 Specialty
Areas
Psychologists apply
their knowledge to a wide range of endeavors, including health and human
services, management, education, law, and sports. They usually
specialize in one of a number of different areas.
 Clinical
psychologists -- who
constitute the largest specialty -- work most often in counseling
centers, independent or group practices, hospitals, or clinics. They
help mentally and emotionally distressed clients adjust to life and may
assist medical and surgical patients in dealing with illnesses or
injuries. Some clinical psychologists work in physical rehabilitation
settings, treating patients with spinal cord injuries, chronic pain or
illness, stroke, arthritis, or neurological conditions. Others help
people deal with personal crisis, such as divorce or the death of a
loved one.
Clinical psychologists
often interview patients and give diagnostic tests. They may provide
individual, family, or group psychotherapy and may design and implement
behavior modification programs. Some clinical psychologists collaborate
with physicians and other specialists to develop and implement treatment
and intervention programs that patients can understand and comply with.
Other clinical psychologists work in universities and medical schools,
where they train graduate students in the delivery of mental health and
behavioral medicine services. Some administer community mental health
programs.
 Areas of
specialization within clinical psychology include health psychology,
neuropsychology, and geropsychology. Health psychologists study how
biological, psychological, and social factors affect health and illness.
They promote healthy living and disease prevention through counseling,
and they focus on how patients adjust to illnesses and treatments and
view their quality of life. Neuropsychologists study the relation
between the brain and behavior. They often work in stroke and head
injury programs. Geropsychologists deal with the special problems faced
by the elderly. The emergence and growth of these specialties reflects
the increasing participation of psychologists in direct services to
special patient populations.
Often, clinical
psychologists consult with other medical personnel regarding the best
treatment for patients, especially treatment that includes medication.
Clinical psychologists generally are not permitted to prescribe
medication to treat patients; only psychiatrists and other medical
doctors may prescribe most medications. However, two States --
Louisiana and New Mexico -- currently allow appropriately trained
clinical psychologists to prescribe medication with some limitations.
Counseling
psychologists
Counseling
psychologists use various techniques, including interviewing and
testing, to advise people on how to deal with problems of everyday
living, including career or work problems and problems faced in
different stages of life. They work in settings such as university
counseling centers, hospitals, and individual or group practices.
School
psychologists
School psychologists work with students in early childhood and
elementary and secondary schools. They collaborate with teachers,
parents, and school personnel to create safe, healthy, and supportive
learning environments for all students. School psychologists address
students' learning and behavioral problems, suggest improvements to
classroom management strategies or parenting techniques, and evaluate
students with disabilities and gifted and talented students to help
determine the best way to educate them.
They improve teaching, learning, and socialization strategies based on
their understanding of the psychology of learning environments. They
also may evaluate the effectiveness of academic programs, prevention
programs, behavior management procedures, and other services provided in
the school setting.
Industrial-organizational
psychologists
Industrial-organizational psychologists apply psychological principles
and research methods to the workplace in the interest of improving
productivity and the quality of worklife. They also are involved in
research on management and marketing problems. They screen, train, and
counsel applicants for jobs, as well as perform organizational
development and analysis. An industrial psychologist might work with
management to reorganize the work setting in order to improve
productivity or quality of life in the workplace. Industrial
psychologists frequently act as consultants, brought in by management to
solve a particular problem.
Developmental
psychologists
Developmental psychologists study the physiological, cognitive, and
social development that takes place throughout life. Some specialize in
behavior during infancy, childhood, and adolescence, or changes that
occur during maturity or old age. Developmental psychologists also may
study developmental disabilities and their effects. Increasingly,
research is developing ways to help elderly people remain independent as
long as possible.
Social
psychologists
Social psychologists examine people's interactions with others and with
the social environment. They work in organizational consultation,
marketing research, systems design, or other applied psychology fields.
Prominent areas of study include group behavior, leadership, attitudes,
and perception.
Experimental
or research psychologists
Experimental or research psychologists work in university and private
research centers and in business, nonprofit, and governmental
organizations. They study the behavior of both human beings and animals,
such as rats, monkeys, and pigeons. Prominent areas of study in
experimental research include motivation, thought, attention, learning
and memory, sensory and perceptual processes, effects of substance
abuse, and genetic and neurological factors affecting behavior.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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