Clinical Psychology careers
Psychology today, is one of the most rewarding subject as a career. The clinical psychology is a branch of psychology where you’ve to face the real life challenges and problems of individuals and families while applying your knowledge in psychology. The problems might include anxiety, addiction, and depression, relationship issues, learning difficulties, mental disorder, psychiatric problems and abnormal behavior.
A clinical psychologist after assessment of the patient’s mental conditions might treat him by advices related to his problems, counseling him or he might also need to give the patient therapeutic treatment, depending on the problem level of the patient. The assessment methods includes various processes like taking interviews of the patient, observing the patient’s behavior and psychometric tests. So, if you’ve a knack in facing problems and solve them out, then this is probably the most exciting and fruitful career option for you.
A clinical psychologist may work on their own privately where they deal with clients directly and treat their psychiatric problems. They might even work in groups of health practitioners and professionals. Some of the major work-settings for a clinical psychologist are medical places or social care and health settings like health centers, hospitals, community mental health organizations, social services and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) or in academic places like colleges or Universities, where they deal with the students’ academic problems like inability to learn, or suggestions of which stream might lead his career to success. Others might work in colleges giving University-level lectures and consultations. Sometimes they even perform research works and get paid.
Some of the roles played by clinical psychologists are:
- Diagnosis of psychological disorders
- Assessment of psychological disorders
- Delivering testimonies in legal settings
- Conducting researches
- Administering and creating program to prevent and treat social problems
- Alcohol and drug treatment
- Treating psychological disorders
- Teaching
A clinical psychologist who works as a clinical psychotherapy might use several approaches for the treatment of his patients. Three of those approaches are psycho-dynamic approach, cognitive behavioral perspective and humanistic perspective. Some of them, might use and practice just one specific approach, but some of the best clinical psychologist have been using all the approaches and combining them from time to time and provide the best psychological treatments for their patients.
Psycho-dynamic approach-Using the psycho-dynamic approach has always been popular among the psychiatrist which includes, working with this fact in mind that it is the subconscious mind which plays the greatest roles in our behavior. So, the psychologists deal with free association technique and the subconscious mind of the patients with very delicacy to make a positive change in the person’s behavior.
Cognitive behavioral perspective-This approach has been established from the cognitive and behavioral school of thought. When a psychologist uses this approach, he observes the interaction of the patient’s behaviors, feelings and thoughts. Changing the thought which is the cause of distress, is the main method used here.
Humanistic behavior-In this approach, the psychotherapist deals with the patient’s history and makes him realizes his/her full potential by working on the patient’s self-actualization.
