Why Psychology Is Important For Mental Health Professionals

The Importance Understanding the History of Psychology Psychology is an ever evolving field of study that is truly just in its infancy. Although tremendous strides have been made in our understanding of behavior, cognitions, emotions and brain functions, it has only been in the last 130 years that psychology has been studied as a science (Goodwin, 2015, p. 4). It is important for mental health professionals to understand the history and evolution of psychology because it is difficult, if not impossible, to fully grasp the subject without understanding its history. Goodwin (2015) explains that knowing the history of psychology helps us critically think about current issues and puts us in a better position to evaluate new claims of†¦show more content†¦When we have access to the personal lives and the histories of earlier psychologists who have contributed so much to the field, it is like we have been given complex case studies with rich data detailing the inner-workings of their minds, which is invaluable. Knowledge of the history of psychology increases our effectiveness as psychologists as we are able analyze and learn from the mistakes made by psychologists who have come before us. We are also able to reap the benefits of their work for ourselves and our clients, as well as future generations as our clinical work and research in the field continue to grow and evolve. We are fortunate to live in a time when resources are readily available for scientific research and advances in technology are allowing us to learn about the brain at increasingly rapid rates. Organizations such as the US National Institute of Mental Health have been established to transform our understanding and treatment of mental disorders (Callie, 2015). While the establishment of organizations to support research is not new, researchers today are able to study the neural activity of the brains of people diagnosed with different mental health disorders which is much more extensive research than we have been able to do at any point in history. Researchers today are pioneers in their fields, just as the forefathers of psychology were in their respective times. Understanding the processes