Leola Neal (1911–1995) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...

born in Merlin, Ontario. Neal taught at the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by resident ...

where she was appointed the Dean of Women, and was the first female president of the Ontario Psychological Association and the second woman to serve on the board of the Canadian Psychological Association. Neal's work helped promote undergraduate psychology curriculums and define standards for psychological counselling.

Academic life

Neal's family moved to

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

so that Neal could attend the

, where illness forced her to move from the honors program to the general program. Her academic excellence caught the eye of Dr. Doug Wilson, who gave her the opportunity to do graduate work. She was one of three students to receive

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

from the school in 1935. She went on to teach introductory psychology, experimental psychology, statistics and various other courses at the university. As a psychologist, Neal conducted studies focusing on

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

, and psychological testing, in addition to clinical and educational studies. Later, around the time

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

broke out, she received both a Reuben Wells Leonard Scholarship and the Northway Fellowship, and attended the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

. Her success in academics lead to her being appointed the Dean of Women at the

and the first female president of the Ontario Psychological Association, being only the second woman to serve on the board of the Canadian Psychological Association.

Psychological studies

In 1947, Neal worked on a study called ''The First Course in Psychology in Canadian Universities'' that investigated what could be done to improve the teaching of psychology courses. The study was conducted in response to a movement to expand the field of psychology and produce more-knowledgeable psychology students following the end of World War II. The study was conducted by sending questionnaires to colleges and universities, where it was measured how many introductory courses were offered, how many classroom demonstrations were conducted, and other course activities. As a result, it was discovered that there was a minimal number of course activities provided in many colleges and universities. After questioning many groups of individuals it was preferred that institutions provide such course activities as they were deemed beneficial and essential to positive student development. This study by Neal is one of the many that demonstrates how she contributed to the world of psychology as a mentor and psychologist. Neal's study ''The Psychologist as a Counselor'' investigated the benefits of having a psychologist as a counselor. In this study, she communicated the need to set a clear definition of the word 'counselor'. Investigations done as a procedure of this study revealed that many individuals who identify themselves as psychologists in the A.P.A. (

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...

) have degrees and a professional background which separates them from those who have claimed to be licensed counselors despite receiving little-to-no training. Neal then clarifies that counseling is thought of as a form of mental therapy and that it has three forms: vocational, personal, and educational. There are times when these fields overlap, and clients are confused about which type of counseling psychologist they should pursue. This also applies to the counselor, who must determine whether or not he/she can effectively deal with the issues of the client. Neal's research identified the requirements of a counselor, and helped individuals understand that if customers do not receive a properly-trained individual in the field of counseling, severe psychological damage could be inflicted.

References

* Gul, P. & Young J. L. (2011). Profile of Leola Neal. In A. Rutherford (Ed.), Psychology's Feminist Voices Multimedia Internet Archive. Retrieved from http://www.feministvoices.com/leola-neal/ * Liddy, R. B., & Neal, L. E. (1947). The first course in psychology in Canadian universities. ''Canadian Journal of Psychology'', ''1''(2), 61–66. doi:10.1037/h0084026 * Neal, Neal, L. E. (1952). The psychologist as the counselor. ''The Canadian Psychologist'', ''2''(2), 17–19. {{DEFAULTSORT:Neal, Leola 1911 births 1995 deaths Canadian women psychologists University of Western Ontario alumni 20th-century Canadian psychologists