Specialties in Psychology

1) Take another look at the "Specialties in Psychology" on page 31, select any two. Then do an online search to learn more about those two specialties, identify what you learned, then compare and contrast the two specialties. (Chapter 1)?

Clinical Psychology focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. They are trained in a variety of approaches and treat some of the most severe psychological disorders. Clinicians typically work in hospitals, private practice, or academic settings. Most positions in this field require a doctoral degree in psychology. There are two major doctoral degrees to choose from, Ph.D. in Psychology and Psy.D. degree. It is recommended that an individual start with bachelor's degree in psychology before starting graduate studies. Generally, one will spend 8 to 12 years in a higher education setting to have a career in this area. A licensed clinical psychologist will usually average $51,885 to $90,330 salary depending on experience and degree.

Counseling psychology is one of the largest, specialties of psychology. This area focuses on helping people cope with everyday stress such as addiction, marriage, family and work. Their main goal is to help patients live more functioning and fulfilling lives. Even though most counseling psychologists provide psychotherapy services, there are many different career paths available. Careers vary from teaching, research, vocational, etc. in most cases you will need a doctoral degree plus 2 years, experience to obtain a license. However the requirements vary from state to state. The average salary for this area is between $51,370 to $67,080.

Although these rewarding specialties are very much alike there are some differences. Clinical psychology takes a more medical approach towards clients while counseling psychologists tend utilize traditional psychological theories. The main difference between the two is how severe the patients mental or behavioral disorders are. Clinical psychologists treat the more crucial disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. Both fields have the ability to help clients attain a better life and overcome problems and are equally rewarding careers!