Technology is a core competency in professional psychology.

Abstract

In the years following, the development of the core competencies for professional psychology (Fouad et al., 2009), technology has rapidly evolved and integrated into many aspects of professional practice and health care service delivery. This increased utilization of technology for core psychological functions, such as the delivery of psychotherapy, substantially expanded with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and barriers to in-person services due to health risks. The American Psychological Association (APA) Telepsychology Guidelines (Joint Task Force for the Development of Telepsychology Guidelines for Psychologists, 2013) establish aspirational guidelines for the use of technology in psychological service delivery, and the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (American Psychological Association, 2017) specify requirements for competent practice, including a reference to the use of technology. However, there are currently no competency guidelines or training expectations specific to technology use in health service psychology. As such, this article presents the rationale for establishing technology competency as a core foundational competency for health service psychologists.