How to Become a Clinical Psychologist

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Updated January 5, 2024 · 4 Min Read

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Learn how to become a clinical psychologist. Discover what a psychologist does, the steps to licensure, educational requirements, and salary expectations.

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Do you want to diagnose mental health issues and provide psychological treatment? If so, clinical psychology may be the right field for you. This guide explores how to become a clinical psychologist, the education and licensure requirements, and questions about psychology careers. Explore more in this exciting field today.

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How Do I Become a Clinical Psychologist?

There are several steps­ to becoming a clinical psychologist, including completing a bachelor's, then a doctoral degree in psychology, getting experience, and achieving board certification and licensure. Some students also complete a master's degree.

Education for Clinical Psychologists

The education requirements to become a clinical psychologist include an undergraduate degree and a doctorate. However, in many cases, learners also complete a master's degree. Most students spend between 8-12 years earning their degrees before licensure.

You don't need to major in psychology during your undergraduate years to become a psychologist. Most doctoral programs ask for a bachelor's degree in any discipline from an accredited institution, among other requirements, including a minimum GPA and recommendation letters. Each program's requirements differ slightly.

During your doctoral studies, you will likely complete a dissertation. You choose a topic of interest and conduct an independent research project with the help of your professors. Upon completion, you can submit your work for publication and appear before a board of professionals to defend your research.

Preprofessional Experience for Clinical Psychologists

Once you have completed your doctorate, many states require supervised clinical hours to qualify for licensure. To do so, you will have to complete a postdoctoral psychology fellowship.

The number of required hours varies by jurisdiction. You can use the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards' interactive map to learn about requirements in your state. Typically, graduates spend 1-2 years in their postdoctoral fellowship.

Licensure for Clinical Psychologists

The final hurdle before licensure is passing the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. The test has 225 multiple-choice questions in eight content areas. You have about four hours to complete the exam. To pass, you must answer about 70% of the questions correctly.

Board Certification for Clinical Psychologists

The American Board of Professional Psychology offers certifications for licensed psychologists in 15 specialty areas. Prospective psychologists are not required to practice clinical psychology, but some pursue certification to demonstrate advanced competency in a specific area. Specialties include forensic psychology, neuropsychology, and school psychology.

In 2017, about 4% of licensed psychologists in the U.S. were board certified. About two-thirds of those received certification in clinical psychology or a clinical psychology subspecialty like clinical neuropsychology, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). Board certification requires completing certain educational, training, and experience requirements and passing a certification exam.

What Is Clinical Psychology?

A clinical psychologist is a mental health professional licensed to perform various psychological tests to diagnose and treat mental illness. You must have a master's or doctoral degree in psychology, along with clinical experience, to qualify for licensure. Each state regulates the specific licensure mandates.

Typical job duties include seeing clients on an individual, family, or group basis to perform psychological testing. Clinical psychologists also diagnose and treat (e.g., providing therapy) mental and behavioral disorders, provide supervision, and teach.

Psychologists record the client's social interactions and cognitive and emotional processes to formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan. Most clinical psychologists do not prescribe medication. However, some states allow psychologists to earn psychopharmacology licensure to prescribe psychotropic medication.

Work environments for clinical psychologists include treatment facilities (e.g., alcohol and drug rehab centers), psychiatric hospital units, and private practice settings.

What Does a Clinical Psychologist Do?

Clinical psychologists evaluate, diagnose, and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. They help people deal with problems like acute issues and chronic conditions. Depending on the client's need, the therapist may employ various approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.

Clinical psychologists may work with individuals, families, or groups. Often, a psychologist specializes in a particular demographic, such as teens, women, or the LGBTQ+ community.

Professionals can work in hospitals, clinics, health centers, schools, or prisons. Many choose to start their own private practice. While clinical psychologists spend much of their time providing one-on-one therapy to clients, they also perform other duties, depending on their specialty and work.

Some psychologists perform research by developing hypotheses and collecting data. Others perform lab experiments or use naturalistic observation. Psychologists also commonly administer questionnaires, clinical studies, or surveys.

Skills and Competencies

To succeed as a psychologist, you must have a deep level of empathy, active listening skills, and a strong moral compass. However, psychologists commonly experience compassion fatigue, which can make it difficult to remain sympathetic to their clients' feelings. In 2022, 45% of psychologists reported experiencing pandemic-related burnout, and 60% reported they'd requested peer support or consultation to help manage their burnout, according to the APA.

Psychologists are especially vulnerable to this because they are typically highly empathetic, which makes them more vulnerable to emotional pain. In this way, the natural selflessness and compassion you possess as a therapist may erode your ability to help clients if you don't practice self-care.

In recent years, the stigma around mental health professionals seeking therapy has decreased. Having the self-awareness and humility to seek help is crucial to maintaining your mental health and capacity to help others.

Clinical Psychologist Outlook and Salaries

As of May 2022, the median annual salary for clinical or counseling psychologists was $90,130, about twice the national median salary, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS also projects a faster-than-average employment growth rate of 11% for clinical and counseling psychologists from 2022-2032.

The highest-paid 25% of psychologists earn an annual median income of $126,240 or more, and the highest-paid 10% earn $168,790 or more each year. Yet, the lowest-paid 10% of psychologists earn less than $50,000 per year. In addition to existing psychologists leaving the workforce to retire or seek other jobs, psychologists are working in growing fields such as diversity, equity, and inclusion; mental health technology; media consultancy; and sports psychology.

Average Annual Salary Range for Clinical Psychologists
Annual Salary Percentile Annual Salary
10% $42,760
25% $62,070
Median (50%) $90,130
75% $126,240
90% $168,790
Source: BLS, 2022

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Become a Clinical Psychologist

How many years does it take to become a clinical psychologist?

It typically takes 8-12 years of education to become a clinical psychologist, plus 1-2 years of supervised experience working under a licensed psychologist. The exact requirement for supervised experience depends on each state's regulations, and the time spent in school depends on your program's pace and whether you attend part-time or full-time.

How hard is it to become a clinical psychologist?

It can be hard to become a clinical psychologist because of the amount of education and fieldwork required. You must earn a doctorate and complete 1-2 years of supervised experience, depending on your state's requirements. Sometimes, people ask how to become a clinical psychologist without earning a doctorate, but this is not possible; every state requires you to earn a doctorate.

What is the hardest part of being a clinical psychologist?

The hardest part of being a clinical psychologist can be working with people experiencing psychological difficulties, the need to adhere to demanding regulations and ethical codes, compassion fatigue, or the risk of verbal or even physical violence. The challenges vary by job and workplace type. For example, an independent psychologist may set their own hours but have to handle the business aspects of managing a practice.

Do clinical psychologists get paid well?

Clinical psychologists earn approximately twice the national median salary for all jobs. The median psychologist salary is $90,130, according to the BLS, compared to a national median of $46,310.

Page last reviewed on November 22, 2023

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