The 12 Types Of Psychologists (and What Functions They Perform)
When people hear the word “psychologist,” they immediately He usually associates it with a man or woman who is sitting in an office listening to and taking notes of what his client tells him while lying on a couch. This is one of the many myths around the profession of psychologist that can often be heard.
It is clear that there are many psychologists who carry out this type of practice, what is known as psychotherapy. But the areas of applied psychology are many, and, therefore, psychologists perform different tasks and functions, and work with different clients: families, organizations, athletes, dogs, among others.
Within the world of psychology there is a wide variety of jobs, roles and specialties that do not have to be very similar to each other.
The psychologists They have varied areas of specialization Within these, some psychologists dedicate themselves to the practical field, but also to research or teaching. You will be surprised to know, for example, that there are psychologists who develop their profession in the field of video games…
As you can see, the areas of application in which psychologists work are multiple, and for this reason, below we explain a list with the types of psychologists that exist and we explain their main functions These categories are not mutually exclusive, so it is not unusual for a person to have the functions of two or even three types of psychologists.
Likewise, the fields of study of two of these types may be the same, taking into account that psychologists who dedicate themselves to research have similar training to many others who dedicate themselves to intervening on a specific topic, such as we will see.
12 types of psychologists to understand this discipline
Below we explain what types of psychologists exist and what functions each one performs.
1. Clinical psychologists
clinical psychologists evaluate and treat mental and emotional disorders
These psychopathologies range from short-term crises to longer-lasting difficulties. Some clinical psychologists have specialized in different pathologies: depression, eating disorders, anxiety, personality disorders, etc. Others focus on specific populations: children, adolescents, drug addicts, among others. Clinical psychology is regulated by law, so it is necessary to have completed an official master’s degree or an opposition (for example, the PIR) to be able to practice it.
2. Psychotherapists
Psychotherapy is a clinical intervention model that offers psychological support and a series of techniques to improve the quality of life of patients.
Psychotherapy, in most countries, is not regulated by law, and the problems it treats are not of the same severity compared to those usually addressed by clinical psychology. Psychotherapists usually treat everyday problems, problems in interpersonal relationships or emotional problems. For example, difficulties in a relationship, or treatment for stress management.
3. Educational psychologists
Educational Psychology acts as a bridge between two fields of study: psychology and education It focuses on the processes involved in learning and individuals and the roles played by actors in the educational field, as well as the environment in which this learning occurs.
Thus, the educational psychologist usually works in educational centers (for example, schools) or educational guidance centers. Her functions are varied, and she may work individually, for example in the evaluation and treatment of a child’s learning disorders, or she may work in a multidisciplinary manner with other educational professionals.
4. Developmental psychologists
Developmental psychologists can often work as educational psychologists, since learning is an important part of an individual’s development.
But developmental psychology It not only includes children or adolescents in its field of study and application, but also includes old age Therefore, these professionals can also work in nursing homes. In Western societies there are more and more older people, which is why in recent decades the work of these professionals has become essential.
5. Experimental psychologists and other researchers
The experimental psychologists They carry out tests and experiments to obtain new knowledge about different psychological aspects or phenomena In psychology, however, other methodologies are also used that do not always involve the use of the experimental method, as occurs, for example, in case studies.
Psychologists who are dedicated to research may have training typical of other types of psychologists, but instead of intervening on subjects or groups, they investigate them to obtain information with which to contrast hypotheses or obtain specific data that they are responsible for. They can study aspects of basic psychology such as memory, attention, perception or learning processes, among others, but also phenomena linked to a specific context, such as the appearance and spread of rumors or the generation of specific discourses.
They usually work in universities or public or private research centers, and recently there has been a surge in the interest of companies in hiring these professionals, due to the importance of the development of R&D programs. Large companies are very interested in issues such as consumer perception of a certain product, or occupational health issues.
6. Neuropsychologists
A neuropsychologist is a professional dedicated to neuropsychology
To be able to work in this field, it is necessary to have a Bachelor’s or Degree in psychology, as well as a postgraduate degree in said specialty. Sometimes clinical psychologists or experimental psychologists tend to occupy these positions, since many neuropsychologists are dedicated to research. In the applied field, they can work, for example, in the cognitive, behavioral and emotional rehabilitation of a patient with brain damage, or in early diagnosis and intervention in dementia.
7. Social psychologists
The social psychologists They study and work on human behavior and psychological factors that affect the social, community or group environment.
They are interested in aspects such as interpersonal, intragroup and intergroup relations. They are also interested in topics such as culture, prejudices or attitudes towards other individuals, and develop programs for groups, for excluded minorities, for disadvantaged groups, among others. This can also include professionals dedicated to the study of political psychology and cultural psychology, and it is also normal to find people with training in anthropology and gender studies in this category.
8. Organizational and work psychologists
Organizational and work psychologists apply psychological methods and principles in the work and organizational environment
Their tasks are varied, but they usually work in the personnel selection, training, occupational health or development departments. They also participate in performance evaluations or studies to know the level of consumer satisfaction. Furthermore, in the work environment, some psychological variables such as motivation or leadership are especially important.
9. Forensic and criminalistic psychologists
forensic psychologists apply psychological principles to legal aspects His experience is essential in court. They can, for example, help the judge decide which parent should have custody of a child by providing useful information or evaluating the mental competency of a defendant during a trial.
Forensic psychologists are not the same as criminal psychologists. To better understand the difference between both fields of application of psychology, we invite you to read our article: “Differences between Criminal Psychology and Forensic Psychology.”
10. Sports psychologists
Although the work of the sports psychologist is not known by many individuals, few doubt the importance of psychological factors in sports performance. sports psychologists They work with the athletes, the coach, the team and the entire organization to maximize the team’s potential or athlete. Some of the psychological variables that are worked on are: self-efficacy, attention, motivation, level of activation or stress. But they also work on the interpersonal relationships of the athletes, the influence of the environment or communication.
To learn more about the work of a sports psychologist, you can click on this article: “10 reasons to put a sports psychologist in your life.”
11. Sexologists
Sexologists are professionals specialized in diagnosing and treating psychological disorders that affect intimate relationships of individuals (for example, erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation).
They are also responsible for educating patients on aspects related to healthy sexuality.
12. Other fields of application
But this doesn’t end here, well There are psychology professionals who are dedicated to smaller fields of application: traffic psychology and road safety, marketing psychology, psychology applied to video games, psychology applied to nutrition, group psychology, canine psychology, coaching…
In short, psychology is a field that has obvious connections with any economic, social and medical area, and it is for this reason that the profession of psychologist can find very varied specializations and applications.
Beyond the types of psychologists
It must be taken into account that, regardless of how we classify the different types of psychologists, they all carry out a fundamentally the same task: the study of behavior and mental processes and the application of this new knowledge in areas such as clinical psychology, education, etc.
That is, everyone, from their different areas of action, help us better understand who we are and how we can change
