An Overview Of Six Careers In The Psychology Field

Updated January 18, 2023by BetterHelp Editorial Team

If you’re interested in a career in the psychology field, there may be plenty of options to choose from. A few of these options may include becoming a school psychologist, clinical psychologist, health psychologist, cognitive psychologist, consumer psychologist, and industrial-organizational psychologist. These different careers may enable you to focus on psychology-related topics in a variety of industries. If you feel you’d benefit from speaking with a psychologist or licensed therapist about your career options or any mental health challenges, online therapy can be a simple way to connect with a professional and attend sessions from home.

  1. School Psychologists

As the name suggests, school psychologists are generally responsible for working with children in educational settings and schools. In many cases, this type of psychologist is tasked with helping young people who are experiencing social, academic, and emotional issues. Many school psychologists work with these children by teaching them problem-solving skills, anger management, self-control tips, and communication strategies.

If you or someone you know is considering pursuing a school psychology career, the prospects may be very bright. Currently, children are thought to be facing a variety of issues that may not have existed twenty or even ten years ago. School psychologists may play an important role as we work to understand the issues that today's youth face.

  1. Clinical Psychologists

Clinical psychologists usually specialize in working with individuals who are living with various psychological disorders. There tends to be an extensive amount of training and credentials required to become a clinical psychologist, but this line of work often makes a considerable difference in the lives of many people.

Connect With A Licensed Professional In The Psychology Field.

There are many tasks a clinical psychologist may perform throughout their career. Some examples of these tasks can include diagnosing existing disorders, conducting research, aiding patients in action plans, and facilitating goal development and achievement. The line of work can be very demanding and unpredictable, depending on the setting and extent of issues clinical psychologists work with.

  1. Health Psychologists

Health psychologists are normally responsible for aiding patients in living healthier lifestyles and doing away with unhealthy habits. Individuals in this line of work may also study various factors and elements that can impact health. Health psychologists typically work in hospitals, health facilities, universities, and government agencies.

  1. Cognitive Psychologists

Cognitive psychologists usually have the responsibility of studying the internal human mechanisms that can control and impact behaviors. These may include the development, retention, and storage of memories. 

Cognitive psychologists can play a critical role in society. The findings from their studies often impact software, educational content, public policy, and more. As one might imagine, there tend to be a variety of credentials and boxes to tick before someone can begin practicing as a cognitive psychologist.

  1. Consumer Psychologists

Although not as commonly addressed as other psychology career paths, consumer psychologists are usually very active and can play a critical role in society as we know it. Individuals who choose this line of work are frequently tasked with the responsibilities of constructing marketing and advertisement campaigns, determining the popularity of a product or service, and probing the behavioral patterns of shoppers and buyers. Consumer psychologists generally need to have ample knowledge about the ways media, culture, and interpersonal relationships can impact the decisions people make when buying goods and services.

Consumer psychologists typically work very closely with businesses, retailers, and economists. The knowledge they gather can be very critical for big corporations and businesses that need to know whether their products and services are likely to garner success from the public. The services of consumer psychologists can also be especially valued when the economy is in peril.

  1. Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

Industrial-organizational psychologists typically specialize in conduct that occurs in the workplace and other professional settings. In many cases, the knowledge of these psychologists is used to ensure that the best prospects are hired into positions that are most suitable for them. One of the ultimate goals of industrial-organizational psychology can be to maximize productivity and efficiency in the workplace. Certain individuals in this line of work may train prospective and current employees.

Most commonly, industrial-organizational psychologists work in human resources management departments. Their services are often contracted by large companies that want to bring the best individuals on board. Sometimes, these types of specialists will have prospective workers complete certain screening tests to determine their aptitude for the job.

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Could You Benefit From The Services Of A Psychologist?

Deciding on a career path can be challenging, and many people may benefit from a professional’s opinion. If this is the case for you, you might find that using an online therapy platform can make it easy to connect with a psychologist or other licensed mental health professional who may offer career counseling services. In addition, online therapy can provide the support you deserve for any mental health challenges or concerns you may be experiencing.

As this study explains, online therapy can be as effective as traditional in-person therapy for treating many different mental health disorders. Working with a therapist online may alleviate any symptoms of stress or anxiety you may feel about choosing the right career path.

Takeaway

There may be many potential careers in the field of psychology. For instance, you may choose to become a consumer psychologist, industrial-organizational psychologist, health psychologist, school psychologist, cognitive psychologist, or clinical psychologist. In some of these careers, you’ll work directly with individuals seeking help for their mental health. In others, you may work with corporations to help them with human resources, marketing, and other tasks that may benefit from the knowledge of psychology. It can be easy to speak with a psychologist or other mental health professional about career options or mental health concerns through online therapy.

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