Clinical Psychology Careers
Clinical psychologists work with people who have mental disorders. Their responsibility is to evaluate, diagnose, treat, and prevent these disorders. The range of issues that clinical psychologists deal with can vary widely, from mild cases such as teenagers dealing with the stresses of school to severe cases like adults suffering with schizophrenia.
This is the largest field within psychology, and is closely related to counseling psychology. The main difference is that clinical psychologists tend to work with more severe cases, such as people with bipolar disorder, phobias, or addictions.
People who work as clinical psychologists can be found in schools, hospitals, prisons, offices, clinics, and other mental health facilities. They are generally not allowed to prescribe medication to patients, but come up with a variety of methods to help clients cope with and improve their mental health.
If medication is required, they collaborate with psychiatrists and doctors to come up with a holistic treatment plan for a patient. Someone in this area can specialize in a certain subfield of clinical psychology, such as health psychology, substance abuse, child psychology, learning disabilities, geriatric psychology, or emotional disorders.
Skills: To be a successful clinical psychologist, you need to be highly skilled at dealing with people, and emotionally stable and mature, since you will be working with people who may be unstable and/or volatile. Being compassionate, sensitive, and eager to improve the lives of others is likely to make you a good clinical psychologist.
Requirements: A master's or doctoral degree is necessary to practice clinical psychology. Often, a year of post-doctoral supervised experience is required in addition to this education. You also have to meet licensure and certification requirements in the state in which you plan to practice.
Job prospects are best for those with a doctorate. Clinical psychologists are particularly in demand now, and are likely to continue so in the next decade, as unhealthy lifestyle choices and emotional disturbances are increasing among the general population.
Job Outlook: Employment in this arena is expected to grow 11 percent in the next 10 years. As of 2008, median annual wages for a clinical psychologist were $64,140, while the highest 10 percent earned over $106,840. The highest employers in this field are health practitioner offices, schools, government, and care centers.
Article Resources:
Hunter College, the City University of New York
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
West Chester University of Pennsylvania