Interprofessional Approaches to Practice

The practice of interdisciplinarity in psychology involves applying the process of disciplinary integration to addressing complex biopsychosocial problems. It requires the acquisition of a broad scope of disciplinary knowledge and a willingness to consider any knowledge that may contribute to successfully understanding the problem in as much depth as possible. In the context of psychotherapy, the goal is to form a more comprehensive understanding of the mental health disorder and to take a more holistic approach to treating it. An integrated or interprofessional approach to psychotherapy requires examining a combination of skills and perspectives from psychology, social work, sociology, nursing, and other health disciplines. To this end, an interdisciplinary approach is also central to the development of policy and practices that support an integrated approach to assessment and intervention, and to ensuring that knowledge is shared among relevant services and systems. In this chapter, we discuss the importance of interdisciplinary care and strategies for taking an interprofessional and integrated approach to psychotherapy. Learners will be encouraged to think critically about how taking an interdisciplinary approach to treating mental health disorders can best meet the needs of clients and improve collaborative working relationships across sectors.