A Psychologist by Any Other Name...: Response to Commentary by John L. Arnett

Abstract

In his thoughtful commentary, John L. Arnett expresses concern that as clinical psychologists make the transition from a focus on mental health care to participation in all of health care, there is a danger that they will lose important aspects of their professional identity. He indicates that he saw such indications in Drs. Steep's and Mantell's descriptions of their experiences in our article. In this response, we use Berry's (1980) model of acculturation to explain that the most successful cultural transitions occur when one keeps the critical and important aspects of the former culture and identity but also participates in and adopts the cultural aspects of the new …