Focus on Clinical Child Psychology in the Master Psychology – professionally helping when young people suffer

What does a clinical child psychologist actually do – and what skills and competences are needed for this profession?

Clinical child psychology is dedicated to one of the most sensitive and at the same time most urgent areas of psychological care: supporting young people with mental burdens. In the interview, Prof. Dr. Sabine Arnold gives insights into her work, explains the importance of the focus area in the Master's programme Psychology at IB Hochschule – and makes clear why well-trained specialists are needed in this area more than ever.

Prof. Dr. Arnold, what moves you about clinical child psychology and why is this professional field particularly important today?

"The care of children and adolescents with mental suffering and disorders is very close to my heart as a psychologist and licensed child and adolescent psychotherapist. My goal is to reduce suffering and support young people to develop a life worth living. I specialise in the treatment of eating disorders, non-suicidal self-injurious behaviour and suicidality in adolescence. There is currently a great need: the prevalence of mental disorders is at a high level and continues to grow. At the same time there is a persistent undersupply in psychological and psychotherapeutic care. Psychological young talent with expertise in childhood and adolescence is therefore urgently sought."

How is the specialisation "Clinical Child Psychology" structured in the Master's programme at IB Hochschule?

"The focus area Clinical Child Psychology in the Master's programme offers comprehensive theoretical and vocational qualification. Disorder-specific specialist knowledge of mental disorders in childhood and adolescence is taught – supplemented by sound knowledge of epidemiology, aetiology, psychological diagnostics, prevention and intervention, with practical exercises. Topics include early developmental disorders such as feeding, regulation and sleep disorders, ADHD, dissocial behavioural disorders, the autism spectrum, anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, developing personality disorders such as borderline, non-suicidal self-injurious behaviour and suicidality."

What career perspectives open up for graduates with this focus area?

"Children and adolescents form a particularly worthy-of-protection part of our society. Prevention, counselling and treatment are more important today than ever – and exactly in these areas psychologists with appropriate specialisation are urgently needed: for the development, implementation and evaluation of prevention programmes for mental disorders in childhood and adolescence; for counselling of children, adolescents, parents and reference persons; for diagnostics of mental disorders and for the implementation of clinical interventions. Innovations and new thinking are also required – including against the background of digitalisation – to ensure adequate, comprehensive and future-proof care."

Interested? Find out more about the Master Psychology at our locations in Stuttgart and Berlin – and secure your study place for summer semester now.