Abstract
The multitude of training models and curricula for the specialty of clinical neuropsychology around the world has led to organized
activities to develop a framework of core competencies to ensure sufficient expertise among entry-level professionals in the field.
The Standing Committee on Clinical Neuropsychology of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations is currently working
towards developing a specialty certification in clinical neuropsychology to establish a cross-national standard against which to
measure levels of equivalency and uniformity in competence and service provision among professionals in the field. Through
structured interviews with experts from 28 European countries, we explored potential areas of core competency. Specifically,
questions pertained to the perceived importance of a series of foundational, functional, and other competencies, as well as current
training standards and practices, and optimal standards. Our findings revealed considerable agreement (about three quarters and
above) on academic and clinical training, despite varied actual training requirements currently, with fewer respondents
relegating importance to training in teaching, supervision, and research (a little over half), and even fewer to skills related to
management, administration, and advocacy (fewer than half). European expert clinical neuropsychologists were in agreement
with previous studies (including those conducted in the U.S., Australia, and other countries) regarding the importance of sound
theoretical and clinical training but management, administrative, and advocacy skills were not central to their perspective of a
competent specialist in clinical neuropsychology. Establishing a specialty certificate in clinical neuropsychology based on core
competencies may enable mobility of clinical neuropsychologists across Europe, and, perhaps, provide an impetus for countries
with limited criteria to reconsider their training requirements and harmonize their standards with others.
activities to develop a framework of core competencies to ensure sufficient expertise among entry-level professionals in the field.
The Standing Committee on Clinical Neuropsychology of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations is currently working
towards developing a specialty certification in clinical neuropsychology to establish a cross-national standard against which to
measure levels of equivalency and uniformity in competence and service provision among professionals in the field. Through
structured interviews with experts from 28 European countries, we explored potential areas of core competency. Specifically,
questions pertained to the perceived importance of a series of foundational, functional, and other competencies, as well as current
training standards and practices, and optimal standards. Our findings revealed considerable agreement (about three quarters and
above) on academic and clinical training, despite varied actual training requirements currently, with fewer respondents
relegating importance to training in teaching, supervision, and research (a little over half), and even fewer to skills related to
management, administration, and advocacy (fewer than half). European expert clinical neuropsychologists were in agreement
with previous studies (including those conducted in the U.S., Australia, and other countries) regarding the importance of sound
theoretical and clinical training but management, administrative, and advocacy skills were not central to their perspective of a
competent specialist in clinical neuropsychology. Establishing a specialty certificate in clinical neuropsychology based on core
competencies may enable mobility of clinical neuropsychologists across Europe, and, perhaps, provide an impetus for countries
with limited criteria to reconsider their training requirements and harmonize their standards with others.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 849151 |
| Journal | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 22 Feb 2022 |