I know this is bizarre, but at my school there are hardly -any- clinical faculty, as we don't have a clinical program. I've pretty much been stuck in terms of tracking anyone down who could help me. None of the professors or grad students can, because they're all studying experimental and developmental, etc... very research-oriented, non-applied areas.

If I wish to pursue clinical psychology (potential area of specialization: psychotherapeutic methods for young adults negatively affected by poor socialization, divorcing parents, isolation ---in other words, a negative home environment--- as well as therapies for families with troubled youths), how should I be planning the rest of my undergraduate courses? Clinical psychology in general is soooo broad and to be a good practitioner I think one needs to follow courses in all major areas (including all the biological courses). Namely, I speak of courses in our school which deal with social, personality, and abnormal psychology. We have intro courses in each area, advanced courses, and then upper-year seminars. It seems as though they want you to choose one of these 3 (if any) and narrow down your focus. But if i want to be a practitioner who can treat not only emotionally-disturbed youths, but also those with personality problems, as well as those having relational problems (after all, in any one case, all three such problems may be present), then should I be studying all three areas in the remainder of my undergrad years? Or do I risk being too broad here? Is it necessary to do this? EE

I think, first of all, that it is best to get a broad based education in and out of psychology as an undergraduate. Your understanding of learning theory, social psychology, personality, physiological psychology, etc. will better help you understand the human organism in all of our complexity. Your understanding of chemistry, literature, and art will also be helpful. Within the American system, graduate school, even postgraduate training and experience, is the time to specialize. Our students, however, feel like you and are unsure whether they should begin to go further in specializing early. Talk to your advisor about the pros and cons of this.

Furthermore, a surprising number of people shift their focus at one or another point in their career. (I am a case in point, having started out as an experimental psychologist.)