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Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

It's a bright outlook for

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Learn more about what they do.

Assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests. Help individuals with distress or maladjustment understand their problems through their knowledge of case history, interviews with patients, and theory. Provide individual or group counseling services to assist individuals in achieving more effective personal, social, educational, and vocational development and adjustment. May design behavior modification programs and consult with medical personnel regarding the best treatment for patients.

Related: Clinical Neuropsychologists Marriage & Family Therapists Mental Health & Substance Abuse Social Workers Mental Health Counselors Psychiatrists

Industries: Health & Counseling

Summary
Details

Supervise and train interns, clinicians in training, and other counselors.
Conduct research to develop or improve diagnostic or therapeutic counseling techniques.
Plan, supervise, and conduct psychological research and write papers describing research results.
Select, administer, score, and interpret psychological tests to obtain information on individuals' intelligence, achievements, interests, or personalities.
Consult with other professionals, agencies, or universities to discuss therapies, treatments, counseling resources or techniques, and to share occupational information.
Direct, coordinate, and evaluate activities of staff and interns engaged in patient assessment and treatment.
Collect information about individuals or clients, using interviews, case histories, observational techniques, and other assessment methods.
Prepare written evaluations of individuals' psychological competence for court hearings.
Refer clients to other specialists, institutions, or support services as necessary.
Plan and develop accredited psychological service programs in psychiatric centers or hospitals, in collaboration with psychiatrists and other professional staff.
Obtain and study medical, psychological, social, and family histories by interviewing individuals, couples, or families and by reviewing records.
Plan, supervise, and conduct psychological research and write papers describing research results.
Provide consulting services, including educational programs, outreach programs, or prevention talks to schools, social service agencies, businesses, or the general public.
Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling or treatments and the accuracy and completeness of diagnoses, modifying plans or diagnoses as necessary.
Obtain and study medical, psychological, social, and family histories by interviewing individuals, couples, or families and by reviewing records.
Observe individuals at play, in group interactions, or in other contexts to detect indications of cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.
Identify psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues and diagnose disorders, using information obtained from interviews, tests, records, or reference materials.
Provide occupational, educational, or other information to individuals so that they can make educational or vocational plans.
Conduct assessments of patients' risk for harm to self or others.
Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling or treatments and the accuracy and completeness of diagnoses, modifying plans or diagnoses as necessary.
Plan, supervise, and conduct psychological research and write papers describing research results.
Advise clients on how they could be helped by counseling.
Supervise and train interns, clinicians in training, and other counselors.
Maintain current knowledge of relevant research.
Develop, direct, and participate in training programs for staff and students.
Provide psychological or administrative services and advice to private firms or community agencies regarding mental health programs or individual cases.
Write reports on clients and maintain required paperwork.
Document patient information including session notes, progress notes, recommendations, and treatment plans.
Use a variety of treatment methods, such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, behavior modification, stress reduction therapy, psychodrama, or play therapy.
Develop and implement individual treatment plans, specifying type, frequency, intensity, and duration of therapy.
Counsel individuals, groups, or families to help them understand problems, deal with crisis situations, define goals, and develop realistic action plans.
Consult reference material, such as textbooks, manuals, or journals, to identify symptoms, make diagnoses, or develop approaches to treatment.
Consult with or provide consultation to other doctors, therapists, or clinicians regarding patient care.
Develop therapeutic and treatment plans based on clients' interests, abilities, or needs.
Develop and implement individual treatment plans, specifying type, frequency, intensity, and duration of therapy.
Interact with clients to assist them in gaining insight, defining goals, and planning action to achieve effective personal, social, educational, or vocational development and adjustment.

Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Equipment Selection
- Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Management of Personnel Resources
- Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Technology Design
- Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Management of Material Resources
- Managing equipment and materials.
Equipment Maintenance
- Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Learning Strategies
- Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Persuasion
- Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Speaking
- Talking to others.
Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
Coordination
- Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Management of Financial Resources
- Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Troubleshooting
- Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Operation and Control
- Using equipment or systems.
Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Science
- Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Programming
- Writing computer programs.
Operations Analysis
- Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Quality Control Analysis
- Testing how well a product or service works.
Systems Evaluation
- Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
Instructing
- Teaching people how to do something.

Written Comprehension
- Reading and understanding what is written.
Sound Localization
- Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Time Sharing
- Doing two or more things at the same time.
Number Facility
- Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Inductive Reasoning
- Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Gross Body Equilibrium
- Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Speed of Closure
- Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Control Precision
- Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Speech Recognition
- Recognizing spoken words.
Auditory Attention
- Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Stamina
- Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Trunk Strength
- Using your lower back and stomach.
Visualization
- Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Mathematical Reasoning
- Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Dynamic Strength
- Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Information Ordering
- Ordering or arranging things.
Peripheral Vision
- Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Glare Sensitivity
- Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Written Expression
- Communicating by writing.
Extent Flexibility
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Problem Sensitivity
- Noticing when problems happen.
Static Strength
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Speech Clarity
- Speaking clearly.
Speed of Limb Movement
- Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Multilimb Coordination
- Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Category Flexibility
- Grouping things in different ways.
Far Vision
- Seeing details that are far away.
Selective Attention
- Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Gross Body Coordination
- Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Response Orientation
- Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Dynamic Flexibility
- Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Spatial Orientation
- Knowing where things are around you.
Depth Perception
- Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Flexibility of Closure
- Seeing hidden patterns.
Finger Dexterity
- Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Deductive Reasoning
- Using rules to solve problems.
Night Vision
- Seeing at night or under low light.
Rate Control
- Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Oral Expression
- Communicating by speaking.
Near Vision
- Seeing details up close.
Reaction Time
- Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Perceptual Speed
- Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Oral Comprehension
- Listening and understanding what people say.
Memorization
- Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Explosive Strength
- Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
Hearing Sensitivity
- Telling the difference between sounds.
Wrist-Finger Speed
- Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Originality
- Creating new and original ideas.
Fluency of Ideas
- Coming up with lots of ideas.
Manual Dexterity
- Holding or moving items with your hands.
Visual Color Discrimination
- Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

Law and Government
- Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Administrative
- Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Psychology
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Engineering and Technology
- Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Building and Construction
- Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Administration and Management
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Food Production
- Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Communications and Media
- Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Foreign Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Physics
- Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Biology
- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Education and Training
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Customer and Personal Service
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Geography
- Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Design
- Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Philosophy and Theology
- Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Computers and Electronics
- Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Production and Processing
- Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Medicine and Dentistry
- Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Mechanical
- Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Therapy and Counseling
- Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
English Language
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Personnel and Human Resources
- Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Sociology and Anthropology
- Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Economics and Accounting
- Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Transportation
- Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Fine Arts
- Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Mathematics
- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Telecommunications
- Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Public Safety and Security
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Chemistry
- Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
History and Archeology
- Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Sales and Marketing
- Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Education

Doctoral or professional degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Internship/residency

Education and Training Opportunities

Washington Annual Salary

115050/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

55.31/hr

Currently Employed

87,000

Yearly Projected Openings

5100

Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking. They do well at jobs that need:

Concern for Others
Integrity
Self Control
Dependability
Stress Tolerance
Adaptability/Flexibility

Desktop computers
Electromyography EMG units
High capacity removable media drives
Notebook computers
Personal computers
Tablet computers

Accounting software
Analytical or scientific software
Calendar and scheduling software
Data base user interface and query software
Electronic mail software
Internet browser software
Medical software
Office suite software
Presentation software
Spreadsheet software
Word processing software

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Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

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