Re-defining the role of clinical psychologists: from the epistemological in-depth analysis of some starting points to the representation of new proposal elements.

Abstract

This article inserts in the debate – with reference to Salvatore’s editorial – in order to offer an epistemological and scientific contribution to be made available to Clinical Psychology with the aim of handling the critical aspects that the discipline is facing. On the one hand, these critical facets are related to current historical contingency regarding the so-called change in intervention requests made by users and, on the other hand, they concerns with structural aspects that refer to Psychology discipline origin and to cognitive, first, and operative, then, approach it acquired in the course of time. Therefore, starting from the exigencies that the Community expresses, it is necessary to draw an epistemological and scientific reflection in order to offer a proposal of guide lines addressed to handling either general critical aspects clinical psychology is facing and the aspects pertaining to and concerning with the clinical psychologist role. The reasoning will develop describing the two cognitive ways available to human species – common sense and scientific sense. The demarcating features that define these two ways of shaping reality will be (re) proposed, with the aim of entering into the merits of elements that allow clinical psychology going along grounding on scientific sense. On the basis of the reflections above mentioned and of epistemological analysis of the operative model that had generated Psychology - the medical model – the article will enter into the merits of implications and repercussions undermining the discipline outliving. In conclusion, in view of what will emerge from the arguments offered as epistemological in-depth analysis, the article will advance a scenario describing other and different “chances” of Clinical Psychology that enable both handling of critical aspects that are currently characterizing it and tracing guide lines of a possible development.