Clinical Psychologist

What a Clinical Psychologist Does

Clinical psychologists work with clients who are suffering from psychological disorders, stress or trauma. These can include conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and others. Of course, not all clinical psychologists deal with these types of mental disorders. Many others choose to specialize in helping people through difficult events in their lives like death, divorce, loss of a job or simply issues in their lives that are confusing or troubling. Clinical psychologists are trained in a variety of ways of approaching topics and helping clients to deal with their issues, and these methods will vary largely by the specialty they work in. Most clinical psychologists work in private or group practices and invite patients to meet with them in their offices. During these sessions, clients will talk with the psychologist and they will work together to figure out treatment, interventions and solutions to whatever is troubling the client.

How to Become a Clinical Psychologist

To become a clinical psychologist, you'll need to complete a wide range of educational and professional training before heading out on your own. Most will begin their career path through an undergraduate bachelor's degree program in psychology. This will lay the groundwork for additional study, as clinical psychology generally requires a doctoral degree. There are a wide range of specializations that clinical psychology students can choose to pursue including: health psychology, neuropsychology, geropsychology, and child psychology among many others. Upon graduation, you'll need to see out licensure or certification for whatever specialty you focused on in school. This often means presenting your transcripts, evidence of clinical work and taking a licensing examination, however, these practices differ by state. In addition, some grads may need to take on one to two years of professional practice before being eligible for certification.

Career Outlook for Clinical Psychologists

Among psychology careers, clinical psychologists fare well in terms of job growth and employment potential. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that jobs for psychologists will grow by 12 percent through the next ten years. In the clinical psychology profession more specifically, job growth is projected to hit about 11 percent, translating to almost 20,000 new jobs. This is good news for those hoping to start a career in this demanding and versatile field. You will have the best prospects if you have a doctoral degree from a leading university and some specialties among clinical psychology can be a draw to employers as well. Additionally, training with computers and technology and in business can also be an asset to clinical psychologists. While there are some jobs for bachelors and master's students, the bulk of employment in this field will require a doctoral level degree.