CAREER IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Career in Clinical Psychology

Career in Clinical Psychology

A clinical psychologist is a psychologist with a more extensive background in psychology and puts more emphasis on experimental psychological research. A clinical psychologist is more likely to work in health care setting with patients with more severe disorders. Two commonly pursued degrees are a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology. Having a Ph.D. allows you to work in mental health care facilities and settings, hospitals, private practices, research, teaching, and consulting.

To gain your Ph.D., you must have 4-5 years of graduate school, 1-2 years of internship, and possibly a postdoctoral position. Having a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology gives less emphasis on research that a Ph.D. degree. You must have 4 years of graduate school and one year of internship. Different programs have different required courses but it is usually recommended that you take courses in: statistics, experimental methods, biological bases of behavior, personality, psychopathology, and social groups.

Admissions to clinical psychology programs are highly competitive. A Clinical Psychologist makes $80-120/hr. in a private practice. This effects your lifestyle in many ways. You need to deal with patient s severe mental cases. You could be affected by other people s problems. But this job can also be very rewarding. If you are able to reach out and help someone, the you fell better about yourself as well.

The word psychology can translate to mean “the science of the soul.” Since Aristotle, psychology has become both a science and a profession. As a profession, it is the application of understanding people and their behavior to help solve human problems (Careers, 2008). A psychologist usually concentrates on one specialty that is of particular interest. There are many different fields of psychology to study. Clinical psychologists work with people with emotional and mental problems (Career Discovery, 1997).

A clinical psychologist basically prevents, evaluates, and treats mental and emotional disorders in individuals. “Disorders range from minor problems of adjustment and normal psychological distress related to biological growth, to more severe conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, and those requiring patient institutionalization” (Specialty, 2007). People who want to work in this field must be emotionally stable and personable. “Patience, compassion, sensitivity, and leadership skills are especially important in a clinical setting” (Specialty, 2007).

Responsibilities include determining the nature, cause, and possible effects of individual conflicts and distress, whether they are personal, social, or work related (Specialty, 2007). While judging disorders, clinical psychologists interview patients and observe their behavior in individual situations (Meggyes, 2007). Patient's medical and social case histories are reviewed and then sometimes-suitable aptitude tests, personality tests, interest inventories, and achievement tests are given to the patient. Clinical psychologists work with people of all ages and maturation levels. On the other hand, they might focus their attention toward a particular group like families or prison inmates. Some evens specialize in treating certain disorders. Many clinical psychologists conduct research and print their data.

Examples of topics studied include the causes of depression ...