Work Settings for Psychologists
Psychologists can work in a number of different sorts of settings.
Academic settings (such as colleges or universities) provide opportunities to psychologists who wish to teach, do research, or both. Academic psychologists can teach or research in any of the specialty areas listed on the specialties page. Most academic psychologists have earned a doctoral degree.
Research centers provide opportunities for psychologists who want to work exclusively on research careers. Research may focus on any and all of the specialty areas listed on the specialty page.
Mental health settings (such as community mental health centers, university counseling centers, psychiatric hospitals or private practices) provide services to individuals or families who seek help for psychological disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, addictions, etc. They also provide counseling to people who are having difficulty adjusting to the stresses of everyday life, such as relationship problems or career transitions, and those who are seeking personal growth or desired changes in their lives. To learn more about psychology in mental health settings click here.
Some psychologists work in the legal system or in prisons providing assessment or rehabilitation for prisoners. If this is an area that interests you, you might want to read more about the specialty areas of forensic psychology or clinical psychology.
Businesses employ psychologists who provide advice or guidance regarding hiring, supervision, team building or employee’s mental health needs. A person working in this field is typically called an industrial/organizational psychologist. Industrial/organizational psychologists typically concentrate on communication, conflict management, social influence, or motivation. In addition, more "hands-on" projects include developing a physical work environment that is ideal for human interaction.
Sports teams may hire their own sports psychologists. In working with sports teams there are two different areas a psychologist can go into: educational or clinical sport psychology. Educational sport psychology deals with teaching athletes skills such as goal setting, focusing, imagery, and arousal control, which can help athletic performance. The clinical side of sport psychology deals with psychological issues, such as eating disorders or anxiety, in athletes and how to resolve them.
Private practices are self-owned businesses through which psychologists may provide a number of services including counseling or consultative services in the area of mental health, coaching, or industrial-organizational psychology.
Schools may employ psychologists to provide assessment of or treatment or guidance for students. In addition, a school psychologist is also available to deal with issues that parents, teachers, or administrators may have. School psychologists work with teachers in order to help children develop into healthy adults. This includes testing for learning disabilities, evaluating the classroom setting, and to help parents realize the needs of their children.
Hospitals too may employ health psychologists. A health psychologist attempts to take a holistic look at physical health; they are interested in the ways in which biological, psychological, and social factors effect illness. For example, health psychologists may be interested in how the patient's personality, attitude about life, and behavioral choices (e.g., eating & exercise patterns, etc.) may influence their physical health. Goals of the field of health psychology include educating patients of the mind-body connection, dealing with psychological adjustment to disease, and social support for those who are ill.
