Introduction to Psychopathology Assessments and Clinical Practice

This introductory course provides trainee mental health therapists with an introduction to psychopathology assessments and their relevance for clinical practice, focusing on the systematic application of established DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria to identify and treat some of the most prevalent disorders. Students will examine how common mental health psychopathologies--anxiety disorders (GAD, panic, phobias), depression (MDD, dysthymia), ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, OCD, substance use and eating disorders, and personality disorders (BPD, NPD)-- impair psychological and emotional functioning across the lifespan, and how specific disorders impact and present differently. Emphasizing the importance of therapist cultural and general diversity awareness, the curriculum addresses the unique clinical needs of diverse communities to ensure equitable diagnostic and treatment processes. Participants will learn to integrate standardized psychopathology assessments with evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, developing the clinical synthesis required to treat the most common mental health pathologies encountered in modern practice.