Clinical Psychologist

Clinical psychology is a branch of psychology that provides continuous mental and behavioral health care for individuals and families. Its feature is that it is widely involved in severe psychopathology and is marked by the deepening and integration of knowledge and skills from a broad array of disciplines within and outside psychology. 

The scope of clinical psychology includes all ages, many variations, and different systems. Clinical psychologists work with a specific patient group, disorder, or condition and provide them psychological treatment.

They use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychoanalytic therapy to treat mental illness instead of prescribing medications. If you are a  psychology student looking for a job option beyond a traditional career path in psychology, you can become a clinical psychologist.

It is a perfect career for people who are ethical and emphatic, as well as being problem solvers.

Infographic showing Areas of Expertise in Clinical Psychology

What do clinical psychologists do?

Clinical psychologists have vast skills and knowledge that they use to improve the overall quality of life and help them to deal with the difficulties they are facing. They meet with clients to identify their emotional, mental, and behavioral problems and provide treatment according to the client's needs. 

They regularly monitor the client's progress to ensure that their needs are met during the course of the action. Many clinical psychologists choose an area of expertise such as addiction, crisis counseling, learning disabilities, or behavioral disorders.

They do the following works on the job:

1. Identifying psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues.
2. Diagnosing psychological, emotional, or behavioral disorders.
3. Developing and implementing treatment plans and medical procedures.
4. Maintaining detailed records of client assessment, diagnosis, therapeutic goals, and treatment notes.
5. Helping clients set goals and plan actions to achieve personal, social, educational, and vocational development and adjustment
6. Monitoring client progress through regular meetings or sessions
7. Conducting research
8. Publishing research findings in industry journals

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How to become a clinical psychologist?

While degree seekers may follow many paths to become clinical psychologists, you will need a master's degree in psychology to enter the field of clinical psychology. It may take one to two years to achieve this. Many students also do a Ph.D. in Psychology to earn a doctorate degree. This program is for five to six years. Some areas of professional psychology require a one-year internship as part of the program doctoral program.

If you do a Ph.D. in psychology, you will also complete a residency training program under a practicing clinician; this takes up to three years to complete.

What types of skills are needed to become a clinical psychologist?

Clinical psychologists must have specialized skills that they employ in their work, including:

1. Ability to conduct research and collect data to increase understanding of clinical psychology.
2. Consulting with various behavioral and health professionals and organizations regarding violence, suicide, and severe mental distress.
3. Extensive knowledge of mental illness and how to diagnose and treat it.
4. Understanding the wide breadth of mental health issues and how they can occur at any age.

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Where do clinical psychologists work? 

The demand for clinical psychologists is expected to remain in the future as more people seek out help for mental problems such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and other disorders. As a clinician psychologist, you will be able to choose from various career paths. 

Many clinical psychologists want to work with their own office and schedule so they choose to work in private practice. Some of them work in schools and universities, clinics, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and community and mental health centers. 

The more opportunities you get after gaining more education and experience.

What is the salary of a clinical psychologist?

 If you are thinking of a career in psychology, then you must be thinking about how much money clinical psychologists make every year. According to a report, the average clinical psychologist salary in India is ₹349,155. 

But salaries in this area vary widely depending on the educational level, specialty area, and years of experience.

Conclusion:

Finally, I can say that clinical psychologists help people live healthier lives and helps to asset and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. They often work in hospitals, mental health clinics, and private practice but they can't prescribe medications.