Psychologists have a graduate degree in PSYCHOLOGY, followed by an accredited postgraduate training leading to chartered status. There are a number of different branches related to the various applications psychology has to different fields of work.
Working in schools and in local education authorities, they are concerned with children's learning and development. They carry out tasks aimed at improving children's learning and helping teachers to become more aware of social factors that affect teaching and learning. Chartered educational psychologists have a graduate degree in psychology and also a teaching qualification, with experience; in addition they have completed a one-year postgraduate course in educational psychology with supervised experience.
apply psychology to working in collaboration with people across a range of human problems. For example, helping people to manage difficult life events, relationship issues, BEREAVEMENT and issues raised by mental-health problems. Their usual route to qualify is completing a three-year postgraduate training in counselling psychotherapy.
have completed a three-year doctorate training course as well as having their first degree in psychology. They work in health and care settings. Their aim is to reduce psychological distress and to promote psychological well-being. They work with individuals, families, groups and organisations: the individuals are people who have problems such as anxiety, DEPRESSION, serious and enduring MENTAL ILLNESS, brain injuries, addiction, child and family problems, LEARNING DISABILITY and the after-effects of trauma. They provide various types of treatment, for example COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY and family therapy, based on psychological theories and research. They also carry out research, training, consultation with other professionals involved with clients, and supervision of colleagues.
(See also NEUROSIS; PSYCHOTHERAPY.)
work in the criminal and justice fields, applying psychological theory to aspects of legal processes in courts, criminal investigation, and understanding and treating psychological problems associated with criminal behaviour. They will have completed an accredited training course in forensic psychology.
apply psychological methods to studying behaviour relevant to health, illness and care including health promotion and education.
are concerned with how people perform at work and how organisations function. They work in management, personnel, selection and careers advice. They have a postgraduate degree in occupational psychology and will have had to undertake three years’ supervised practice.