How to get a job as a clinical psychologist

Working as a clinical psychologist will give you a challenging and varied experience. However, it involves hard work. Training to become a clinical psychologist takes around ten years, so you should be sure that it is what you want to do. This article will explain what is involve in the job, the training that it requires and where to look for work once qualified.

Job description

Job profile of a clinical psychologist A clinical psychologist will work with people who are suffering emotional and mental health problems. They are responsible for assessing a person's mental state, helping them to deal with illness and to give diagnosis to patients. Clinical psychologists work with patients and put strategies in place to help them to deal with specific problems such as a marriage break up or bereavement, or an illness such as schizophrenia or depression.

The training to make it in clinical psychology

Training for a career in psychology To become a clinical psychologist, you must first complete an undergraduate honours degree in psychology. You must achieve a first or a 2:1 in your degree. The course will last three to four years. Whilst you are studying, it is a good idea to be looking around for psychologists for whom you can work as an assistant as this forms part of becoming a clinical psychologist. Doing your psychology doctorate After you have passed your degree, you must enroll on a doctorate of psychology or a Phd. This is a full-time paid course which lasts around three years. During this time, you will have to write a thesis and you must also be looking around for a psychologist for whom you can be an assistant. You must pass your Phd to become a doctor. Upon completion of your doctorate Now, you have to get some practical experience. You must work for at least two years with a qualified psychologist as his/her assistant. In doing so, you gain valuable practical experience. In some states in America and in Britain, you need to sit for an examination known as the EPPP ( Examination for professional practice in psychology) before you are a qualified practicing clinical psychologist.

Prospects and salary

Clinical psychology salary The salary for clinical psychology work varies. If you go into the public sector, you can expect to be paid around £30,000 - £60,000 upwards. If you decide to work for yourself in the private sector, then it is really up to you to decide how much to charge per hour though the average is around £40 per hour which adds up to around £70,000 per annum. You can make a real difference in your work as a clinical psychologist, hence why people choose to do it.