Clinical and Counselling Psychologist

Psychologists who provide clinical or counseling services assess and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. They use the science of psychology to treat complex human problems and promote change. They also promote resilience and help people discover their strengths. While both counseling and clinical psychologists practice psychotherapy, counseling psychology differs from clinical in that its practitioners tend to focus on overall well-being across the lifespan, compared to clinical clients who often are experiencing more severe symptoms of mental illness. Having a passion for discovery, learning, and listening are part of what it takes to be successful as a psychologist who delivers clinical or counseling services.

Psychologists trained to provide clinical or counseling services work in research, education, training, and health sectors. Working with numerous populations, they focus on individual differences, normal and abnormal behavior, mental and emotional health, healthy behaviors and mental disorders and their prevention. They apply psychological science in their work in ways that range from helping patients overcome depression or anxiety to better understanding how to manage stress. Others specialize in physical health concerns and help patients manage diabetes or other chronic illnesses. Still others specialize in working with children, college students, or the elderly. The possibilities for careers in clinical and counseling psychology are vast and varied.

If you are interested in understanding human behavior and enjoy working with people, a career as a clinical or counseling psychologist may be for you. If you wonder what else psychology has to offer in terms of understanding human behavior beyond mental health, you may want to explore the subfields of brain science and cognitive psychology, climate and environmental psychology, developmental psychology, experimental psychology, forensic psychology, human factors and engineering psychology, industrial-organizational, quantitative psychology, rehabilitation psychology, social psychology, or sport and performance psychology, to name just a few.

A doctoral degree is required to work with the title “psychologist” but the title and scope of clinical or counseling practice can vary widely at the state level. Overall, opportunities in psychology for those with doctoral or master’s degrees are typically at a higher level than for those with undergraduate degrees. An undergraduate degree remains excellent preparation for continued graduate work in psychology or in another field that requires a similar skillset. Many employers across industries are interested in the skills that psychology majors bring to collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data and their experience with statistics and experimental design.