Psychologists are highly trained professionals with expertise in mental health assessment and treatment. After graduating from a four-year undergraduate college or university, psychologists spend an average of seven years in graduate education and training to earn a doctoral degree. That degree may be a Psy.D., Ph.D., or Ed.D.

 

As part of their professional training, psychologists must complete a supervised year long clinical internship in an organized health setting. In most states, they must also have an additional year of post-doctoral supervised experience, pass a national exam, and be licensed by the state in which they will practice before they can work independently and call themselves "psychologists." It is this combination of doctoral-level training, clinical internship, and extensive supervised experience that distinguishes psychologists from other counseling professionals.

 

Psychologists provide therapy to help people alleviate their emotional suffering, improve important relationships, and face challenging situations more confidently and effectively. Therapy provides a supportive environment that allows you to talk openly with someone who is objective, neutral, nonjudgmental, and trained in guiding people through the process of self-discovery and change. Solutions to problems flow from your conversations with your psychologist and your psychologist helps you implement those solutions to change your life. Your role in therapy is to talk about and explore your feelings, thoughts, and goals. Your psychologist’s role is to use established psychological procedures to help you identify and create new ways of dealing with the thoughts, emotions, and behavioral patterns that keep you from feeling and being your best self.