Pure Potential

All About Careers - Clinical Psychologist

Working as a clinical psychologist can be a highly challenging yet rewarding career. We often have the misconception that psychologists sit in a room nodding their heads and pretending to make notes, but they have a vital role within the healthcare system.

So what do clinical psychologists actually do? Clinical psychologists observe, test and analyse patients’ psychological problems and suggest appropriate treatments for them, including therapy. They use psychometric tests and other standard procedures to analyse and evaluate patients’ psychological problems. In addition to their hands-on, clinical duties, psychologists carry out independent research into psychological disorders. They deal with a wide range of health problems, from learning disabilities and depression, to addiction and behavioural problems.

So how do you become a clinical psychologist? First of all, you’ll need to brush up on those writing and numeracy skills and be able to handle scientific concepts. The first step is to complete a psychology degree (2:1 minimum), which is certified by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Graduates with other degrees are also eligible on completion of an approved conversion course or through passing the BPS qualifying exam. Next you have to complete a three-year Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and six to 12 months of clinical experience. After all that, you’ll be a bona-fide clinical psychologist working either for the NHS or private medical sector or continuing your psychological research in a university or private company.

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