Psychology Careers Report: Job Roles, Outlook, and Licensing

This report delves into twelve specialized professions within the field of clinical psychology, providing a detailed overview of each career path. The report covers child psychology, counseling psychology, clinical psychology, developmental psychology, experimental psychology, forensic psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, health psychology, neuropsychology, school psychology, social psychology, and sports psychology. For each specialty, the report summarizes job responsibilities, work locations, salaries, education, licensing requirements, and career outlooks, with a focus on counseling psychology and the potential for a fruitful career. The report also includes the student's personal interest in each career option, along with their reasons. The paper is formatted in APA style, with each career title as a separate heading.

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY
COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Introduction
Recently, the field of psychology and psychiatry has seen some major developments.
The reason that has been attributed to this development is the increased demand for
psychological counsellors and practitioners. In the last fifty years it has been seen that the
reports of mental health issues in patients have significantly increased. Many research
indicate that the expanding employment options and the growing demands of an enhanced
and improved lifestyle has put an unassumingly large amount of mental strain on people.
People have claimed that their desires to lead a sophisticated lifestyle has rendered their
ability to perform seamlessly in their daily activities, difficult. That is why, there is an
immediate requirement of psychiatrists / practicing psychologists in the field. When it comes
to dealing with psychological issues in people, one crucial aspect of interpersonal differences
that we need to remember is that people differ on the basis of varied interpersonal traits,
lifestyles, job and educational requirements as well as socio – cultural components like
family stability, discrimination etc. These are the factors that influence how the personality
and behavior of a person would evolve and impact their future lives. In this paper, twelve
different types of specialized professions in the field of clinical psychology would be
mentioned, discussed in detail. Focus will be given on Counseling Psychology and how being
a Counseling Psychologist can be a fruitful and effective profession in the current job market.
Careers in Psychology
As far as careers in psychology are considered, there are various specialized subfields
that can be considered building an effective profession in practicing psychology (Kuther &
Morgan, 2012). Various domains of work like education, sports, health, industrial etc. are
concerned with the effective functioning of their internal members. However, as the pressure
for performance grows, the requirement for an effective mental health support system also

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increases. There are twelve distinct specialized career options available in practical
psychology. They are as listed below:
 Child Psychologist – this career is concerned with the mental health and wellbeing
of children. Practitioners of this career help children cope with issues like parental
troubles, domestic violence, education related stress etc (Piaget, 2015).
Child psychologists work in various locations ranging from home and clinic based
practices to schools and early education centers and even juvenile correction
homes.
 Counseling Psychologist – this is a specialized field where focus is given on
research and practical evaluation of outcomes of psychiatric assessment and
intervention of patients based on counselling.
The most commonly practiced psychological therapeutic profession, counselling
psychologists practice their sessions either privately or in registered clinics and
counselling centers. Upon the seriousness of the clients, they may even provide
home therapy solutions.
 Clinical Psychologist – this kind of a practice entails direct meetings with clients
to identify their emotional, mental and behavioral problems in their lives, and
through carefully planned observations and analyses, help them get out of those
issues by implementing clinical procedures (Kuther & Morgan, 2012).
Most clinical psychologists work within the health and social care settings like
hospitals and nursing homes, but can also work with child/adolescent mental
health centers as well as old age homes as consultants.
 Developmental Psychologist – Developmental psychologists study humans across
their lifespan. They are concerned with identifying various aspects from their

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growth and development like personality changes, socio – cultural and cognitive
developments etc (Baltes, Reese & Lipsitt, 1980).
Developmental psychologists usually work within a healthcare system but also
can be employed at living homes, orphanages, mental health clinics and daycare
centers.
 Experimental Psychologist – This career entails the use of various scientific
methods and techniques for collecting data and performing research. The
background of vast psychological parameters are studied in this process.
Experimental psychologists are directed by the requirement of research based
psychological interventions and results. Their work also ranges within a variety of
fields like trauma centers and asylums to private research centers and universities.
They analyze psychological statistical data and perform research experimentation.
 Forensic Psychologist – Forensic psychologists are concerned with studying and
analyzing research data from criminal events and incidents to identify the
mentality of criminals and how they function. They can be helpful in predicting
behavioral outcomes of criminals.
Forensic psychologists work within the legal and criminal justice system but can
also work under universities and government and non-government research
organizations, forensic laboratories and in public safety departments as
consultants.
 Industrial-Organizational Psychologist - Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
uses psychological theories, practices and examples to solve problems in the
workplace and help in improving the quality of life. Their focus is on workplace
productivity, management and employee working styles.

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Industrial Psychologists focus their attention on the industrial sphere and
workplace, studying productivity, management and the working styles and
patterns of the employees ("Psychologists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: :
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics", n.d.).
 Health Psychologist – In this field, the practitioners focus on how the various
mental and emotional factors along with social factors impact the physical
wellbeing of an individual.
Health psychologists primarily work within a healthcare system and hospitals but
can also find employment in universities and medical colleges ("Psychologists :
Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics", n.d.).
 Neuropsychologist – in this profession, the practitioners are concerned with
understanding the neurological developments of the person and studying how the
various disorders related to brain and the nervous system influences the person’s
cognition and behavior.
The practice of a neuropsychologist may spread to clinics and health centers to
even private practices. They can also work closely with neurologists as a
consultant ("Psychologists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics", n.d.).
 School Psychologist – A school psychologists studies the school environment in
correlation with the individual students as well as groups and helps in determining
whether the school as a place positively or negatively impacts the students’
academic and classroom activities (Sheridian & Gutkin, 2000).
Even though majority of school psychologists work in public or private school
settings, they can also work in community agencies, clinics, hospitals and even

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universities as practitioners or professors ("Psychologists : Occupational Outlook
Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics", n.d.).
 Social Psychologist – a social psychologist studies the social influence, perception
and interaction to determine how they affect individual and group behavior.
Social psychologists are heavily directed towards understanding human behavior
and conducting research on social organizational construct, marketing and
accounting, system designs as well as other fields in applied psychology
("Psychologists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics", n.d.).
 Sports Psychologist – A sports psychologist focuses on the sportsman and helps
him/her enhance their performance and in game endurance. They help build
confidence, focus, composure, intensity, and trust in athletic performance.
Sports psychologists can find work on the field as an on spot consultant, in
hospitals, physical rehabilitation centres as well as in sports and fitness centres
("Psychologists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics", n.d.).
Counseling Psychologist.
Counseling Psychology is a specialized field in practical psychology that
encompasses the ideals of research and analysis in the applied psychology field based on
several broad domains namely counseling processes and outcomes, supervision and training,
career development and counseling as well as prevention of negative after effects on the
psychosomatic level (Strawbridge and Woolfe, 2010). There are certain key implications in
counseling psychology, including an in depth focus on the aspect of assets and strengths, the
interaction between a person and his environment, educational as well as career

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developments, behavioral and personality traits analysis and adaptation. Counselling is in the
present context seen as one of the most crucial underpinnings of practical psychology where
the focus is given primarily on person – counsellor conversation. The history of counselling
can be dated back to the post world war era when the people who were recovering from post-
traumatic stress disorder were identified to be in need of an outlet. The trauma were very
specific and individualized which required the employment of a competent authority in the
field of psychological counseling who was trained enough to not only handle the
conversation but also provide detailed understanding and aid to the patient (Rennie, 1994).
The emergence of counselling psychology has seen many benefits and in the current context
has seen a wide scale implementation in various fields and careers.
Counseling psychologists are concerned with finding answers to a lot of problems and
questions that the client has. Their objective is to ensure a fruitful counselling process and
outcome. The counselling outcomes are helpful in indicating whether the process is effective
or not. The key features of counselling include assessment of the problems, identifying which
aspects of the patient’s life is suffering the most from these problems, identifying the
effective conditions for the counselling process to be fruitful and implementing these
conditions to ensure that the patient benefits the most (Chen, 2001). The approaches to
counselling psychology was effectively identified by Psychologist Carl Rogers who stated
that the mission of counselling interview is “to permit deeper expression that the client would
ordinarily allow himself” (Rogers, 1947, p. 358). There are certain key variables connected
with counselling psychology identified as follows:
Therapist variables – this is concerned with the characteristics of a therapist or a
counsellor, their techniques, behavior and theoretical orientation (Imel & Wampold, 2008). It
has been shown that adherence to models of therapy has been proven to be beneficial but also
detrimental or neutral as impacts on the patient. Recent studies have shown that the accuracy

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in clinical judgement is not directly correlated with the training and experience (Spengler et
al., 2009). The difference in the parameters of judgment is based on the differences in
interpersonal traits that the patients possess. Also it has been seen that the levels of anxiety is
directly proportional to the level of focus in a counsellor indicating that there is a lot of work
that needs to be done in the field of counseling psychology to enhance its benefits (Williams
et al., 2008).
Client Variables – The variables of the client like the interpersonal differences in the
issues, their attitudes and surrounding stigma regarding mental health often hold them back
from seeking psychiatric aid (Vogel, Wade & Hackler, 2007). Other client variables include
styles of attachment. As identified, avoidant clients are in a higher risk zone than the attached
clients. Anxiously attached clients are both at a risk as well as benefit depending on the
comfortability and feasibility of the situation (Shaffer, Vogel & Wei, 2006).
Cultural variables – culturally relevant factors like race and class, communal nuances
as well as sexual orientation can also be significant variables affecting the process of
counselling psychology. In this aspect, Counseling Psychologists are focused on identifying
the manners in which culture shapes the process of help seeking and counseling outcomes.
Israel et al., (2008), identify that counselors require to be prepared and understanding as well
as knowledgeable of the underpinnings of working with culturally oppressed clients. In fact,
the APA guideline for multicultural competence highlights the significance and expectations
for taking culture into account during practice and research.
According to the American Psychological Association, there are four specific areas
that counselling psychologists focus heavily on across all developmental stages:
a. The strengths and healthy aspects of clients (individuals, families, couples or groups)

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b. The social, cultural, gender and lifestyle choices and issues that modify the way
people experience things.
c. Discrimination, equality and social justice issues.
d. Career and profession.
The American Psychological Association also state a range of procedures and skills
that are employed in counseling psychology. Apart from providing the range of services to
the mentioned range of clients, counseling psychologists also deal with various forms of
crisis intervention, disaster as well as trauma management followed by a variety of diagnostic
and assessment techniques. Furthermore, they also remain in active consultation with
organizations while monitoring client progress, constructing tests and validating outcomes,
alongside conducting and participating in programs/workshops meant for educating people
about mental health issues, their significance and preventive measures before conditions
worsen (Strawbridge and Woolfe, 2010).
There is a wide range of clients that the counseling psychologists work with. They
include individuals of all ages and territories like school students to retired professionals,
victims of trauma as well as substance abuse, clients with behavioral problems and mood
disorders. Many of these problems can be solved through individual intervention while some
require group therapy. Counseling psychologists are also concerned with finding the proper
therapy based solution as well as group support programs as they seem fit for their clients.
Practicing psychology as a profession
In the recent job market, practicing psychology can be viewed as a viable job solution.
Both the American Psychological Association and the occupational Outlook Handbook
(Bureau of labor Statistics) provide detailed and thorough reasoning behind each of the fields
and exhibit how and why a job in practicing psychology can be considered.

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Primarily, the educational requirements for a psychologist needs to be evaluated.
Even though most psychological practices require a doctoral degree, the occupational outlook
handbook highlights that for a school and an industrial position, a masters’ degree might also
be enough ("Psychologists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics", n.d.). The handbook also elaborates that for a job as a practicing psychologist and
especially a counseling psychologist, a research degree is mandatory, either a Ph. D or a Psy.
D (Doctor in Psychology). While the former is based on a research and involves statistical
evaluation of psychological data, the latter is usually obtained after a practical work and
original examinations instead of a dissertation or a thesis work.
As far as practicing licenses and certifications are considered, most clinical and
counseling psychologists are required to have a doctoral degree along with 2 – 3 years of
practical experience under a supervised professional ("Psychologists : Occupational Outlook
Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics", n.d.). They are also required to pass the
Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology and specific requirements for the job
information can be found within the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards.
Other required certification and licenses can be obtained from the American Board of
Professional Psychology.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook also tells us about the pay structures of a
practicing psychologist. As of May 2018, the median annual pay for a practicing psychologist
was found to be $79,010 with Counselling psychologist earning an average annual amount of
$76,990 while working at varied locations like hospitals, government and private institutions,
universities, schools as well as private practices, both local and state level ("Psychologists :
Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics", n.d.).

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The aforementioned factors play a significant role in highlighting the importance and
relevance of the field of applied psychology. Based on the information provided, I think that
a profession in applied psychology would be of interest to me.
Conclusion
While considering a background research into the field and prospect of applied
psychology, the Occupational Outlook handbook as well as the American Psychological
Association Website provide highly detailed information on the topic. Interested parties can
easily access these websites and gather all form of required information in order to acquaint
themselves with the required knowledge and understanding of the topic. Both the resources
are extremely thorough in their description and listing of the professions as identified above
distinctly in terms of the job entailments, supported by theoretical understanding and
previously done research in the field. The Occupational outlook Handbook is particularly
descriptive when it comes to understanding and gathering a background in the job
entailments and requirements as well as the educational background, licenses and certificates
and the pay structure.
In contrast, the American Psychological Association website provides exemplary
detail on the theoretical understanding of each of the field. It has been extremely helpful in
finding out information about the field of Counseling Psychology, the kind of requirements as
well the understanding of the job in terms of practical implementations and the types of
clients served. However, in my opinion and understanding, I find that the Occupational
Outlook Handbook provides a better understanding and detail as far as the prospect of
considering practical psychology as a job is considered. Not only does it provide a deep

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analysis of the field of Psychology in general, but also lists out the educational and skills
requirement along with the average monthly and yearly wage associated with the job.