Become a Psychologist

Clinical psychologists can work in out-patient and in-patient mental healthcare facilities, private practices and academic settings. Common job duties for these professionals include diagnosing patients' mental or behavioral health disorders and developing treatment plans. Clinical psychologists who work for a college or university often take on additional teaching and research responsibilities.

As of 2012, about one-third of all psychologists were self-employed. Those individuals often see clients during evening or weekend hours to meet their scheduling needs. Those who work in medical facilities may often be scheduled during those same types of hours. Some individuals may find working with clients who exhibit mental and behavioral disorders to be stressful.

Career Requirements

Degree Level	Either a Ph.D. or a Psy.D. is required
Degree Field	Clinical or counseling psychology
Licensure	State licensure is required to practice independently as a clinical psychologist
Experience	Varies by employer, can range from 1-2 years
Key Skills	Communication, observation, and analytical skills; work well with others; maintain patient confidentiality; knowledge of statistical, testing, and medical software
Salary	$68, 900 per year (Median salary as of May 2014)

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job postings by employers (July 2012), Occupational Information Network.

Step One: Earn a Bachelor's Degree

An undergraduate degree in psychology typically fulfills most of the admission requirements for a doctoral program in clinical psychology. However, many graduate programs also admit students with a bachelor's degree in a related field, provided they've completed prerequisite coursework. To meet these requirements, consider taking classes in research methods, abnormal psychology and behavioral statistics while enrolled in a bachelor's degree program.

Success Tip

• Look for opportunities to gain research experience. Undergraduates who work as research assistants have the opportunity to learn about scientific methods, explore their research interests and develop relationships with professors who can write letters of recommendation for their graduate school applications. Some schools also offer independent study options and honors programs to students who would like additional research experience.

thinking fast and slow review thinking face meme thinking gif thinking games thinking geographically thinking guy gif thinking gif meme thinking games for adults thinking games for kids thinking globally thinking hard thinking hard meme thinking hats thinking hard gif thinking highly of yourself thinking hard synonym thinking head thinking huts thinking in bets thinking in systems thinking in spanish thinking in pictures thinking images thinking icon thinking into results thinking in react thinking juice thinking jobs thinking jokes thinking juice back bling thinking jobs for fiction thinking journal thinking juice wrld thinking jobs for reading thinking kid thinking kid clipart thinking kermit thinking k9 thinking kid gif thinking of you thinking kid cartoon thinking kid image thinking like a historian thinking like a mountain thinking like a scientist thinking like a sociologist means that you thinking like an economist thinking like a lawyer thinking like an engineer thinking logically thinking meme thinking maps thinking man thinking man statue thinking music thinking man tavern thinking maps templates thinking meaning thinking nf lyrics thinking nation thinking noodles thinking negative thinking nf thinking noun synonym thinking notes thinking necessarily involves thinking out loud thinking out loud lyrics thinking of you images thinking of you quotes thinking of you gif thinking of you messages thinking of you cards thinking putty thinking person thinking pinoy thinking positive thinking pose thinking png thinking problem thinking process thinking quotes thinking questions thinking questions for kids thinking questions to ask thinking quotes short thinking quickly thinking quotes for instagram thinking quantitatively thinking routines thinking rhetorically thinking rationally thinking reaction meme thinking riddles thinking really hard thinking reeds thinking rationally meaning thinking synonym thinking statue thinking skills thinking strategies thinking styles thinking stock photo thinking strategically thinking storm thinking traps thinking tree thinking tree spirits thinking too much thinking thesaurus thinking thoughts and feeling feelings thinking traps worksheet thinking thursday thinking up