Clinical and Counseling Psychologists

Education and TrainingO*NET 19-3033.00United States

Assess, diagnose, and treat mental and emotional disorders of individuals through observation, interview, and psychological tests. Help individuals with distress or maladjustment understand their problems through their knowledge of case history, interviews with patients, and theory.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $104,653
Projected change: +17.1%
Typical education: Doctoral degree or more
Employment: 88.92K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What clinical and counseling psychologists do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Conduct assessments of patients' risk for harm to self or others.
Document patient information including session notes, progress notes, recommendations, and treatment plans.
Identify psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues and diagnose disorders, using information obtained from interviews, tests, records, or reference materials.
Write reports on clients and maintain required paperwork.
Counsel individuals, groups, or families to help them understand problems, deal with crisis situations, define goals, and develop realistic action plans.
Interact with clients to assist them in gaining insight, defining goals, and planning action to achieve effective personal, social, educational, or vocational development and adjustment.
Collect information about individuals or clients, using interviews, case histories, observational techniques, and other assessment methods.
Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling or treatments and the accuracy and completeness of diagnoses, modifying plans or diagnoses as necessary.
Use a variety of treatment methods, such as psychotherapy, hypnosis, behavior modification, stress reduction therapy, psychodrama, or play therapy.
Develop therapeutic and treatment plans based on clients' interests, abilities, or needs.
Develop and implement individual treatment plans, specifying type, frequency, intensity, and duration of therapy.
Maintain current knowledge of relevant research.
Obtain and study medical, psychological, social, and family histories by interviewing individuals, couples, or families and by reviewing records.
Select, administer, score, and interpret psychological tests to obtain information on individuals' intelligence, achievements, interests, or personalities.
Consult reference material, such as textbooks, manuals, or journals, to identify symptoms, make diagnoses, or develop approaches to treatment.
Consult with or provide consultation to other doctors, therapists, or clinicians regarding patient care.
Advise clients on how they could be helped by counseling.
Direct, coordinate, and evaluate activities of staff and interns engaged in patient assessment and treatment.
Supervise and train interns, clinicians in training, and other counselors.
Refer clients to other specialists, institutions, or support services as necessary.
Consult with other professionals, agencies, or universities to discuss therapies, treatments, counseling resources or techniques, and to share occupational information.
Develop, direct, and participate in training programs for staff and students.
Plan and develop accredited psychological service programs in psychiatric centers or hospitals, in collaboration with psychiatrists and other professional staff.
Provide consulting services, including educational programs, outreach programs, or prevention talks to schools, social service agencies, businesses, or the general public.
Provide occupational, educational, or other information to individuals so that they can make educational or vocational plans.
Conduct research to develop or improve diagnostic or therapeutic counseling techniques.
Prepare written evaluations of individuals' psychological competence for court hearings.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $53,726
25th percentile: $73,668
50th percentile: $104,653
75th percentile: $144,339
90th percentile: $201,537

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $104,653 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+17.1%much faster than average

202588,921 jobs

2035 projected104,167 jobs

15,246 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Doctoral degree or more: 92%
Master's or Professional degree: 8%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Mental Health
Medical Records
Treatment Planning
Psychological Evaluations
Administrative Support
Psychotherapy
Auditing
Behavioral Health
Digital Technology
Psychiatry
Crisis Intervention
Telehealth
Billing
Trauma Care
Group Therapy
Clinical Experience
Electronic Medical Record
Autism Spectrum Disorders

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Clinical Psychologists4,957 postings
02Licensed Clinical Psychologists4,063 postings
03Psychologists3,844 postings
04Licensed Psychologists1,447 postings
05Assistant Psychologists261 postings
06Postdoctoral Psychology Fellows239 postings
07Clinical Child Psychologists198 postings
08Pediatric Psychologists188 postings
09Clinical Health Psychologists181 postings
10Forensic Psychologists162 postings
11Contract Psychologists117 postings
12Psychotherapists113 postings
13Postdoctoral Associates107 postings
14Health Psychologists103 postings
15Outpatient Clinicians102 postings
16Operational Psychologists86 postings
17Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists81 postings
18Reviewers69 postings
19Inpatient Psychologists66 postings
20Counseling Psychologists65 postings

Top employers

01LifeStance Health4,721 postings
02Headway2,631 postings
03United States Department of Justice431 postings
04Thrive Counseling220 postings
05Senior Care Therapy207 postings
06Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporation118 postings
07Sentinel Health Services118 postings
08National Staffing Solutions116 postings
09LocumTenens.com112 postings
10Empower Mental Health105 postings
11Centurion Health103 postings
12Fbop Corporation97 postings
13Team Health90 postings
14Deer Oaks PSY, PLLC89 postings
15Guidestar Eldercare89 postings
16Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania88 postings
17CoreCivic83 postings
18Amergis79 postings
19Practicematch73 postings
20Nys Department Of Civil Service65 postings

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