The popular image of a psychologist is that of 'the other psychiatrist', the doctor that provides individual therapy but is a PhD and not a medical doctor, as psychiatrists are. There is some truth to that, and for people who hold a PhD in psychology the number one occupation is that of clinical therapist. However there are a variety of other areas, specializations in psychology that represent very different career paths. And there are also options for those who studied psychology but did not go so far as to obtain a doctorate.
Psychology Careers with a Bachelor's Degree
This degree by itself is not going to earn you entry into the practice of psychology, unless it is as a research assistant or a technical aide of some type to a practicing psychologist or psychiatrist. Psychology is, however, a popular undergraduate major and there are a number of career choices where the skills acquired in studying psychology will cross over. There are counseling and rehabilitation opportunities in the substance abuse field, not all of which require licensure or specialized training. Case management for either insurance companies or for mental health clinics might be a reasonable possibility.
Crossover skills have taken psychology majors into fields such as advertising and product development, where predicting human behavior or reaction to presentations is important. People who have a thorough understanding of human behavior and how to interpret what they see and hear usually perform well in the sales field. Human resources is another major business function where you will find a substantial number of psychology majors.
Psychology Careers with a Master's Degree
The most visible opportunity for someone with a master's in psychology is in the field of school counseling or educational psychology. In most states, a master's in psychology combined with certain other training requirements and completing a licensing exam will qualify you as a school counselor. A school psychologist plays a critical role in elementary and secondary schools. School psychologists work with students in elementary and secondary schools.
They collaborate with teachers, parents, and school officials to address students’ learning and behavior problems; improve classroom management strategies or parenting skills; counter substance abuse; assess students with learning disabilities and gifted and talented students to help determine the best way to educate them. School psychologists often play a critical role in simply getting parents to recognize the fact that their child is having difficulties.
Psychology Careers with a Doctorate
PhDs in psychology are trained to be therapists. They undergo extensive clinical training and an internship during the doctoral program. Accordingly, clinical practice is the most popular choice among psychologists. This can be a private practice or in a clinical setting, perhaps through a public mental health clinic.
Other options include social psychology, which is the study of human interaction with the social environment. They work in organizational consultation, marketing research, systems design, or other applied psychology fields. Developmental psychologists generally work in an academic environment teaching and doing research in their specialty, which is the change in human behavior effectuated by the aging process throughout the course of life. Child psychologists are usually private practitioners who work with children with problems such as autism, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, learning disabilities and behavioral problems.
