The Legislature finds and declares that practice of psychology in California affects the public health, safety, and welfare and is to be subject to regulation and control in the public interest to protect the public from the unauthorized and unqualified practice of psychology and from unprofessional conduct by persons licensed to practice psychology.

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Psychology Licensing Law.”

For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:

services incorporating the words “psychology,” “psychological,” “psychologist,” “psychology consultation,” “psychology consultant,” “psychometry,” “psychometrics” “psychometrist,” “psychotherapy,” or “psychotherapist,” or when the person holds themselves out to be trained, experienced, or an expert in the field of psychology.

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interpreting tests of mental abilities, aptitudes, interests, attitudes, personality characteristics, emotions, and motivations.

A psychologist licensed under this chapter may use biofeedback instruments which do not pierce or cut the skin to measure physical and mental functioning.

The practice of psychology shall not include prescribing drugs, performing surgery or administering electroconvulsive therapy.

A psychologist licensed under this chapter is a licentiate for purposes of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 805, and thus is a health care provider subject to the provisions of Section 2290.5.

The practice of psychology shall be as defined as in Section 2903, any existing statute in the State of California to the contrary notwithstanding.

Corporations shall have no professional rights, privileges, or powers, and shall not be permitted to practice psychology, nor shall the liability of any licensed psychologist be limited by a corporation.

Nothing in Section 2907 shall be deemed to apply to the acts of a psychological corporation practicing pursuant to the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act, as contained in Part 4 (commencing with Section 13400) of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code and Article 9 (commencing with Section 2995) when the psychological corporation is in compliance with (a) the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act; (b) Article 9 (commencing with Section 2995); and (c) all other statutes now or hereafter enacted or adopted pertaining to such corporation and the conduct of its affairs.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent qualified members of other recognized professional groups licensed to practice in the State of California, such as, but not limited to, physicians and surgeons, clinical social workers, educational psychologists, marriage and family therapists, professional clinical counselors, optometrists, psychiatric technicians, or registered nurses, or attorneys admitted to the State Bar of California, or persons utilizing hypnotic techniques by referral from persons licensed to practice medicine, dentistry, or psychology, or persons utilizing hypnotic techniques which offer avocational or vocational self-improvement and do not offer therapy for emotional or mental disorders, or duly ordained members of the recognized

clergy, as defined in Section 15610.19 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or duly ordained religious practitioners from doing work of a psychological nature consistent with the laws governing their respective professions, provided they do not hold themselves out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the words “psychological,” “psychologist,” “psychology,” “psychometrist,” “psychometrics,” or “psychometry,” or that they do not state or imply that they are licensed to practice psychology; except that persons licensed under Chapter 13.5 (commencing with Section 4989.10) of Division 2 may hold themselves out to the public as licensed educational psychologists.

render psychological services to any person outside of the organization in which they are employed.

derivation.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting the activities and services of a graduate student or psychology intern enrolled in a doctoral program leading to one of the degrees listed in subdivision (b) of Section 2914 or a trainee in a post-doctoral placement approved by the American Psychological Association, the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers, or the California Psychology Internship Council. These persons may be designated by the title “psychology intern,” “psychology trainee,” “postdoctoral psychology fellow,” or another title clearly indicating the person’s training status.

the person seeks to provide care in California.

A person other than a licensed psychologist may perform psychological functions in preparation for licensure as a psychologist only if all of the following conditions are met:

(A) Completed a master’s degree in psychology.

(B) Completed a master’s degree in education with the

field of specialization in educational psychology, counseling psychology, or school psychology.

(C) Completed three or more years of postgraduate education and has been admitted to candidacy for a doctoral degree in any of the following:

(ii) Education, with the field of specialization in educational psychology, counseling psychology, or school psychology.

(iii) A field of specialization designed to prepare graduates for the professional practice of psychology.

(D) Completed a doctoral degree that qualifies for licensure under Section 2914.

by the National Register of Health Services Psychologists (NRHSP), and any other documentation the board deems necessary. The member of the NACES or the NRHSP shall submit the evaluation to the board directly and shall include in the evaluation all of the following:

registered psychological associate is supervised by a licensed psychologist. Any supervision may be provided in real time, which is defined as through in-person or synchronous audiovisual means, in compliance with federal and state laws related to patient health confidentiality. The registered psychological associate’s primary supervisor shall be responsible for ensuring that the extent, kind, and quality of the psychological services performed are consistent with the registered psychological associate’s and the primary supervisor’s training and experience. The primary supervisor shall be responsible for the registered psychological associate’s compliance with this chapter and regulations. A primary supervisor may delegate supervision as prescribed by the board’s regulations.

psychological associates at any given time.

(A) Psychology with the field of specialization in clinical, counseling, school, consulting, forensic, industrial, or organizational psychology.

(B) Education with the field of specialization in counseling psychology, educational psychology, or school

psychology.

(C) A field of specialization designed to prepare graduates for the professional practice of psychology.

educational psychology, or school psychology at a nationally accredited or approved institution as of December 31, 2016.

Section 94823.5 of the Education Code.

include in the evaluation all of the following:

psychologist, the specific requirements of which shall be defined by the board in its regulations, or under suitable alternative supervision as determined by the board in regulations duly adopted under this chapter, at least one year of which shall have occurred after the applicant was awarded the qualifying doctoral degree. Any supervision may be provided in real time, which is defined as through in-person or synchronous audiovisual means, in compliance with federal and state laws related to patient health confidentiality. The supervisor shall submit verification of the experience to the trainee as prescribed by the board. If the supervising licensed psychologist fails to provide verification to the trainee in a timely manner, the board may establish alternative procedures for obtaining the necessary documentation. Absent good cause, the failure of a supervising licensed psychologist to

provide the verification to the board upon request shall constitute unprofessional conduct.

eligibility requirements beyond the completion of academic coursework, the board shall implement a process to verify that an applicant has satisfied those additional eligibility requirements. For purposes of this subdivision, “academic coursework” does not include participation in an internship or writing a dissertation or thesis.

The board shall encourage every licensed psychologist to take continuing professional development in geriatric pharmacology.

The board shall encourage licensed psychologists to take continuing professional development in psychopharmacology and biological basis of behavior.

In determining its continuing professional development, the board shall consider including a course in menopausal mental health.

In determining its continuing professional development, the board shall consider including a course in maternal mental health.

The board may develop regulations further defining acceptable continuing professional development activities.

accept continuing education courses approved by an entity that has demonstrated to the board in writing that it has, at a minimum, a 10-year history of providing educational programming for psychologists and has documented procedures for maintaining a continuing education approval program. The board shall adopt regulations necessary for implementing this section.

reporting for all persons applying for initial licensure and renewal of a license as a psychologist or initial registration or renewal of registration as a research psychoanalyst. This training shall be required one time only for all persons applying for initial licensure or registration or for license or registration renewal.

the Penal Code). The training shall meet all of the following requirements:

dependent adult abuse in the required training on aging and long-term care issues prior to licensure or registration or license or registration renewal.

stating that the coursework required by this section is included within the institution’s curriculum required for graduation at the time the applicant graduated, or within the coursework that was completed by the applicant.

submit a written certification from the registrar, department chair, or training director of the educational institution or program from which the applicant graduated stating that the coursework required by this section is included within the institution’s required curriculum for graduation at the time the applicant graduated, or within the coursework, that was completed by the applicant.

section, the applicant shall submit to the board a written certification from the director of training for the program or primary supervisor where the qualifying experience occurred stating that the training required by this section is included within the applied experience.

submitted pursuant to this section shall be done under penalty of perjury.

If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect any of the provisions or applications of this chapter which can be given effect without such invalid provisions or application, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are declared to be severable.

The confidential relations and communications between psychologist and client shall be privileged as provided by Article 7 (commencing with Section 1010) of Chapter 4 of Division 8 of the Evidence Code.

A licensed psychologist shall retain a patient’s health service records for a minimum of seven years from the patient’s discharge date. If the patient is a minor, the patient’s health service records shall be retained for a minimum of seven years from the date the patient reaches 18 years of age.