The Great Ideas of Clinical Science: 17 Principles that Every Mental Health Professional Should Understand

The idea that there is a fundamental rift between researchers and practitioners should not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the current literature, trends, and general feelings in the field of clinical psychology. Central to this scientist-practitioner gap is an underlying disagreement over the nature of knowledge, namely that while researchers point to empirical studies as the foundation of truth, many practitioners would argue that clinical experience offers a more complete understanding of a topic. And while research findings can often seem irrelevant and counter-intuitive to the seasoned therapist in session with a client, the subjective and un-founded methods of many practitioners can appear misguided to an empirically-minded scientist. The fact that members of one 'camp' or the other generally spend little time and effort attempting to familiarize themselves with the theory, practice, and merits of their counterparts only perpetuates this distinct line, further widening this schism.