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Clinical Psychology Vs Clinical Social Work

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Clinical Psychology vs. Clinical Social Work Before I began researching, I always believed clinical psychology and clinical social work had only a few similar characteristics, and that they had more differences than similarities. I also thought that all social work degrees took two years and then about one or two years of training in a specific field; likewise, I assumed clinical psychology would take four years and one or two years of training in a specific field. I imagined that if I majored in clinical social work I wouldn’t be as exposed to matters pertaining to psychology as often as I would if I were doing clinical psychology. I have also been told that starting out with social work is easier because I will be able to easily branch out …show more content…

Some of the more common disorders that might be treated include learning disabilities, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. On the other hand, Clinical Social Work is a healthcare profession based on theories and methods of prevention and treatment in providing mental-health/healthcare services, with special focus on behavioral and bio-psychosocial problems and disorders. With this specific type of social work the job focus would be to “provide support services to clients with emotional, mental and/or behavioral issues. This type of social worker usually works in a hospital, clinic, skilled nursing facility or private practice. They typically utilizes a multi-faceted therapy approach, with a focus on helping clients improve their emotional, physical and/or financial status.” According to, Psychology School Guide, a credible source because the main focus of the website is all things psychology related, and the website clearly sites it’s references. The references for this particular article are American Psychological Association. (2013).What Do Practicing Psychologists Do? and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. …show more content…

I started out by looking up the actual definitions of each career, and then I began reading academic articles related to the similarities and differences of both careers. I also researched it in an education setting by reading a few college articles; as my last source I wanted to get actual opinions on both instead if straight facts. I liked that I included the opinion piece because it was from actual people who have had similar experiences to mine. I learned that one of the main differences between the two professions is that clinical psychologists treats people with mental health as a main part of the job, however, clinical social workers provide people with help for their mental illnesses and other life problems. Another large distinction is that social workers become more involved in their clients lives, such as, in a more finical way; this information was crucial to my research because it answered my most important

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