The Pros And Cons Of Clinical Psychology

Then earn a Doctoral degree as a Doctor of Psychology or Psy.D that requires 2-3 of advanced coursework and a 1-3 years dissertation. It is important for this program to be accredited by the American Psychological Association. This is also the time to begin some type of experience by taking a 1-year full-time internship. Next, one would have to complete a Post-doctoral Internship which is a “ placement to gain the experiences necessary for a license” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015, pg.1). After this it is time to obtain your License by passing the examination for Professional Practice of Psychology and depending on what state you live in, an ethics examination as well. One might think their almost to the finish line but after this there is still education requirements needed like “20 hours of continuing education per year, or 40 hours every two years” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015, pg.1). Finally obtain a Specialty Certification if the psychologist has a specific focus

The first step to becoming a child psychologist is extensive schooling. The advanced degree required for success is a Doctorate, or a Ph.D. (meaning Doctor of Philosophy). When one receives this, they must have had been in graduate school for at least

There are many professional pathways within psychology that an individual may apply themselves to for their career. These include: clinical, forensic, health, and educational psychology. The professional career pathway within applied psychology which will be discussed in this essay is the field of clinical psychology. Clinical psychology aims to reduce the amount of psychological distress an individual experiences and enhance the promotion of psychological well-being. Clinical psychologists attend to both mental and physical health problems including addiction, anxiety, depression, learning difficulties and relationship issues in order to help individuals resolve their problems. Clinical psychologists predominantly work within hospitals, mental health groups and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Clinical | Careers, 2016).

Health psychology is a diverse career field; psychologists can be employed anywhere from hospitals to research to influencing health care. “Health psychologists… conduct clinical interviews and behavioral assessments. They may also participate in interventions with individuals or groups — for example, programs to help people reduce stress, quit smoking and avoid sedentary behaviors…They may study the causes of health problems and how to prevent them, or explore why certain groups don’t seek care when they need it. They may also help patients understand and come to terms with a diagnosis, or follow a treatment regimen in order to increase the probability of their full recovery (American Psychology Association). Health psychologists have a broad spectrum of people to treat as they treat people with mental disorders and create treatment plans for people; health psychologists need to understand all parts of psychology to provide effective care for their patients because health psychologists research, test people, and help their patients gain skills so they can better take care of themselves.

Before postgraduate work can be started, the student must receive a bachelor’s in psychology and fulfill the requirements listed for the psychology program they wish to enter. Once a bachelor’s degree is achieved, a psychology major has the choice of either obtaining their master's or their doctorate. When earning a master’s a student is accepted into the college of his or her choice, and usually completes the program within 2 years, or longer. If a master's is earned, the student may go on to become an assistant in a clinical setting underneath someone who has a doctorate in psychology, but they will not be able to do any high level of work. If a student chooses to obtain a doctorate they are again, accepted into the program of their choice, although admission is very competitive. Once accepted into the doctorate program the student serves about 2-4 years where they receive training and guidance in a hospital setting, but it all depends on the program they enter. Having a doctorate in psychology will open the doors for soon-to-be clinical psychologists, and offers a higher job title, certification, and higher pay. Whether a student chooses a master's or a doctorate, a large amount of psychology classes must be taken. More than likely when a student is an a doctorate program, they are required to fulfill a 1-2 year internal ship of professional experience, as cited from

After completing their bachelor’s degree, he can then acquire his master’s degree in psychology or complete an internship before enrolling in a developmental psychology Ph.D. or Psy.D. program (PsychologyCareerCenter). Those who enjoy research should enroll in a Ph.D. developmental psychology program, whereas those who desire to do counseling should contemplate the PsyD. program (CareersInPsychology.org). The Psy.D. program typically entails about 4-5 years of study, whereas the Ph.D. program demands about 5-7 years (Study.com). People who desire to conduct research would gravitate toward the Ph.D. program, since it involves conducting research more than a Psy.D. Those interested in therapy should consider the Psy.D. option (Kuther,

Clinical psychologist are not like ordinary people, they are benevolent and placid people. Psychologist observe others behavior, brain functions, talk with clients, and diagnose disorders. The reason I chose this career is because I would love to help people overcome difficulties in their life and to be there for the people that need someone to listen. Psychologist are not only there to listen but they also give advice to others. They give them exercises and other ways to help fix a problem they could be having. It is important to understand education or training requirements, skills or talents needed, salary and benefits offered, and the duties for a particular career when making this decision

They can have a master’s or a doctorate in clinical, educational, counseling, or research psychology (NAMI, 2013).

According to the American Psychological Association (APA) website “Psychologists who provide clinical or counseling services assess and treat mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. They integrate the science of psychology and the treatment of complex human problems with the intention of promoting change.” ("Pursuing A Career In Clinical Or Counseling Psychology", 2014).) In the simplest terms, “the study of individuals, by observation or experimentation, with the intention of promoting change.” (Compas, Bruce, & Gotlib, 2002) Clinical psychologist careers vary in industries such as research, integrated health care, teaching, public policy and professional practice. Some clinical psychologists work exclusively on specific mental, emotional, and behavioral issues. Relationship conflict and conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction are a few examples of areas of specialization for a clinical psychologist. According to the APA website (2014), in order to become a clinical psychologist the journey begins with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Next the student must obtain a graduate degree. Each graduate program determines its own entrance requirements. Some doctoral programs require their applicants to have a master’s degree in psychology. Other people enter doctoral programs with only a bachelor’s degree. Most doctoral degrees take five to seven years to complete. You must also

It is my strong desire to attend Fielding Graduate University APA (American Psychological Association) accredited doctoral program in clinical psychology. I have always been intrigued by the human mind for as long as I can remember, specifically the psychopathology of it. I truly enjoy conducting psychological research, learning about psychopathology and how to treat it. While conducting research and learning, it is important to remember that the purpose of psychology isn’t to predict a person’s thoughts, actions, and behaviors, but to understand them. There are dozens of events that occurred in my twenty-five years of life that led me to this meaningful choice of pursuing a doctorate. The two most significant events were when I was in the

As with all health care professions, the education required to be work in mental health is lengthy and almost overwhelmingly expensive. The educational process generally begins with acquiring four years of undergraduate school and a bachelor’s degree. After this, one would be required to complete four years of medical school. The last two years would include clinical rounds and training in psychiatry and internal medicine. Following the eight years prior, the aspiring physician would be required to complete a four year internship to finish their residency and become a full-fledged medical doctor. To then specialize in psychiatry, one must acquire at least two years of courses pertaining to their specialization, and possibly more depending on the exact field of medicine. Finally, the young doctor would take a licensure exam to acquire their medical license. This license would allow them to legally practice medicine and begin a long and worthwhile career. Although this may seem like an awfully large amount of

To become a Health Psychologist, you must hold a doctorates degree in psychology and earn a bachelor’s degree before getting your graduate. Before becoming a Health Psychologist, most states require you to practice clinically, allowing a person to complete a one year supervised internship (Pursuing, 2015). If an individual has a masters degree there are more opportunities available. But if an individual doesn’t have a masters, Clinical Psychologists typically supervise them (Health Psychologist, 2015). After graduating, a person can become an employer in a variety of places. For example; universities, non-profit groups,hospitals, government agencies, etc. According to the American

A Ph.D. in clinical science is a very common degree for psychologists who either want to become licensed clinical therapist or academia-based researchers.

With being a psychologist, there are many different careers to choose from within this profession (Explore Health Careers). The first type of psychologists to choose from is a clinical psychologist. Clinical psychologists help people with counseling and psychotherapy. They work with people who have all around life problems, such as new adjustments in life. Clinical psychologists also help people who have emotional disorders or

A defining moment in clinical psychology training occurred during the Vail Conference in 1973 with the approval of a different training model. In addition to the Boulder model, the Vail model, referred to as the scholar-practitioner model, was approved. This version proposed that clinical training would stress providing professional psychological services while focusing less on training in research. Additionally, the symposium confirmed the concept that graduate education need not take place only in the leading