What is a Clinical Psychologist?

For our third project in English Composition, we had the opportunity to choose any topic or object we wanted to research and turn it into an informative paper. I chose to write about clinical psychologists, the history behind the profession, and why it’s important today.

The hardest part about this project for me was doing the research. I think this is because the internet has so much information, whether it be true or false. I didn’t like the fact that I had to find information about my topic, and then site where I got it from. I felt this way because I ran into so many websites that seemed reliable but weren’t. However, I realized that I was learning along the way. Understanding how to properly research a specific topic and give credit to those whose work you may be using is important. I may have struggled in the beginning, but I was teaching myself along the way, and that’s what I found most important. 

Clinical Psychology

What is a psychologist? If you were to look up the definition in a dictionary, you’ll read that a psychologist is an “expert of specialist in psychology”. However, someone who chooses to take on this profession is much more than that. Someone who chooses a career in psychology wants to understand how the human mind works, how it functions. It takes someone who has a big heart, the drive to help others, the patience to work long hours, and the motivation to endure years and years of school to take on such a profession.

According to “Applied Psychology”, written by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, clinical psychology became a profession in the United States back in the 1880’s, and wasn’t until 1896 that the first psychological clinic was opened at the University of Pennsylvania by a man named Lightner Witmer. Witmer began doing experiments on children who may have had mental disabilities, children who had struggled to focus or learn in school. He gave these children mental and physical examinations and depending upon his results, decided where to go from there. His main goal was to lead children to overcome learning disabilities. Although it has been said that many have forgotten about Witmer and his achievements, he was the first person to use the term “clinical psychology” (“Lightner Witmer and the Beginning of Clinical Psychology”). Witmer opened many doors and new ideas that we continue to explore today.

Everything a person does, the way they act, the way they think, their thoughts and beliefs, it’s all connected back to psychology. It’s all just science really. Not many people really understand the importance of psychology or how it’s used daily. Understanding how the mind works can help you in many ways. For example, building healthy relationships. When you can make sense of the way a person acts, or the reasoning behind their decisions, it makes building a relationship with that person much easier. Building self-confidence is another example. When you can understand the way your own mind works, and why you are the way that you are, you tend to grow more as a person. To understand more about the human mind, to understand more about those around us, we can make more sense of life.

A clinical psychology major typically spends anywhere from 5 to 8 years in school. This field of education requires a lot of dedication and is very time consuming. According to “Clinical Psychology Degrees and Job Growth”, most clinical psychologists have gone on to get their doctoral degrees, and many have spent a year or two taking an internship, which may or may not be required. On average, the median salary for a clinical psychologist is around $70,000. Of course, depending on your location, this average may change. It may seem like a lot of hard work, a lot of hours, and a lot of school, but at the end of the day it’s all worth it, and not just because of the money. A psychologist may not seem like an important career, but these people get to change the lives of individuals. They get to spend days, weeks, months, or even years getting to know people for who they are. More importantly, why they are who they are. They get the opportunity to help others with mental illnesses and lead them in healthy directions.

Clinical psychology is just one field of psychology. There are many different types of psychologist’s with different duties and responsibilities. A child psychologist is someone who specializes in treating children and adolescents. Community psychologists work to help solve community problems. A school psychologist is someone who works in the school and helps children academically or emotionally. Forensic psychologists work within the legal system, and so on and so forth. As you can see, there are many different types of psychologists. They all have different jobs, and they may have all studied different things, but they all have one main goal. They all want to help others, and that’s what makes this particular career so special.

Works Cited

“Clinical Psychology Degrees & Careers | How to Become a Clinical Psychologist.” How to Become, www.learnhowtobecome.org/psychologist/clinical-psychologist/. Accessed Oct. 22, 2018.

Baron, Jonathan. “Lightner Witmer and the Beginning of Clinical Psychology.” Lightner Witmer and the Beginning of Clinical Psychology, 2006, www.sas.upenn.edu/psych/history/witmertext.htm. Accessed Oct. 22, 2018

“Lightner Witmer: Clinical Psychology.” Psychology, www.all-about-psychology.com/lightner-witmer-clinical-psychology.html. Accessed Oct. 22, 2018.