Professional practice

February 2011 | Professor Don Thomson

The question of whether the ethical and legal issues confronting psychologists in rural practice are different from those for urban psychologists is one that has been vigorously debated. There are those who assert that ethical matters for rural psychologists are different and that current ethical...

February 2011 | Ashley Van Houten

The DSM-IV indicates that a transsexual person, an individual diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder (GID), has a disorder which manifests with symptoms of intense mental health distress caused by an incongruent gender identity (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). As a result, the...

December 2010 | Sue Edwards, Gregg Chapman, Alan Plumb and Chris Gostelow

School psychology in rural and remote Australia can be exciting and challenging work. Working as a school psychologist in rural and remote communities requires specialised psychological skills, a ‘can-do’ attitude and a flexible approach. A good understanding of Indigenous culture is...

December 2010 | Mick Symons

The APS receives regular queries from members about the correct way to refer to and list qualifications on business cards, and the proper use of postnominals (the letters listed after one's name) associated with APS membership.With the advent of national registration and endorsement to denote...

October 2010 | Dr Rebecca Mathews, David Stokes and Professor Brin Grenyer

A lack of precise information about the psychology workforce in Australia has created the need to ensure that relevant, current, accurate and unbiased data on the availability and quality of psychological services is collected.Recent government initiatives and policy decisions have highlighted...

June 2010 | Mick Symons

On behalf of the APS Ethical Guidelines CommitteeThe phenomenon of the recall of a previously unreported memory of trauma has evoked public controversy, therapeutic uncertainty, scientific debate and litigation. It has been recommended that the terms ‘recovered memories' or &lsquo...

June 2010 | Jeanette Jifkins, et al.

The APS frequently hears concerns from psychologists working in schools over instances where principals and administrators have created policies or incorrectly interpreted child protection laws to allow unrestricted access to student psychological records. This has resulted in psychologists...

June 2010 | Kylie Murphy, et al.

The APS has recently revised and updated a review of evidence-based interventions for mental disorders, which was first undertaken and published by the APS in 2003 to support the Federal Government's Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care program. The revised Evidence-based psychological...

April 2010 | Jeanette Jifkins

The APS receives a significant number of enquiries from psychologists concerned about their level of responsibility to report situations where they have knowledge that children, and other vulnerable groups such as older adults or people with intellectual disabilities, may be at risk of being...