Types of Psychologists: Clinical vs Counseling Psychology

Clinical Psychology

When people think of psychologists, they usually think of a clinical psychologist. A clinical psychologist will study, diagnose, and treat someone with emotional, behavioral, and psychological problems. Researchers in this area may focus on what type of therapy works best for a specific disorder. Clinical psychologists can work in universities as researchers or faculty. They might also work in hospitals or have their private practice. Some clinical psychologists specialize in specific populations, such as geriatrics or children, while others may focus on particular disorders, such as anxiety.

Counseling Psychology

Counseling psychologists are like clinical psychologists, except they focus on normative functioning rather than psychological disorders. Counseling psychologists help people manage everyday life issues and changes, such as divorce, remarriage, careers, and transitions to and from college. Found in many of the same places as clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists work in colleges, universities, mental health clinics, halfway houses, college counseling centers, criminal justice settings, and social service agencies.

Clinical and counseling psychologists are only two of many different types of psychologists. Psychology offers a variety of diverse careers in patient contact, academics, government, and business. While not all psychologists engage in therapy, they are all concerned with the causes of behavior.