tended to make localization of function a secondary
goal of diagnosis, and brain damage was often viewed
as a unitary phenomenon. The psychological tests
used (e.g., the Benton Visual Retention Test and the
Graham-Kendall Memory-for-Designs Test) were
oriented toward the simple assessment of the
presence or absence of brain damage. Information
about specific test correlates of specific brain lesions
was not collected very efficiently.
Neuropsychology as a field began to grow
immediately after World War II because of (a) the
large numbers of head injuries in the war andBOX18-1 Clinical Psychologist Perspective: Brick Johnstone, Ph.D.Dr. Brick Johnstone is a professor in the Department of
Health Psychology in the School of Health Professions
at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is board
certified by the American Board of Clinical Neuropsy-
chology, a former Fulbright Scholar at the National
University of Ireland, Galway, and a fellow in both the
National Academy of Neuropsychology and the Reha-
bilitation Psychology Division of the American Psycho-
logical Association. Dr. Johnstone’s research focuses on
vocational rehabilitation of persons with disabilities,
training in rehabilitation and neuropsychology, and
the neuropsychology of spiritual experience.
We asked Dr. Johnstone about his background
and interests, as well as his take on the future of clini-
cal psychology and neuropsychology.What originally got you interested in the
field of clinical psychology?
I became interested in clinical psychology as an under-
graduate at Duke University, through both academic
coursework and clinical practica. I developed a strong
interest in psychopathology based on an abnormal
psychology course I took, as well as volunteer activities
I engaged in at Butner State Hospital. Coursework in
cognitive and perceptual psychology led to my long-
term interest in brain functioning, and eventually in
neuropsychology. Finally, as an undergraduate, I was
able to participate as a research assistant on a study
determining psychometric correlates of popularity in
children, which led to my interest in psychological
research.Describe what activities you are involved
in as a clinical psychologist.
I currently serve as a professor in the University of
Missouri–Columbia Department of Health Psychology.
My current duties are split between clinical practice,
research activities, and teaching/supervising students.
I am board certified as a neuropsychologist, but view
myself as a clinical psychologist who specializes in therehabilitation of persons with brain dysfunction and
physical disability. Although I work with a special needs
population, the skills I employ are those I was taught in
graduate school. My assessment of patients is based
primarily on a detailed clinical interview and behav-
ioral observations and secondarily on objective test
data. My treatment of patients with brain dysfunction
is based on all the behavioral treatment methods I
learned in my clinical psychology graduate program at
the University of Georgia.
I have also been involved in the regulation of the
practice of psychology, as I served on the Missouri State
Committee of Psychologists for 10 years. This commit-
tee ensures that only competent psychologists are
allowed to practice and administers discipline for those
psychologists who act unethically. My initial research
focus was on improving the vocational successes of
persons with disabilities, as I was a primary investigator
(PI) for one of 17 national Traumatic Brain Injury Model
Systems Centers from 1998 to 2002. It is important to
note that 12 of the 17 PIs for these grants were psy-
chologists. At the current time, my research focuses on
the relationships among religion, spirituality, and
health, as well as the neuropsychology of spiritual
experience. Opportunities for clinical psychologists to
expand in numerous areas of health care and health
policy are extraordinary.What are your particular areas of expertise or interest?
My main area of clinical expertise is rehabilitation psy-
chology. In graduate school, I completed a summer
externship at the Kansas City VA Hospital in neuropsy-
chology, even though I had never even administered a
WAIS before that. That experience solidified my inter-
est in working with individuals with brain dysfunction.
My current research interests relate to the manner in
which religious activities and spiritual beliefs impact
health, as well as the specific neuropsychological
processes that are related to different spiritual traits.
Specifically, our research has identified increased self-
lessness, related to decreased right parietal lobe516 CHAPTER 18