This law explains that practicing psychology in California is important for people's health and safety. Because of this, the state needs to regulate who can practice to ensure they are qualified and behaving professionally. This protects the public from people who try to practice psychology without proper credentials.

This section names and identifies the law related to licensing psychologists as the 'Psychology Licensing Law.'

This legal section clarifies specific terms used in the chapter about psychologists. A 'Licensed psychologist' is someone holding an active, non-suspended psychological license. The 'Board' is the Board of Psychology. A person claiming to be a psychologist uses certain psychology-related titles or implies expertise in psychology. 'Accredited' refers to certain recognized institutions by educational authorities, and 'Approved' pertains to institutions sanctioned by a specific educational standard.

If you want to call yourself a psychologist or work as one, you must have a proper license in California. Being a psychologist involves applying psychological techniques to understand, predict, or change behavior, like counseling or giving mental tests. It also includes helping people manage their emotions and behavior effectively.

Psychologists in California are not allowed to prescribe medication, perform surgeries, or give electroconvulsive therapy treatments.

This law states that licensed psychologists in California are considered health care providers. This classification makes them subject to certain regulations and responsibilities outlined in other specific sections of the law, particularly about reporting obligations and standards of care.

This law states that the definition of practicing psychology is determined by Section 2903, no matter what other California laws might say.

This law states that corporations cannot practice psychology or have any professional rights related to psychology. Additionally, corporations cannot use their structure to limit the personal liability of licensed psychologists.

This law says that certain rules in Section 2907 do not apply to psychological corporations as long as they follow some specific laws. These include the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act, certain parts of the Corporations Code, and any other relevant laws that apply to their operations.

This law allows professionals from various fields, like doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists, and clergy, to perform psychological-related tasks within their scope of practice in California. However, it clarifies they cannot call themselves psychologists or imply they are licensed to practice psychology unless they are licensed educational psychologists. This exception makes sure only those truly qualified as psychologists can use those specific titles.

This law says that people employed as psychologists or psychological associates in schools, government, or similar institutions can practice psychology and use their job titles without needing a license, as long as they follow certain rules. They must limit their work to the duties and the location of their workplace, not offer services outside of their employment, and aim to gain supervised experience for future licensing. From January 1, 2016, they can do this for a total of five years. The law also allows school psychologists and researchers in colleges and government organizations to use their titles and conduct psychological activities under similar conditions.

This law clarifies that graduate students and psychology interns in specific doctoral or post-doctoral programs can provide services and use titles like "psychology intern" or "postdoctoral psychology fellow" as long as their training status is clear. It ensures their roles are recognized during their training without restricting their activities.

If you are a licensed psychologist with a doctoral degree from another U.S. state, territory, or Canada, you can provide psychological services in California for up to 30 days each year without needing a California license.

If someone who isn't a licensed psychologist wants to do psychology work while preparing to become one, they must meet certain rules. They need to register as a 'registered psychological associate' and renew this registration every year. They must have completed a master's degree in psychology or a related field, or be in a qualified doctoral program. A licensed psychologist has to supervise them, either in-person or via real-time communication tools, and can only oversee up to three associates at once. These associates can't provide psychology services independently or get paid directly by clients.

Starting from January 1, 2020, if you want to become licensed in psychology, you need a specific type of doctoral degree in psychology or education focused on specific areas, and it should be from an accredited institution. There are exceptions for some students enrolled before 2016 and certain degrees obtained before 2020. If you studied outside the US or Canada, your degree must be verified as equivalent by a recognized evaluation service. Additionally, you must have at least two years of supervised work experience, take a licensing exam, and complete coursework on substance dependency and partner abuse detection and treatment. If needed, the board has the authority to define further details about supervision and verify qualifications for licensing exams.

This rule suggests that psychologists with a license are encouraged to keep learning about medications for older adults.

This law section encourages psychologists to keep learning about how medication and biology impact behavior.

This law section encourages psychology doctorate programs to include education on psychopharmacology (the study of drugs that affect the mind) in their curriculum. It mandates the board to create guidelines for psychologists working with patients who may need medication. These guidelines should cover various areas like understanding mental disorders, how drugs affect the brain, and how to work with doctors and other prescribers. However, it clearly states that psychologists are not being trained to prescribe medication. The aim is to help psychologists better collaborate with physicians, not to expand their roles to include prescribing drugs.

This section mentions that the board, when planning ongoing professional development, should think about including a course on mental health during menopause.

This law says that when the board is figuring out what courses professionals should take for their ongoing education, they should think about adding a course on mental health issues related to motherhood.

California requires psychologists to complete 36 hours of approved continuing professional development every two years to renew their licenses. Psychologists must certify, under penalty of perjury, that they've met these requirements and keep proof for the board's review if requested. Professional development can include activities like professional work, academic pursuits, approved coursework, or board certification. Only courses from board-approved providers count. The state board can establish rules and charge fees for administering these requirements, but fees can't exceed the costs.

This law requires anyone applying to become a licensed psychologist in California, starting from January 1, 2020, to complete at least six hours of training in suicide risk assessment and intervention. Applicants can meet this requirement through their graduate program, supervised experience like internships, or specific continuing education courses. For those already licensed, they must complete this training before their first license renewal after this date, as a one-time obligation. They need to certify that they've completed this training under penalty of perjury and keep proof available for the licensing board if asked.

If you want to become a licensed psychologist in California, you need at least six hours of training in caring for older adults and understanding long-term care, which can cover aspects like aging and how to handle elder abuse. You need to prove this training by showing a transcript or a letter from your school. If your academic record doesn't include this, you can instead show proof from supervised practical experience or take a relevant continuing education course. Any statements of completion must be truthful since making false claims can lead to severe penalties.

This law essentially says that if any part of this chapter is found to be illegal or cannot be applied to someone, that doesn't impact the rest of the chapter. The other parts can still stand and work on their own, thanks to what's called 'severability.'

This law section states that the private conversations and relationship between a psychologist and their client are protected by confidentiality rules. This means that what is discussed cannot be shared without the client's permission, as outlined in a specific part of the California Evidence Code.

This law requires licensed psychologists to keep a patient's health records for at least seven years after the patient stops receiving services. If the patient is under 18, the psychologist must keep the records for at least seven years after the patient turns 18.