Department History

The department of Clinical and Health Psychology has been a pioneer in integrating clinical practice with research, notably advancing fields like neuropsychology, pediatric psychology, vision and cognition, and community mental health since the 1960s. Learn more about our department’s history and view photos dating back to 1963.

The department traces its roots to the 1950s when the clinical psychology program shared teaching responsibilities with the psychology department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.The department traced its roots to the 1950s when the clinical psychology program shared teaching responsibilities with the psychology department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. With the college’s creation of the Department of Clinical Psychology in 1962, the department established its place in the university’s Health Science Center. This unique location makes it possible for our students to be in direct contact with patients in the health care environment beginning in their first year and to be immersed in the settings in which they will later work.

The department has always been a leader in the integration of clinical and research techniques. In the 1960s and 1970s, faculty members were on the leading edge of research in neuropsychology, pediatric psychology, vision and cognition, and community mental health. The department hosted a national conference on scientist-practitioner education in the 1990s that set standards for education and training that still define the field. Today, we continue that tradition of groundbreaking work in health, pediatric, and neuro-psychology.

Clinical Neuropsychology

Clinical neuropsychology is the oldest subspecialty within the UF Department of Clinical and Health Psychology. Established in 1964 by Paul Satz, Ph.D., it has provided didactic coursework, research and clinical training at the graduate, intern, and post-doctoral levels.