2015 New Hampshire Revised Statutes
Title XXX - OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS
Chapter 329-B - PSYCHOLOGISTS
Section 329-B:2 - Definitions.

    329-B:2 Definitions. – In this chapter:
    I. "Board'' means the board of psychologists.
    II. "Board investigator'' means the board member appointed by the board to oversee the professional conduct investigation committee and serve as a liaison between the board and that committee.
    III. "Client'' or "patient'' means a person who seeks or obtains psychological services.
    IV. "Former client'' or "former patient'' means a person who was given psychological services within the previous 7 years.
    V. "Privilege'' is the right of a patient for privacy of his or her psychological records, which belong to the patient and which shall not be abridged except by court order or other exception under state or federal law.
    VI. "Professional conduct investigator'' means a trained psychologist licensed by the board who acts as the agent of the board under the guidance of the board investigator and is authorized to discover facts and make reports to the board.
    VII. "Psychology practice'' means:
       (a) The observation, description, evaluation, interpretation, prediction, and modification of human behavior by the application of psychological principles, methods, and procedures, for the purposes of:
          (1) Preventing, eliminating, evaluating, assessing, or predicting symptomatic, maladaptive, or undesired behavior;
          (2) Evaluating, assessing, or facilitating the enhancement of individual, group, or organizational effectiveness, including personal effectiveness, adaptive behavior, interpersonal relationships, work and life adjustment, health, and individual, group, or organizational performance; or
          (3) Assisting in legal decision-making.
       (b) Psychological testing and the evaluation or assessment of personal characteristics, such as intelligence; personality; cognitive, physical, and emotional abilities; skills; interests; aptitudes; and neuropsychological functioning;
       (c) Counseling, consultation, psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, hypnosis, biofeedback, and behavior analysis and therapy;
       (d) Diagnosis, treatment, and management of mental and emotional disorder or disability, alcoholism and substance abuse, disorders of habit or conduct, and the psychological aspects of physical illness, accident, injury, or disability;
       (e) Psycho-educational evaluation, therapy, and remediation;
       (f) Consultation with other psychologists, physicians, other health care professionals, and patients regarding all available treatment options, including medication, with respect to provision of care for a specific client or patient or group;
       (g) Provision of direct services to individuals or groups for the purpose of enhancing individual and organizational effectiveness, or using psychological principles, methods, or procedures to assess and evaluate individuals on personal characteristics for individual development or behavior change, or for making decisions about the individual, such as selection;
       (h) Provision of any of these services or activities by any means, including electronic or telephonic; and
       (i) The supervision of any of these services or activities;
The practice of psychology shall be construed within the meaning of this definition without regard to whether payment is received for services rendered.
    VIII. "Psychology services'' means the observation, description, evaluation, interpretation, diagnosis, and modification of human behavior by the application of psychological and systems principles, methods, and procedures for the purpose of preventing or eliminating symptomatic, maladapted, or undesirable behavior and of enhancing interpersonal relationships, work and life adjustments, personal effectiveness, behavioral health, and mental health, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of the psychological and social aspects of physical illness, accident, injury, or disability. Psychology services may include, but shall not be limited to, those services based on diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders and psycho-educational or consultative techniques integral to the treatment of such disorders when diagnosis is specified in the most current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, The International Classification of Disease Manual (ICD), or an equivalent of such manual as determined by the board. Psychological services may be rendered to individuals, families, groups, systems, or organizations.
    IX. "Psychologist'' means any person licensed as a psychologist under this chapter.
    X. "Psychology intern, resident, or fellow'' means a person in training as a psychologist, subject to the provisions of this chapter and regulation by the board.
    XI. "Psychotherapist'' means a psychologist licensed under this chapter who performs or purports to perform psychotherapy.
    XII. "Psychotherapy'' means the professional treatment, assessment, or counseling of a mental or emotional illness, symptom, or condition.
    XIII. "Sexual relations'' means the intentional touching of any part of the client or patient's body or any verbal or nonverbal communication for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification of either party.

Source. 2012, 233:1, eff. July 1, 2013.