One of the largest subspecialties in psychology is clinical psychology. If you are interested in clinical psychologist careers, you should be aware of what the work requires both professionally and personally. First of all, you'll need an advanced degree in psychology. This may seem a bit daunting. Keep in mind that there are great online learning options currently available, and earning such a degree has never been more convenient or more straightforward.
If you think that clinical psychology may be a good career choice for you, here are some important facts for you to take into account as you make your choices.
- What a clinical psychologist does. A clinical psychologist is a health care professional who will assess, diagnose and treat mental, behavioral and emotional disorders and diseases such as generalized depression, anxiety, various phobias, panic disorder and other disorders as defined by the DSM-IV (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). A clinical psychologist does not prescribe medications in most states, though in the future, that may change. Currently, for example, New Mexico and Louisiana allow people with advanced training in psychopharmacology to prescribe some medications.
- Traits you’ll want to have. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), personal qualities that play an important role as a clinical psychologist include integrity, ability to think critically and analytically, and skills in communication, inter-personal relationships and observation.
- What the work environment will look like. The environment where the clinical psychologist works will vary depending on the methods and specialty the clinical psychologist is involved in. There are many ways to diagnose mental, behavioral and emotional disorders and there are many therapeutic approaches that may be used. A clinical psychologist can establish a private practice as a solo practitioner or work in a group practice. They may practice in a hospital or an extended care facility, a prison, in the community or at an educational facility. A clinical psychologist may also be University-based and perform clinical research. In 2010, approximately 34% of the clinical psychologists in the U.S. were self-employed, while 29% were employed by educational institutions and 20% were employed in hospitals and other healthcare settings.
- Required training. A clinical psychologist will have a bachelor’s degree, often in psychology or a related field such as sociology. The clinical psychologist will need to get graduate training and obtain a doctorate in psychology: This doctorate can be a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) or a Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology) in clinical or counseling psychology. The PhD is a research degree and requires the completion of a research project and a dissertation, while the Psy.D is a clinical degree and requires practical experience. These programs generally are intensive courses of study and/or research and may take anywhere from 5-7 years to complete. In addition, most states require an additional internship or supervised practice for licensure.
- Licensure. States vary in their licensure requirements. Useful information for your state can be found at the website of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) the organization that oversees licensure and certification of clinical psychologists in the U.S. and Canada.
- Subspecialties. A clinical psychologist can specialize in certain disorders such as ADHD or Alzheimer’s disease. They may specialize in certain demographic groups such as children, the elderly or with minority groups such as ethnic minorities or the LGBT community. In any specialty, the clinical psychologist will also work with other health care professionals such as physicians, nurses or counselors and often consult with teachers, hospital administrators and other psychologists and therapists.
- Board certification. Though board certification is not generally required to practice, it may prove to be a career booster because it gives a clinical psychologist even more credibility in their chosen subspecialty. The American Board of Professional Psychology is responsible for the awarding of certification in 13 different areas. Some of these subspecialties are child and adolescent psychology, cognitive and behavioral psychology, rehabilitation psychology and school psychology.
- Salary. Mental, emotional and behavioral health is a growing concern and the demand for clinical psychologists is increasing. According to the BLS in 2010, the median annual wage of clinical psychologists was $66,810.
- Career outlook. Career prospects for clinical psychologists are expected to grow by 22% as there is increasing demand by schools, hospitals and other health-care facilities.
- Advantages and disadvantages. Before pursuing a career in clinical psychology, make sure that you know the pros and cons of this line of work. Some of the benefits for a clinical psychologist include the possibility of self-employment through private practice (and this means a great deal of flexibility in setting up your hours of work), a challenging work environment, and the rewarding work of helping other people with their mental, emotional and behavioral health. On the other hand, a lot of clinical psychologists also experience burnout from hearing the many difficulties that their patients experience. Sometimes, the patients can be difficult and strict boundaries must be drawn. A recent survey on CNN however, ranked clinical psychology as one of the 50 best jobs to have and clinical psychologists ranked their personal satisfaction with their career as an “A”!
With these tips in mind, you should be able to determine whether a career in clinical psychology is for you. If you are someone who likes to understand the “inner workings” of the mind and would like to constructively and effectively help those in need, a career as a clinical psychologist may be for you!