Careers in Clinical Psychology
Clinical psychologists deal with the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of
individuals with psychological problems. These problems vary considerably as to their
degree of severity. Typically, clinical psychologists treat more severe disorders, such as
phobias, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
Clinical can be found working in individual practices, schools, colleges and universities,
hospitals, and other mental health facilities. The particular method of therapy utilized by
each clinical psychologist is often influenced by the theoretical orientation they adhere to.
There are a total of over 200 theoretical orientations, each providing a different
explanation behind the causes of psychological disorders and their appropriate treatments.
Some orientations are more popular than others; however, most psychologists integrate
two or more into their therapy. Furthermore, some theoretical orientations are better at
explaining and treating certain disorders more than others. Regardless of their orientation
preference, clinical psychologists are trained to assist a variety of individuals and their
emotional difficulties.
Typical Duties
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Possibly extra responsibilities than one working in a hospital or clinic setting
Getting the files ready of the clients being seen that day – what is the goal for that
session?
Counseling sessions (~5/day) – Does the patient realize they need help? Does the
patient realize that the dr. helps, but that THEY must do the work?
Complete the appropriate paperwork for the clients seen that day. (e.g. progress
reports, insurance papers, etc.)
Attend department &/or team meetings if working in a larger setting – who else might
be part of these teams?
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Industrial Organizational Psychology
INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONAL (I/O) PSYCHOLOGY is the study of behavior
in work settings. I/O psychology is very important in the workplace for promoting
productive worker attitudes and behaviors and for selecting and promoting candidates in
the most effective fashion. More and more companies are hiring I/O psychologists to
come in and help revamp certain aspects of their company. It seems that today there is a
great demand for equal employment, equal pay and an enjoyable yet productive
environment. With these thoughts in mind, the demand for I/O psychologists is increasing
rapidly. With this increase it is important that people have a general understanding of
how I/O psychology came to be, how to become an I/O psychologist and what the future
is expecting of I/O psychologists.
Typical Duties
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Communicating with workers, managers, owners – large & small groups
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Providing training in the workplace about various topics (e.g. sexual harassment)
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Brainstorming with a group of managers on ways to increase production
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Teaching seminars or training courses about a particular topic
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Being extremely organized and prepared to answer almost any type of question
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Studying a certain job to see what type of training would make a job run more
smoothly
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Looking through past research to help find the best training strategies on topics that
need to be taught
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Environmental Psychology
ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY studies the relationship between environments
and human behavior as well as how they affect one other. These environments include
social settings, built environments, learning environments and informational
environments. Why are some spaces comfortable and others threatening? How can we
enhance our environments (color, space, etc.) to reduce stress, create more efficiency, and
minimize accidents? Does music really calm the salvage beast? These are a few
questions that environmental psychologists work with.
Humans react both consciously and unconsciously to the area in which they live and
work. The goal of the field is to solve problems involving human-environmental
interactions and to create, manage, protect, and restore environments that promote proper
behavior. Researchers diagnose problem situations (NOT mental health issues) and
recommend solutions. A great majority of research in Environmental Psychology is done
in the field rather than in the lab. Environmental psychologists assess, analyze, and advise
on personal space and environments in general. They usually work in teams with other
professionals such as urban and city planners, architects, economists, engineers, and
designers, just to name a few.
Typical Duties
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constantly working with other people to get a project accomplished
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Meetings with many different people, ranging from politicians to architects
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Doing or reading about basic research on color, odor, sounds, crowding
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Doing field work = interacting with people, conducting interviews, and
performing other tasks to get a feel for a particular space in the environment.
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Willingness to travel at times, time management and computer skills are a must
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Forensic Psychology
FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY is the application of psychology to the criminal justice
system that weaves together psychology and law topics. Forensic Psychology knowledge
is used in various forms, such as in treating mentally ill offenders, consulting with
attorneys (e.g., on picking a jury), analyzing a criminal's mind and intent (whether a
defendant was insane at the time a crime occurred), and practicing within the civil arena
(child custody cases). A forensic psychologist may chose to solely focus his/her career
on research, ranging anywhere from examination of eyewitness testimony to learning
how to improve interrogation methods. Another form of Forensic Psychology work is
public policy, in which researchers can help in the design of correctional facilities and
prisons. More generally, Forensic Psychology covers territory between the traditional
options of criminal justice (i.e., academic training, law enforcement, and corrections).
Typical Duties
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Oriented toward research activities (Post-traumatic stress disorder, insanity,
questioning techniques used by police, etc.)
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Spend time with attorneys, jurors, defendants (varies with the case)

Counsel police officers who have shot someone in the line of duty or with
aggression issues
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Sports Psychology
SPORT PSYCHOLOGY is the study of the psychological and mental factors that
influence and are influenced by participation and performance in sport, exercise, and
physical activity. Sport psychology professionals are interested in how participation in
sport, exercise, and physical activity may enhance personal development and well-being
throughout the life span. Sport psychologists are also involved in assisting coaches in
working with athletes as well as helping improve athletes' motivation. You will find them
at the high school (rare), college & professional levels.
Typical Duties
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Some may focus primarily on conducting research & sharing the information
o Performance enhancing techniques (e.g. visualization; anxiety reduction;
taking practice to event, etc.)
o Affects of hormone levels
o Team building exercises
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Teach at colleges and universities
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Work with athletes, coaches, or athletic administrators
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Develop and implement programs designed to maximize the overall well-being of
sport, exercise, and physical activity participants
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Consumer Psychology
CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY is the study of human responses to product and service
related information and experiences. Many responses are important, including beliefs and
judgments, emotions, purchase decisions, and consumption practices. A broad range of
product and service related information is also important, such as advertisements,
package labels, coupons, consumer magazines, and word-of-mouth communications from
friends and relatives. The goals of consumer psychologists are to describe, predict,
influence, and/or explain consumer responses.
Consumer psychologists are educators, researchers, and administrators. They get direct
feedback from their work and they see how it changes things. It is not easy to understand
why some people buy and others do not. Nor is it a simple matter to discover the trends
and predict where things are going in the next few years. The majority of business
executives and managers are well educated and trained in their field, but few are also all
that familiar with the behavioral sciences. This is where consumer psychologists step in.
The consumer psychologist's job is not easy. Once a Coke was a Coke. Today's
consumers have more than brand preferences. Some want regular cola, some
decaffeinated, some sugar-free, and some both decaffeinated and sugar-free. And there is
still more: New formula and Classic; cherry-flavored, too.
Typical Duties
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Combine creativity with sound business sense to market a product based on financial
& psychological research
o Impulse buys (think of the items by the checkout line)
o Location of products within a store
o Effectiveness of slogans & advertisements
o Timing of events
o Getting people to stay in the store longer
Spend time brainstorming, creative blockbusting, and sifting through demographic
research
Spend time meeting with clients
Spend time in the field doing research
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Experimental Psychology
Experimental psychologists use a methodological approach to conduct experiments in
controlled situations in order to examine or establish hypotheses about human behavior.
These psychologists take nothing for granted as they scrutinize human responses to
sensation, perception, motivation, memory, learning and physiological psychology. Their
findings are used in the fields of clinical, educational, social and child psychology as well.
Experimental psychologists, who also play the role of natural scientists, additionally
study current psychological laws (for example, the psycho-physical law that states, "In
order to increase sensations by noticeable quantities, the quantity of stimulus must be
increased by relatively the same quantity.") to assess their truth under rigorous testing.
Typical Duties
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Run experiments to study human behaviorism and mental phenomena
o E.g. Can hypnosis control for pain? How long can people go without sleep?
What happens when people are deprived of their 5 senses?
o There will be several experiments going on at the same time & be in
different stages of the process.
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Study behavior processes in animals (e.g. what affects a rats ability to run a maze?)
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Teach classes at universities to psychology majors & graduate students
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Some may become experts in a particular field & go on the lecture circuit
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Educational Psychology
Educational psychology focuses on the study of learning outcomes, student
attributes, and instructional processes directly related to the classroom and
the school, such as amount of instructional time or individual differences in
school learning. This is the BIG picture of learning. They study anything
that may impact learning: teacher-student ratio; effective discipline;
classroom management; study skills. They are usually employed by a
university in the education department and often supervise student teaches.
Typical Duties
 Meetings with faculty, students, administrators, parents and student
teachers.
 Classroom observations
 Teach classes for education majors
 Be a consult at schools (e.g. switching from traditional to block
schedule)
 Some educational psychologists may operate private practices in the
evenings.
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in School Psychology
School psychologists work with students, teachers, parents, and
administrators to resolve students' learning and behavior problems. Their
work is much more individualized than the educational psychologist. School
psychologists work with individual students and groups of students to deal
with behavioral problems, academic difficulties, disabilities, and other issues.
They also work with teachers and parents to develop techniques to deal with
home and classroom behavior. Other tasks include training students, parents,
and teachers about how to manage crisis situations and substance abuse
problems.
Typical Duties
 Consultation, evaluation & intervention of individual students
 Prevention - research and planning in cases of school trauma/disasters
 Identify & test for students who…
o Might be at-risk
o Have learning problems
o Might benefit from the Talented & Gifted Program
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Developmental Psychology
Developmental psychologists study human development—the
physiological, cognitive and social development that takes place
throughout every stage of our lives. They study both the biological
influences (such as genetics) and environmental aspects (such as
parenting techniques) that shape who we are.
Because of the large breadth of this career field, most developmental
psychologists choose to specialize in a specific life stage. They may study
development during infancy, childhood or adolescence, or changes that
occur during adulthood or old age. They might also focus on
developmental disabilities and their effects.
Developmental psychologists are employed in a variety of workplace
environments, depending on their specialty. Universities, research
facilities, schools, elderly assisted living homes, teen outreach programs,
homeless youth programs, hospitals, psychiatric institutions and private
practices all depend on the skills of developmental psychologists.
Typical Duties
 Evaluate
 Study
motor skills progression/regression
the development of moral reasoning and ethics among
individuals and groups
 Study
the acquisition of language skills and other forms of
communication
 Research
 Assess
social patterns, behavior and personality development
individual problem solving patterns
 Evaluate
developmental disabilities
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Community Psychology
Community psychologists are concerned with everyday
behavior in natural settings - the home, the neighborhood,
and the workplace. They seek to understand the factors that
contribute to normal and abnormal behaviors in these
settings.
They also work to promote health and prevent disorders.
Whereas clinical psychologists tend to focus on individuals
who show signs of maladaptive behavior, most community
psychologists concentrate their efforts on groups of people
who are not mentally ill (but may be at risk of becoming so)
or on the population in general.
Typical Duties
 create and evaluate an array of programs and policies
which help people control the stressful aspects of
community and organizational environments
 assess the needs of a community and teach its members
how to recognize potential problems and deal with them
before they becomes too large to handle
 study and implement more humane and effective ways for
formerly institutionalized populations to live productively
in society's mainstream.
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Human Factors Psychology
Human factor is a field which is a combination of different
studies like graphic design, psychology, statistics,
engineering and research. It focuses on the significance of
health, safety and output. By making use of safe and easyto-use things in production, it provides a proper ergonomic
design suited to make users comfortable without the risk of
strain injuries, which is the result of constant work.
The main purpose is to increase productivity while
reducing safety issues. These specialists are part of various
sub-fields like cognitive, experimental,
perceptual, applied and engineering psychology.
Typical Duties
 Doing research and then applying what they have learned
about perception, cognition and human behavior so that easyto-use and safe products could be made.
 Assist people such as graphic designers, engineers, industrial
designer, bio-mechanist and more to increase productivity to
make more useable products.
 Look out for ways of enhancing workplace safety, efficiency
and human-computer interaction.
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Health Psychology
Health psychologists educate people about the link
between disease and behaviors such as lack of
exercise, poor diet and extreme stress. They also
consider the adverse effects of negative thoughts and
attitudes on health, and try to understand how a
person's social and cultural conditions ultimately
lead to better or worse health.
Many health psychologists work in medical clinics
with physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and
other professionals. They find personal satisfaction
in helping patients learn how to cope, and even
thrive, despite chronic disease.
Typical Duties
 educate people on the importance of balance between
work and leisure activities
 investigate alternative approaches to pain, such as
biofeedback and relaxation techniques.
 work in outpatient mental health and substance abuse
clinics, acute care clinics, and universities.
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Counseling Psychology
Counseling psychologists deal with the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of
individuals with psychological problems. These problems vary considerably as to their
degree of severity. Counseling psychologists work with patients suffering from everyday
stresses, including career planning, academic performance, and marriage and family
difficulties.
counseling psychologists can be found working in individual practices, schools, colleges
and universities, hospitals, and other mental health facilities. The particular method of
therapy utilized by each clinical and counseling psychologist is often influenced by the
theoretical orientation they adhere to. There are a total of over 200 theoretical
orientations, each providing a different explanation behind the causes of psychological
disorders and their appropriate treatments. Some orientations are more popular than
others; however, most psychologists integrate two or more into their therapy.
Furthermore, some theoretical orientations are better at explaining and treating certain
disorders more than others. Regardless of their orientation preference, counseling
psychologists are trained to assist a variety of individuals and their emotional difficulties.
Typical Duties





Possibly extra responsibilities than one working in a hospital or clinic setting
Getting the files ready of the clients being seen that day – what is the goal for that
session?
Counseling sessions (~5/day) – Does the patient realize they need help? Does the
patient realize that the dr. helps, but that THEY must do the work?
Complete the appropriate paperwork for the clients seen that day. (e.g. progress
reports, insurance papers, etc.)
Attend department &/or team meetings if working in a larger setting – who else might
be part of these teams?
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Social Psychology
The field of Social Psychology studies the influence of society on human
behavior, but it wasn't until after the Holocaust that psychologists formalized a
"social" field within psychology. Because of atrocities in Nazi Germany,
psychology researchers needed to understand how conformity and obedience
motivated people to commit such horrific acts.
Using scientific research methods, social psychology professionals analyze
underlying causes of how individuals influence other individuals' thoughts,
emotions and actions.
Typical Duties

uses fMRIs (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to trace decisionmaking activity to specific areas of the brain while people answer
challenging moral questions.

experimental environments that imitate real-world scenarios, and record
observable behaviors that occur.

Systematically observing people in their natural environments is yet
another method.

design intervention programs
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology is concerned with how people acquire, process and store
information. Major areas of interest in cognitive psychology include language,
attention, memory, decision-making and problem-solving. Cognitive
psychology has many practical applications.
Typical Duties

conduct applied research or basic research on the human thought
process

work at colleges and universities, government agencies, corporate
businesses and in private consulting

create educational curriculum

software design
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/
Careers in Neuropsychology
neuropsychology is defined as "a science that measures how behavior
demonstrates the problems of brain function. While neurology is focused
primarily on the brain, its structures and connections, neuropsychology is
focused on the mind, or how the brain interacts with the world
[source: University of Washinton Medical Center]."
They must have an understanding of both mental health challenges and
neuroscience so they can help patients and their families.
Typical Duties

work in multidisciplinary teams composed of neurosurgeons,
neurologists and other medical providers who help individuals suffering
from traumas such as strokes, brain injuries, psychiatric disorders,
developmental disorders and even the negative effects of substance
abuse

work in rehabilitation centers, neuroscience centers, research facilities or even as
witnesses in court settings.

employ various tests to help their patients, including such tests as
language assessments, personality tests, problem solving evaluations
and other mental and behavioral examinations.
For more information on careers (benefits & drawback, brief history, etc) go to
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.psy/Career_Paths/