licensed and qualified professionals according to the provisions of this act. The public must also be protected from
the consequences of unprofessional conduct by persons licensed to practice psychology.
The practice of psychology in (name of state) is hereby declared to affect the public health, safety, and welfare, and
to be subject to regulation to protect the public from the practice of psychology by unqualified persons and from
unprofessional conduct by persons licensed to practice psychology.
B. Definitions
Definitions provide consistent interpretation throughout the Act without unnecessary repetition of terms. Thus
“Board,” once defined in this section, can subsequently be cited with the same meaning as presented in the
definition.
In defining “institution of higher education,” it is further recognized that many foreign institutions prepare
psychologists for professional practice, and provision should be made to accommodate them in Board regulations.
Psychological services should be described adequately and specified in order to identify clearly the areas of
psychological services, provided to individuals, groups of individuals, or organizations, that require qualified and
sound professional psychology practice. There can be a legitimate use for technology-supported services, such as
electronic or telephonic means. All such activities must operate according to appropriate APA Ethical guidelines
and Board regulations.
1. “Board” means the (name of state) State Psychology Board.
2. “Institution of higher education” means any regionally accredited institution of higher education in the United
States, including a professional school, that offers a full-time doctoral course of study in psychology that is
acceptable to the Board. For Canadian universities, it means an institution of higher education that is provincially
or territorially chartered.
3. “Practice of psychology” is defined as the observation, description, evaluation, interpretation, and modification
of human behavior by the application of psychological principles, methods, and procedures, for the purposes of (a)
preventing, eliminating, evaluating, assessing, or predicting symptomatic, maladaptive, or undesired behavior; (b)
evaluating, assessing, and/or facilitating the enhancement of individual, group, and/or organizational effectiveness
– including personal effectiveness, adaptive behavior, interpersonal relationships, work and life adjustment, health,
and individual, group, and/or organizational performance, or (c) assisting in legal decision-making.
The practice of psychology includes, but is not limited to, (a) psychological testing and the evaluation or assessment
of personal characteristics, such as intelligence; personality; cognitive, physical, and/or emotional abilities; skills;
interests; aptitudes; and neuropsychological functioning; (b) counseling, psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, hypnosis,
biofeedback, and behavior analysis and therapy; (c) diagnosis, treatment, and management of mental and emotional
disorder or disability, substance use disorders, disorders of habit or conduct, as well as of the psychological aspects
of physical illness, accident, injury, or disability; (d) psychoeducational evaluation, therapy, and remediation; (e)
consultation with physicians, other health care professionals, and patients regarding all available treatment
options, including medication, with respect to provision of care for a specific patient or client; (f) provision of direct
services to individuals and/or groups for the purpose of enhancing individual and thereby organizational
effectiveness, using psychological principles, methods, and/or procedures to assess and evaluate individuals on
personal characteristics for individual development and/or behavior change or for making decisions about the
individual, such as selection; and (g) the supervision of any of the above. The practice of psychology shall be
construed within the meaning of this definition without regard to whether payment is received for services rendered.
(See Section G for Limitation of Practice and Maintaining and Expanding Competence and Section J for
Exemptions.)
4. “Psychologist” means (a) any person licensed as a psychologist under this Act and (b) any general applied
psychologist (see 5b below) whose practice areas are specifically exempted under this act, and includes a person
representing himself or herself to be a psychologist if that person uses any title or description of services
incorporating the words psychology, psychological, or psychologist, or if he or she uses any term that implies that
2