4 Types of Psychologists

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Are you thinking about becoming a psychologist? If so, you might be wondering about the different types. There are more than 20 types of psychologists, ranging from aviation psychologists and counseling psychologists to forensic psychologists and sports psychologists, and everything in between!

In this article, we’re going to focus on the four main areas of psychology: clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, behavioral psychology, and biophysical psychology. Let’s take a closer look at these four types of psychologists and what they do.

1. Clinical Psychologists

Clinical psychologists provide mental and behavioral counseling to individuals and families.


Clinical psychologists can have a general counseling practice. Many opt to specialize in certain mental health disorders, such as eating disorders, depression, or phobias. Others may specialize in counseling certain age groups, such as children.

To pursue this career, you must earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology. However, advanced degrees like a master’s or a PhD in Clinical Psychology can open more doors in terms of job opportunities. A PhD from an accredited program, for example, will allow you to teach up-and-coming students. It could even lead you to the research field to be on the cutting edge of discoveries and advances in treatment methods.

2. Cognitive Psychologists

Cognitive psychologists focus on the way people think. They study the way perception, thinking, memory, problem-solving, reasoning, attention span, and other brain processes. These psychologists earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a PhD in Cognitive Psychology. Cognitive psychologists work with a variety of problems. Some of these include anxiety, depression, stress management, PTSD, substance abuse, personality disorders, and chronic health problems.

3. Behavioral Psychologists


Behavioral psychologists focus on behaviorism, the study of how our behaviors are influenced by our environments and conditioning. This includes punishments and rewards, as well as positive and negative feedback. To become this type of psychologist, you must earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a PhD in Behavioral Psychology.

Those who work as behavioral psychologists often conduct research. They may also work in social work or counseling settings to help people change or manage issues like addiction, trauma, and other negative behavior.

4. Biopsychologists

Biopsychologists research the brain, human behavior, and evolution. With more of a focus on anatomy and physiology, these psychologists analyze how the human brain and neurotransmitters impact our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. To become a biopsychologist, one must earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a PhD in biopsychology.

Most biopsychologists work primarily in research settings, often with animal test subjects. They may work in labs, hospitals, and private clinicals, pharmaceutical companies, and other treatment facilities.

Benefits of a Psychology Career

Still unsure if a career in psychology is something you’re interested in pursuing? Let’s take a closer look at some of the potential benefits of psychology careers.

  • It’s a rewarding career. You have the opportunity to help change—and even save—lives.
  • It can be a financially rewarding career. As of 2020, the median salary for psychologists was $82,180 a year.
  • It allows you to meet new people. You’ll always be interacting with new people.
  • There are lots of different opportunities and potential work environments. With so many subtypes of psychology, there are lots of unique and interesting opportunities out there. You’ll never get bored!
  • It’s possible to work for yourself. If you have ever wanted to be your own boss, you can do so by opening your own psychology practice.
  • There’s potential for flexible hours. Due to so many opportunities, including working for yourself, it’s possible to have a flexible work schedule.
  • You can work with patients or in research settings. Both of these pathways can be equally beneficial to human beings. Some psychologists choose to go one route or the other, while others choose to do both.

No matter what type of psychologist you decide to become, this can be a very rewarding career for the right individual. If you’re thinking about pursuing your bachelor’s degree or PhD in psychology, what are you waiting for? Get started now!

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