf
Specialty Specific Definitions and Criteria
1 Clinical Health Psychology course: Must have content congruent with Clinical Health Psychology 2018 Education and Training Guidelines (available on Council of Specialties in Professional Psychology website https://cospp.org/education-and-training-guidelines-1).
2 Clinical Health Psychology practicum/externship: Must include at least 50% of clinical service delivery with health-related issues of patient, family members, and/or interprofessional care teams.
3 Clinical Health Psychology dissertation or research project: Includes empirical research, extended case studies, literature critiques and analyses, or capstone projects.
4 Clinical Health Psychology supervised experience/practice: Must include at least 50% of clinical service delivery to clinical health psychology patients, family members, and/or interprofessional care teams (e.g., assessment, treatment, consultation). Seminar attendance, readings, supervision, interdisciplinary team participation and research may count as part of the supervised experience.
5 Primary supervisors of clinical health psychology supervised experience should have training, qualifications, or credentials (e.g., ABPP, HSP) as clinical health psychologists.
6 Clinical Health Psychology supervised practice: At least 50% of clinical service delivery to clinical health psychology patients, family members, and/or interprofessional care teams (e.g., assessment, treatment, consultation).
7 Primary supervisors of clinical health psychology post-licensure practice should have training, qualifications, or credentials (e.g., ABPP, HSP) as clinical health psychologists.
Examples of Program Descriptors for Stages of Training in Clinical Health Psychology
Doctoral
In our APA accredited doctoral program in Health Service Psychology at Our University we offer a Major Area of Study in Clinical Health Psychology with at least two courses and two supervised clinical practica in Clinical Health Psychology. The Major Area of Study must include a dissertation or research project within Clinical Health Psychology. We offer students an Exposure to Clinical Neuropsychology with one course in that area and an Experience in Clinical Child Psychology with two courses and two semesters of supervised practicum in that area. We offer a Focus in cardiac psychology as part of our advanced practicum wherein an advanced assessment course and two additional practica semesters are available on the cardiac care unit.
Doctoral Internship
Our internship program in Health Service Psychology is accredited by the APA-Commission on Accreditation and offers a Major Area of Study in Clinical Health Psychology at Our Health Science Center. At least 50% of trainee time will be devoted to supervised experience in clinical health psychology with direct patient assessment and treatment activities and consultation services. We also provide an Experience involving up to 25% supervised time in family-oriented treatment of medically ill patients and their families. There is an optional Experience in Clinical Neuropsychology at our Clinic. This Experience would involve up to 25% of supervised time working with neurology patients. Our internship also offers a focus on psychooncology service provision as part of the >50% time required in the Major area of Study.
Postdoctoral Residency
The Clinical Health Psychology Postdoctoral Program at Our Health Science Center is accredited by APA-Commission on Accreditation. With the Major Area of the postdoctoral program being in Clinical Health Psychology, at least 80% of the postdoctoral resident’s time will be clinical health psychology supervised experience. Within the required 80% time in the Major Area of Study in Clinical Health Psychology (CHP), residents will have >50% of clinical service delivery time devoted to clinical health psychology patients, family members, and/or interprofessional care teams (e.g., assessment, treatment, consultation). Our program provides an opportunity for a resident to focus on integrated primary care, psychooncology, obesity, or pain rehabilitation as part of their required 80% time in the Major Area of Study. Our program requires 2 research products (i.e., peer-reviewed publication and paper/poster presentation at national/international meeting) by the completion of the two-year postdoctoral program. Residents have opportunity for optional Exposure in Geropsychology with up to 10% of time of supervised experience in the Geropsychology Clinic.
Post-Licensure Training
Our Health Service Psychology Training Institute is an APA approved sponsor of psychology continuing education. Our course, Clinical Health Psychology in Primary and Tertiary Health Care, provides 50 hours of CE and 480 hours of supervised practice following the course. Supervision is provided on a monthly basis via Skype with an experienced clinical health psychologist mentor. This program is consistent with Emphasis level training in clinical health psychology as described in the Clinical Health Psychology Specialty Taxonomy Grid.