Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:
-
Clinical, counseling and school psychologists who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts (contrast with psychiatrists, who are physician specialists).
-
Organizational psychologists who apply psychological research, theories and techniques to "real-world" problems, questions and issues in business, industry, or government.
-
Academics conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college or university;
Most
typically, people encounter psychologists and think
of the discipline as involving the work of clinical
psychologists or counseling psychologists.
While counseling and psychotherapy are common
activities for psychologists, these applied fields
are just one branch in the larger domain of
psychology. Research and teaching comprise a major
role among psychologists. Technological advances in
the future may increase the usage of computerized
testing and assessment services in order to do some
of the jobs of psychologists, including recognizing
mental disorders
Licensing
Full
membership with the American
Psychological Association in United
States and Canada requires doctoral
training (except in some provinces like
Alberta where a master's degree is
sufficient). Associate membership
requires at least two years of
postgraduate studies in psychology or
approved related discipline. The minimal
requirement for full membership can be
waived in certain circumstances where
there is evidence that significant
contribution or performance in the field
of psychology has been made.
Outside of government and academia, a
professional in the U.S. or Canada must
also hold a psychology license to either
practice psychology or use the title
"psychologist".
The exception to this is the
profession of a school psychologist who
can be certified by boards of education
to practice and use the title
"psychologist." The entry level degree
for a school psychologist is a Masters
or Education Specialist (Ed.S). The most
commonly recognized psychology
professionals are clinical and
counseling psychologists, those who
provide psychotherapy and/or administer
and interpret psychological tests. There
are state-by-state differences in
requirements for academics in psychology
and government employees.
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