This article will examine the professionalization of psychology in North America, focusing specifically on clinical psychology. First, I will discuss a broad history of clinical psychology and how it has evolved over time. Second, I will focus on the development of professional psychology training programs. It is important to keep in mind the impact of sociopolitical factors on the professionalization of psychology. World War II had a major influence on professionalization: it helped bring applied fields out of obscurity and necessitated training in mental testing and psychotherapy. Next, I will discuss the emergence of organizations such as the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) and their influence on psychology training programs in academia. The battle between psychology as a science and psychology as a profession will be examined. Finally, the history of psychology at Acadia University will be explored by relating it to significant changes that occurred in the frontier sphere of psychology over a 40-year period from 1935 to 1975. Acadia has a history very rich and strong links with the CPA which lead to the establishment of a clinical program well before its professionalization and the creation of a code of ethics. Additionally, the Maritime Provinces were the first to have a provincial association of professional psychologists thanks to WHD Vernon, a professor at Acadia University. HISTORY OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY IN NORTH AMERICA The practice of psychology existed long before the science of psychology, for example in helping someone who is grieving. Additionally, people in decades past suffered from similar problems to those of today. B...... middle of article ......ology in Canada at this time includes fourteen articles in the 1946 issue of the CAP Bulletin (Conway, 2010). Although psychology as a professional has made progress, it has faced some backlash from academia. Skepticism surrounding the professionalization of psychology was still present in the 1950s. At some universities, psychology still struggled to maintain its departmental identity. The production of a code of ethics can be considered as an essential facet of the professionalization of a profession. A code of ethics is a set of regulatory practices that protect the public from unethical treatment. In 1948, the CPS established the Canadian Council of Examiners in Professional Psychology (CBEPP). However, at that time the Association did not have the resources to establish national standards and began certifying Canadian psychologists through the APA (Dunbar, 1998).