Psychologist
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A psychologist is a social scientist who studies Psychology, the study of the human Mind, Thought and human behaviour. Psychologists are usually categorised under a number of different fields, the most well-recognised being clinical psychologists, who provide Mental health care, and research psychologists, who collect, investigate and analyse aspects of human behaviour.
Unlike psychiatrists, psychologists are not medical doctors and hence are unable to prescribe psychiatric medications. Psychologists however do generally have doctoral degrees, either a Ph.D. or a Psy.D.. However prescription privileges in the United States have recently changed and some psychologists are gaining prescriptive privileges, specifically in New Mexico and Louisiana.
Types of psychologist
Psychologists are often categorised under different fields or disciplines.- Clinical psychologists and Counselling psychologists often work in counseling centres, hospitals and clinics. They diagnose and evaluate mental and emotional disorders, and use tools such as psychotherapy and hypnosis to treat affected patients. They conduct interviews and psychological tests, and may conduct complex treatment programs, sometimes in conjunction with physicians or other specialists.
- Occupational Psychologists are concerned with the performance of people at work and in training, with developing an understanding of how organisations function and how individuals and groups behave at work. Their aim is to increase effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction at work.
- Research psychologists study behavioural processes by experimenting on human beings and animals. They work in universities and private research centres, as well as for government organisations and often contribute to fields including Marketing, Design, and different forms of Drug and chemical research. Common areas of research include Memory, Motivation, and factors affecting behaviour and Development.
Statistics
These statistics are from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, information dated 2002 unless noted otherwise.- Employed psychologists: 139,000
- 1/4 self-employed
- 3/10 employed by educational institutions (in positions other than teaching)
- Median income for clinical psychologists: USD$51,170
- Median income for industrial/organisational psychologists: USD$63,710
Restrictions on the use of the label 'Psychologist"
In New Zealand, the use of the title 'psychologist' is restricted by law. Initially, only 'clinical psychologist' and 'registered psychologist' were restricted (to people qualified as such). However, in 2004, the use of psychologist is now limited to only those registered psychologists (including clinical psychologists). This is to prevent the misrepresentation of other psychology qualifications in the mental health field. Academic psychologists (e.g., social psychologists) are now only able to refer to themselves as 'Researchers in Psychology'.Similar restictions apply in the United States, although application of these restrictions varies state-by-state. For example, School Psychologists, tend to have fewer years of course-based training and practice (e.g., residencies and fellowships) and less experience in conducting independent research than Clinical Psychologists. (Some School Psychologists may have earned a doctorate (Ed.D., Psy.D., Ph.D.) but the vast majority have completed Master's degree training (M.Ed., M.A., M.S.) or Educational Specialist training (Ed.S.) only. Clinical Psychologists, by definition, have completed a Doctorate). For this reason, individuals with training in School Psychology cannot be licensed as a Psychologist, per se. Similarly, many states restrict the work of Clinical Psychologists to function in public schools.