Can A Counseling Psychologist Or Counseling Psychology Help My Mental Health?
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Over 41.7 million US adults saw a counseling psychologist in 2021, and the number is growing as mental health continues to be destigmatized. A licensed counseling psychologist can help individuals identify their strengths while providing resources in coping and resilience strategies. In addition, counseling psychology often involves resolving conflicts and psychological challenges with research-backed therapeutic methods, including talk counseling. Understanding the counseling profession in more detail may help you make an informed decision about the type of care you receive for your mental health.
The role of psychologists and counseling psychologists in mental health care
A psychologist is an expert of knowledge in the field of psychology and its history. Clinical and counseling psychologists both play significant roles in providing mental health care, addressing a wide range of psychological concerns through evidence-based practices. They study the science of the human mind, focusing on how thoughts lead to feelings and behaviors. Psychologists work in mental health clinics, hospitals, research facilities, online counseling platforms, businesses, and educational institutions. Not all psychologists are counselors. However, counseling psychologists offer therapeutic support, such as talk counseling, to help clients make positive changes.
Types of psychologists and the practice of counseling psychology
Psychologists can engage in diverse professional roles depending on their pre-professional experience, and practice setting. Counseling psychology professionals focus on helping individuals navigate personal challenges and improve their emotional well-being. These include the following counseling careers:
How a counseling psychologist offers guidance and support for mental health
Also known as a clinical psychologist, counseling psychologists focus on talk counseling to help individuals with mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, grief, anger, or social challenges. A counseling psychologist often works directly with clients whether through one-on-one practice or community settings, and may have a specialty in specific psychological disorders or a therapeutic modality. Not all counselors are psychologists, however. Psychologists have a doctorate, whereas counselors often have a master's degree and particular licensing in counseling or clinical social work.
Online counseling psychologist
An online counselor uses talk counseling and other methods in the same way as other in-person psychologists. However, they may practice remotely using online forms of traditional therapeutic approaches.
School psychologist or counselor
School psychologists are experts in learning, behavior, and mental health. They apply their expertise to help students succeed on many levels, including academically, socially, and emotionally. School psychologists foster a team approach, working with students, parents, and faculty to build a healthy learning environment.
Child psychologist
Child psychologists serve children of all ages, including teenagers. Typical goals for child psychologists and their programs may include helping a child cope with adverse events, improve family relationships, address behavioral challenges, and foster healthy psychological development.
Business and consumer psychologist
A counseling psychologist career in business may involve various jobs, including working in human resources, designing marketing strategies, and finishing other tasks related to helping the business succeed. They use their sociology and public psychology knowledge to explain which techniques may be most effective in marketing. Consumer psychologists often study the decision-making processes consumers use before purchasing a product or service and what motivates them.
Research psychologist
A research professional designs, oversees, and reports on scientific studies, often in an academic environment. These professionals may write journals and lead research and psychological testing.
Forensic psychologist
Forensic psychologists work within the legal system using scientific methods to investigate the potential psychological aspects of a crime, including motivation and mental health conditions.
How a counseling psychologist offers guidance for mental health support
According to the American Psychological Association, clinical psychologists have a doctoral degree in clinical psychology have undergone board certification, and often work in various settings, including research, university, and health sectors to address behavioral and mental health issues, such as:
- Mental disorders
- Interpersonal challenges and dysfunctional social behavior
- Substance use and dependency
- Traumatic stress reactions and adjustment concerns
- Crisis intervention
Clinical psychologists specialize in different types of talk counseling, such as cognitive-behavioral counseling, dialectical behavior counseling, psychodynamic counseling, or interpersonal counseling. Their work often emphasizes improving both personal and interpersonal functioning, addressing emotional and social challenges that clients may face. Others use a more eclectic approach that relies on merging elements of different types of talk therapies. Algorithm psychology, a step-by-step problem-solving approach, is also used when the problem requires an accurate solution.
Therapy and medication from counseling psychologists and the benefits of counseling psychology
Medications are often prescribed to treat mental disorders and conditions in conjunction with other psychotherapy treatments. Psychotherapy can help individuals manage a wide range of mental and emotional disorders, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD. However, psychologists cannot prescribe medication in most states. They work alongside other mental health professionals, such as psychiatrists and social workers, to provide comprehensive care. A psychiatrist or other medical doctor manages this part of the treatment and may then refer clients to a counselor for talk counseling. However, according to the American Psychological Association, psychologists can prescribe medications in Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, Idaho, and New Mexico if they are appropriately trained.
Please consult your primary care physician before starting, changing, or stopping a medication.
Psychologists, counselors, and counseling psychologists supporting our mental health
If you want to improve your mental health, a counselor may be an advocate in this journey. Psychologists offer a broad range of support, including the following:
- Acting as a sounding board
- Contributing observations
- Identifying areas for growth
- Helping clients recover from traumatic experiences
- Assisting clients in setting reasonable goals
- Teaching individuals to change dysfunctional thinking patterns
- Teaching clients healthy behavioral skills
- Teaching acceptance and resilience
- Help alleviate stress and resolve crises
Psychologists are often trained in active listening skills and work with their clients at their pace by offering validation, encouragement, and verbal support. This support can be valuable for individuals struggling to support themselves in this way. A counselor can offer the skills clients seek to be their own advocate in the future.
When starting sessions, the client is often familiar with what has happened to them and how they have dealt with it thus far. An advantage of opening up about these areas with a counselor is that they often experience similar concerns from past or current clients. As trained psychologists, they have developed a level of expertise that allows them to see the situation from a professional viewpoint. In addition, they can offer solutions that have proven effective in studies along with their clinical experiences.
Perhaps you have some ideas about your mental health conditions, what caused them, or how you could make changes. As counseling is a collaborative process for your benefit, psychologists may welcome your opinion on what treatment could suit you best. They can often offer feedback to facilitate your insight.
Helping identify challenges and emotions
How counseling psychologists can help identify emotional challenges
Helping you set goals for your mental health
When you feel overwhelmed by mental, emotional, or behavioral challenges, reaching out to a psychologist may guide you in decision-making. Setting reasonable and achievable goals at first can help remove the overwhelm from counseling. Counseling is often a process and may take time. Your counselor can offer you coping skills as you work to obtain more challenging results.
Teaching cognitive restructuring
In many forms of counseling, psychologists work with clients to change thought patterns called cognitive distortions, which are unwanted or unhelpful thoughts. Through cognitive restructuring, a counselor can help you transform your thought patterns concerning troubling events, dysfunctional relationships, or your concept of yourself. In this method, a psychologist may use a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you evaluate, challenge, and modify your unwanted beliefs and transform them into healthy or realistic forms of thought.
Teaching behavioral change through counseling psychology
Changing thoughts is often used as the doorway to changing behavior. However, along with changing your thoughts, you may benefit from actively choosing different behaviors. You can learn and practice new behavioral skills through roleplay, journaling, brain mapping, and other cognitive techniques with your counseling psychologist.
Offering support
Counseling psychologists help offer positive reinforcement during times of significant stress and emotional difficulties. Although many people turn to loved ones during a struggle, a counseling psychologist can provide validation, empathy, and compassion through a session dedicated to you. In addition, you can know that their advice is research-backed and from their years of experience. No matter how you think, feel, or behave, your counseling psychologist supports your sincere efforts to improve your mental health and emotional well-being.
Online counseling psychologist
Online counseling psychologists face the same requirements as in-person counselors and can offer many of the same forms of counseling. A counseling psychologist who works through an online platform can provide the same level of emotional support that an in-person psychologist may offer in your community. For example, one study found that people who used BetterHelp experienced a significant decrease in the severity of depression symptoms.
Online therapists
Takeaway
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Below are a some frequently asked questions about the work of a counseling psychologist.
What is the difference between a psychologist and a counseling psychologist?
Counseling psychologists work within a therapeutic setting with clients by offering support through research-backed counseling techniques like CBT. Many psychologists also work in research or an educational setting. People who work in the counseling psychologies are often distinguished from those who work in the clinical psychologies. While a clinical psychologist’s practice is often focused on mental illness, counseling psychologists might address a broader array of personal challenges. For more information on the differences and similarities between clinical and counseling psychologists, take a look at this article from the American Psychological Association or the “What Psychologists Do” page from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How do I become a counseling psychologist?
Counseling psychologists must have a doctorate, which can take a while to receive, depending on the program. According to the American Psychological Association, these mental health professionals first obtain a bachelor's degree in psychology or a related field, which takes four years for most students. Afterward, the professional may work toward a master's degree, which can take one to two years. The final step in the educational track is applying to a PsyD or Ph.D. program, which may take an additional two to four years. With the degree and a certain number of clinical supervision hours, psychologists can apply for a license to practice counseling in their state. You can find more information about counseling psychology through the US Bureau of Labor Statistics “How to Become a Psychologist” page.
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