Psychologists have special expertise in the functioning of the mind and behavior. Some earn Ph.D.’s in Social, Environmental, Organizational, Cognitive or Neuropsychology. To be licensed, a clinical psychologist must have a doctoral degree from an approved university plus supervised pre- and post-doctoral internships. A licensed psychologist has passed a national written examination. To maintain a license, a psychologist is required to continue to learn new concepts, approaches and skills through continuing education. Ph.D. psychologists (Doctors of Philosophy) are similar to Psy.D. Psychologists (Doctors of Psychology). The major difference between the two degrees is that the Ph.D. program usually focuses more on research, whereas the Psy.D. training program focuses more on clinical training. Both Ph.D. and Psy.D. programs require internship placements. Ph.D. programs and most Psy.D. programs require a doctoral dissertation. Both programs take 4-7 years of full-time study to complete. Every state licenses clinical psychologists, whether they have earned a Ph.D. or Psy.D. Both are usually skilled psychotherapists or counselors, though neuropsychologists may focus on using specialized tests to diagnose brain damage that is affecting mental functioning. Many other clinical psychologists also have special expertise in psychological testing.
Key Benefits
- Clinical Psychologists have advanced training in counseling psychology and/or some form of psychotherapy. Some practice integrative psychotherapy, which combines elements of both.
- Clinical Psychologists may have specialized training in one or more clinical conditions or treatment methods, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), or Group Therapy.
- Many clinical psychologists have special expertise in psychological testing, which can be invaluable in making a correct diagnosis when the patient’s symptom profile and/or history is unclear.
Capabilities
In general, people seek the help of psychologists in dealing with anything that affects their emotional or mental state and changes in those states. People see a psychologist for many reasons including depression, anxiety, relationship problems, difficulty adjusting to a significant life change (marriage, birth of a child, new job, loss of a loved one, etc.), addictive behaviors, recovery from trauma (serious accident, abuse, etc.), choosing a new career, spiritual issues and psychological testing. People also seek help from psychologists for performance enhancement, goal-setting and achievement, team building and wellness planning. Psychologists help patients work through difficulties stemming from relationship experiences in childhood, current life or both. Some clinical psychologists focus on solving current psychological problems and present-day behavior patterns, irrespective of their developmental history. Others work with patients to help them understand how the past is still alive in the present – despite the fact that the connections between past and present day behavior patterns may not be obvious at first to the patient. Clinical psychologists have the expertise to decide where to focus a patient’s attention and how to change behaviors that contribute to the development of emotional symptoms.
Counseling Psychology
Counseling is designed to focus on consciously recognized current life difficulties. Through the use of professional advice and support, psychologists who practice counseling attempt to guide patients through difficult times and to change easily identifiable problem behaviors by using well established tools and methods. Some psychologists practice Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, a methodology that focuses on the conscious thoughts that drive emotional reactions. Others use techniques like meditation, guided imagery, deep muscle relaxation, biofeedback, desensitization, exposure therapy, E.M.D.R, and pain management techniques. Counseling usually lasts from 10-20 sessions, but may be long-term if patients require ongoing support. However many insurance plans only cover time-limited counseling.
Insight-Oriented Psychotherapy
Insight-oriented psychotherapy is a deeper and longer-term process designed to help patients get to know themselves better, including unconscious parts of the self that may be making trouble for them in relationships, occupation or personal life. Insight-oriented psychotherapies, such as psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapies, are not time-limited. Rather patients are enabled to take whatever time they need to explore the hidden (unconscious) motivations that reinforce maladaptive behavior patterns.
Integrative Psychotherapy
Integrative Psychotherapy combines elements of counseling psychology and insight-oriented therapy. Psychologists who practice this form of therapy attempt to optimally combine approaches and custom tailor them to individual patients. They may also include specialized techniques and tools such as gestalt therapy, rational-emotive therapy, humanistic therapy, clinical hypnosis, professional coaching, wellness planning and traditional therapies from other cultures. Integrative psychotherapy may start out as a counseling approach – focusing on consciously recognized problem behaviors – but then progress to a deeper form of insight-oriented therapy targeting problems about which the patient was not aware when he or she first sought help.
Psychological Testing
Some psychologists have specialized training in psychological and/or neuropsychological testing. These tests can be used to measure intelligence, personality functioning, memory and/or other psychological and neuropsychological processes. Test results can be crucial in clarifying a patient’s psychiatric diagnosis and in helping his or her clinician formulate an effective treatment plan.
For more information about Psychology, please visit the official web site of the American Psychological Association.