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Career Details : Counseling Psychologists

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Description

Assess and evaluate individuals' problems through the use of case history, interview, and observation and provide individual or group counseling services to assist individuals in achieving more effective personal, social, educational, and vocational development and adjustment.

Experience

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Education

A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Training

Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Tasks

  • Counsels clients to assist them in understanding personal or interactive problems, defining goals, and developing realistic action plans.
  • Selects, administers, or interprets psychological tests to assess intelligence, aptitude, ability, or interests.
  • Advises clients on the potential benefits of counseling or makes referrals to specialists or other institutions for non-counseling problems.
  • Develops therapeutic and treatment plans based on individual interests, abilities, or needs of clients.
  • Collects information about individuals or clients, using interviews, case histories, observational techniques, and other assessment methods.
  • Analyzes data, such as interview notes, test results, and reference manuals and texts to identify symptoms and diagnose the nature of client's problems.
  • Consults with other professionals to discuss therapy or treatment, counseling resources or techniques, and to share occupational information.
  • Evaluates results of counseling methods to determine the reliability and validity of treatments.
  • Conducts research to develop or improve diagnostic or therapeutic counseling techniques.

    Related Careers

    Important Abilities

    General Work Activities

    Important Skills

    Frequent Work Context

    • Job-Required Social Interaction
    • Objective or Subjective Information
    • Consequence of Error
    • Provide a Service to Others
    • Deal With External Customers

    Related Majors

    Major Add to MyFSA
    Applied Behavioral Sciencesadd Applied Behavioral Sciences to MyFSA
    Applied Psychologyadd Applied Psychology to MyFSA
    Applied/Clinical Psychologyadd Applied/Clinical Psychology to MyFSA
    Behavioral Scienceadd Behavioral Science to MyFSA
    Behavioral Sciencesadd Behavioral Sciences to MyFSA
    Behavioral/Emotional Disturbancesadd Behavioral/Emotional Disturbances to MyFSA
    Behavioral/Social Sciencesadd Behavioral/Social Sciences to MyFSA
    Biology/Psychologyadd Biology/Psychology to MyFSA
    Business Administration/Behavioral Scienceadd Business Administration/Behavioral Science to MyFSA
    Career Development/Community Counselingadd Career Development/Community Counseling to MyFSA
    Clinical Developmental Psychologyadd Clinical Developmental Psychology to MyFSA
    Clinical Psychologyadd Clinical Psychology to MyFSA
    Clinical/Community Psychologyadd Clinical/Community Psychology to MyFSA
    Clinical/School Psychologyadd Clinical/School Psychology to MyFSA
    College Counseling/Student Personneladd College Counseling/Student Personnel to MyFSA
    College Student Developmentadd College Student Development to MyFSA
    Community Counselingadd Community Counseling to MyFSA
    Community Psychologyadd Community Psychology to MyFSA
    Computer Science/Psychologyadd Computer Science/Psychology to MyFSA
    Conflict Transformationadd Conflict Transformation to MyFSA
    Counselingadd Counseling to MyFSA
    Counseling Adolescents/Adultsadd Counseling Adolescents/Adults to MyFSA
    Counseling Children/Adolescentsadd Counseling Children/Adolescents to MyFSA
    Counseling Psychologyadd Counseling Psychology to MyFSA
    Counseling Psychology/Human Servicesadd Counseling Psychology/Human Services to MyFSA
    Counseling Servicesadd Counseling Services to MyFSA
    Counseling/Clinical Psychologyadd Counseling/Clinical Psychology to MyFSA
    Counseling/Educational Psychologyadd Counseling/Educational Psychology to MyFSA
    Counseling/Human Developmentadd Counseling/Human Development to MyFSA
    Counseling/Psychological Servicesadd Counseling/Psychological Services to MyFSA
    Counseling/Substance Abuseadd Counseling/Substance Abuse to MyFSA
    Counselor Educationadd Counselor Education to MyFSA
    Dispute Resolutionadd Dispute Resolution to MyFSA
    Education Counselingadd Education Counseling to MyFSA
    Education/Psychologyadd Education/Psychology to MyFSA
    Elementary School Counselingadd Elementary School Counseling to MyFSA
    General/Experimental Psychologyadd General/Experimental Psychology to MyFSA
    Guidance/Counselingadd Guidance/Counseling to MyFSA
    Health Psychologyadd Health Psychology to MyFSA
    Higher Education Counselingadd Higher Education Counseling to MyFSA
    Human Development Counselingadd Human Development Counseling to MyFSA
    Human Learning/Developmentadd Human Learning/Development to MyFSA
    Marital/Family Therapyadd Marital/Family Therapy to MyFSA
    Marriage/Family/Child Counselingadd Marriage/Family/Child Counseling to MyFSA
    Philosophy/Psychologyadd Philosophy/Psychology to MyFSA
    Pre-school Educationadd Pre-school Education to MyFSA
    Professional Counselingadd Professional Counseling to MyFSA
    Psychological Counselingadd Psychological Counseling to MyFSA
    Psychologyadd Psychology to MyFSA
    Psychology/Biologyadd Psychology/Biology to MyFSA
    Psychology/Clinical Practiceadd Psychology/Clinical Practice to MyFSA
    Psychology/Educationadd Psychology/Education to MyFSA
    Psychology/Human Servicesadd Psychology/Human Services to MyFSA
    Psychology/Personnel/Human Resources Managementadd Psychology/Personnel/Human Resources Management to MyFSA
    Psychology/Physical Therapyadd Psychology/Physical Therapy to MyFSA
    Psychology/Religionadd Psychology/Religion to MyFSA
    Psychology/Researchadd Psychology/Research to MyFSA
    Psychology/Sociologyadd Psychology/Sociology to MyFSA
    Psychology/Sociology/Anthropologyadd Psychology/Sociology/Anthropology to MyFSA
    Psychology/Special Educationadd Psychology/Special Education to MyFSA
    School Counselingadd School Counseling to MyFSA
    School Counseloradd School Counselor to MyFSA
    School Counselor/Bilingualadd School Counselor/Bilingual to MyFSA
    School Psychologistadd School Psychologist to MyFSA
    Secondary School Counselingadd Secondary School Counseling to MyFSA
    Sociology/Psychologyadd Sociology/Psychology to MyFSA
    Spanish/Psychologyadd Spanish/Psychology to MyFSA
    Theology/Psychologyadd Theology/Psychology to MyFSA
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