Clinical Psychology Schools

In the old days, people would hide their mental disorders, because it was considered bad to admit that help was needed. The mentally ill were shunned and mistreated. Now, thank goodness, people have learned that we must accept and then go about curing these various conditions. If you want to help people to cope with short and long-term mental disorders, you may want to study to become a Clinical Psychologist.

By contacting your local school, you can find out what the curriculum requirements will be and what job opportunities will be available to you as a Clinical Psychologist.

What is a Clinical Psychologist? A Clinical Psychologist will explore, diagnose, and then proceed to treat the behavioral, mental, and emotional disorders. Some of these disorders may include depression, grief processing, some form of substance abuse, anxiety, or nutritional issues.

This branch of Psychology was first noticed, highlighted, and then recognized during the later part of the 19th Century. Some famous Clinical Psychologists were Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, B.F. Skinner, Erik Erikson, Albert Ellis, and Albert Bandura. One of the first Clinical Psychologists in the field was Lightner Witmer. He initially worked with a young boy who suffered from a learning disability and then later in 1896, Witmer opened his clinic, which specialized in treating children with a variety of disorders and disabilities.

The curriculum for a Clinical Psychologist will be rigorous, but the rewards are life altering. You will be assisting people to move about the world with comfort and ease after healing from their disorder. You can obtain a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s Degree, or a PhD. Most schools will recommend that you at least obtain your Master’s Degree in order to get a desirable job as a Clinical Psychologist.

Clinical Psychologist Curriculum

Once you select a local school and talk to the advisor at the school you will attend, you will see the exact classes that you will be required to take for your degree. The classes will be accompanied by an internship, case studies, lab work and research, and if you are obtaining your PhD, you will need to select a dissertation topic and then compose the paper. Your dissertation topic will be argued and then it will be published. Experts and peers in the field will read your dissertation.

You will have a heavy load of science, math, and classes in the field of humanities while studying to be a Clinical Psychologist. In addition to this, you will need to take such classes as:

• Cognitive Behavior
• Diagnosing
• Family Therapy
• Hypnotherapy
• Psychology
• Biology
• Sociology
• The History of Psychology

Many of your classes with focus on therapy, as the Clinical Psychologist does not treat with medicine. He or she seeks to work out problems through behavioral modification, therapy, and counseling.

There are many different types of therapy. A Clinical Psychologist could use a private session with a client, or choose to use a group, hypnotherapy, or a family style type of therapy. Therapy serves to expose the problem as well as the issues relating from the problem. This is where the healing process first begins.

The Clinical Psychologist will use his or her observations, counseling sessions, and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in order to see how to proceed with the necessary treatment. You can perform this work at a variety of job locations and employment opportunities. Talking to your school about your choice to be a Clinical Psychologist will begin the process.

Employment Opportunities

Once you have obtained the desired degrees, you can use your campus career center to help you get the job that you want. Your school will also hold job fairs where those people and companies who are interested in hiring Clinical Psychologists will visit the campus and interview the prospects. It is important to remember that your school will help you to obtain your desired degree, and then obtain your desired job. Always communicate with your school.

There are many different opportunities to explore as a Clinical Psychologist. Some possible jobs will be:

• Private Clinical Psychologist
• School Clinical Psychologist
• Police, Prison, or Legal Department Clinical Psychologist
• Military Clinical Psychologist
• Adjunct Hospital Clinical Psychologist
• Research Clinical Psychologist
• Professor of Clinical Psychologist
• Adolescent Clinical Psychologist
• Nutritional Clinical Psychologist
• College Clinical Psychologist

Where to Begin

Once you have decided to attend school in order to become a Clinical Psychologist, the very next step is easy. Call your local school and go about enrolling in the program. The community college or school can answer all your questions and help you to begin the process today.