What Do Counseling Psychologists Do?

Types of mental health workers

If you are looking for mental health treatment, you have a few options, and many people do not know the differences between psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, and social workers, so let us start there. Clinical psychologists (counseling psychologists) focus on providing mental health treatment directly to clients. In contrast, research psychologists often do not work with clients directly, perform research studies, and publish articles. Counseling psychologists often administer psychological assessments at the onset of treatment and sometimes throughout treatment. Counseling psychologists often have achieved a Master’s Degree or Doctorate Degree. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medications but often spend less time providing counseling services. Counselors focus on counseling, using evidence-based treatment modalities. Social workers can also provide counseling, but their services can be broader, and there be more focus on case management at times and systemic issues and resources in the community.

What it is like to work with a counseling psychologist

If you choose to work with a counseling psychologist, you will meet with the psychologist face-to-face or telehealth. Before starting treatment, you may want to think about criteria that can help you choose the right clinical psychologist. For example, some people are more comfortable working with a particular gender, someone who shares their sexual orientation, or someone who specializes in a particular clinical area. At your first appointment, the psychologist will probably have you sign an informed consent form, an agreement about the services offered, limits of confidentiality, a no-show policy, and other relevant information about the therapy. The counseling psychologist will likely administer an assessment and complete a diagnostic assessment to determine any mental health diagnoses. The next step is often to develop goals for counseling—that is, what are you hoping to get out of the treatment. How will you know if the counseling is helpful? The counseling psychologist may also make referrals for other services. For example, you may be referred to a psychiatrist to be placed on medications possibly. Counseling psychologists, with a couple of exceptions, will maintain confidentiality. Because they work with several clients from various backgrounds and circumstances, their job is not to judge you. Expect that you will be doing the vast majority of the speaking, but the psychologist will ask questions to help guide the conversation and help you obtain insight.