It can be difficult to decide which avenue to go down when it comes to psychology due to the varied nature of the industry. In this blog, we’re going to take a look at a few different job roles within the psychology field to help give you an idea of what each one involves.
Psychologist
A psychologist studies mental processes and human behaviour by observing, interpreting, and recording how people relate to one another and the environment around them. They seek to understand and explain thoughts, emotions, feelings, and behaviours.
Psychologists will use techniques such as observation, assessment, and experimentation to develop theories about the beliefs and feelings that influence a person’s feelings.
They will also look for patterns of behaviour or cause-and-effect relationships between events and use this information when testing theories in their research, or when they’re treating their patients.
Psychotherapist
A psychotherapist uses something called talk therapy, and that’s used to treat people for emotional problems and mental illnesses. They can work in a wide range of scenarios, treating individuals, groups, couples, or families.
They use talk therapy to help their client manage with acute trauma or illness, or even just general emotional unrest. Psychotherapists will treat anything from daily overwhelm, to grief, to mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.
By offering solutions to the problems and engaging in discussions about it, they help their client understand what they’re going through before helping them change their actions.
Forensic psychologist
A forensic psychologist works to build profiles of criminal behaviour and associated psychological issues using their knowledge of psychological theory.
They then apply this theory to criminal investigations to help them understand the behaviour exhibited.
They will also work with the psychological aspects of the legal process and offending behaviour, whilst applying methods to reduce the impact of this and future re-offending.
There are a variety of areas that a forensic scientist will cover, from sexual offending, violence, and aggression to interpersonal and social skills.
Forensic psychologists will offer treatment to those who have committed offences to reduce the impact of their experiences, and to reduce the chances of them repeating the offence.
Most of their work is done with the police, young offender institutes, prisons, secure mental health institutes, or probation services.
Sport and exercise psychologist
Sport and exercise psychologists work with individuals, teams, and organisations involved in sports by using their psychological skills and knowledge to support their wellbeing, behaviours, and mental processes.
They help athletes and teams, be that amateur or elite professional level, to deal psychologically with nerves, anxiety, self-confidence, concentration, and motivation.
Sports psychologists will also work to improve team and individual performances by setting up different kinds of activities.
Meanwhile, an exercise psychologist will work with the public to increase motivation and participation in exercise, encouraging a healthy lifestyle and advising on the psychosocial benefits that exercise can offer.
Psychological wellbeing practitioner
Psychological wellbeing practitioners are trained to assess and support people with common mental health problems, mainly anxiety and depression, in the self-management of their recovery.
By offering a range of low-intensity, cognitive behavioural therapy based interventions, they help their patients manage their own recovery.
A session with a client will usually last between 20 and 30 minutes and they work with a large number of people in a practical way. A fully qualified psychological wellbeing practitioner can help over 250 patients each year.
They also work close with other health professionals, including CBT therapists, counsellors, adult psychotherapists, and employment advisers.
Educational psychologist
An educational psychologist will work in partnership with families and other professionals, working with local authorities, to help children and young people achieve their full potential.
They will work on a variety of different issues from supporting children with learning difficulties or communication needs.
By using observation techniques, assessments of learning, and different methods to illicit the voice of the child or young person, they are able to assess the patient’s needs.
Looking to get into the psychology industry? Take a look at our psychology courses.