Psychologist Job Description

spend an average of seven years in education and training in the field after receiving the undergraduate diploma. They are solving the patient’s long-term and short-term problems on the therapy sessions, and all the conditions that may interfere with the physical or mental health of the patients. Psychiatrists help the patients to break through past barriers, overcome any type of addiction, or simply cope with some stressful situations that came into the patient’s life. They are also trained to interpret mental tests and assessments that can help them with diagnosing the patients’ problem, behavior or condition. The problems can be treated in most of the cases with psychotherapy or talk therapy. If needed, psychologists can also administer and use medications to help the patients with their therapy. Some psychologists are trained to do hypnosis that can be the only help with some conditions and disorders. The following is a summary of a psychologist job description;

Education and training

After completing the undergraduate degree studies and obtaining diploma, they need the doctoral degree studies that requires up to 6 years of study that may include research, or full-time supervised internship that is needed to obtain the license. Before taking the license they also must pass the national examination that is specific to the state which is issuing the license. In some states the psychologists that are able to prescribe medications must have advanced training after obtaining the license. All the regulations prior the license varies in different states. The doctor of psychology (Psy.D) has a diploma based on practical work, and those psychologists that have a Ph.D in psychology obtain their degree based on original research dissertation. The master’s degree program for psychologists does not require an undergraduate master in psychology.

Working and employment

Many psychologists are working in the private sector, and they manage to open their own practice or work group. They can also be found in different health care providers, schools, colleges, universities, prisons, medical centers, clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, businesses and industries. They can be divided into mental health care providers, and social psychologists that conduct research and also provide consultant services. They work alone and as an independent patient counseling, or as a part of a health care team that has collaboration between health care professionals in different fields. Psychologists that are working as independent consultants set their own schedules, and hours. And those that are working in the public sector have a full time job, and make schedules during the regular business hours.

Salary

The median annual salary for psychologists in 2018 was $79,010 or $37.99 per hour. The employment for this occupation is projected to grow in the next ten years with an average of 12% as fast as the average of all other occupations. The best prospects are for those that have a doctoral degree in applied specialty and school psychology.