Careers in Psychology
A psychologist
is a person with an advanced degree (master's or higher) in
clinical psychology, counseling, industrial psychology,
educational psychology, or one of many other subfields of
psychology. Depending on his or her education and
background, a psychologist works in such roles as
therapist, counselor, researcher, teacher or consultant.
The workplaces of psychologists include private practices,
clinics, health maintenance organizations, schools,
universities, governmental agencies, private agencies, and
industry. Some psychologists work alone. Others work on
teams with physicians, nurses, social workers, public
health workers and people in non-health related fields.
Health-Related
Subfields of Psychology
Scores of career paths are open to psychologists. Here we
focus only on health-related areas.
Clinical Psychologists work in such
settings as counseling centers, individual and group
practices, clinics, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers.
They assess and help clients deal with mental, emotional,
and behavioral challenges and disorders, including anxiety,
depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and phobias.
They also help people deal with injury, illness, divorce,
abuse, the death of a loved one, and other stressful life
events. Some psychologists work mostly with individuals.
Others involve family members and others. Some clinical
psychologists focus on specific populations such as
children, youth or the elderly. Traditional psychotherapy
(talk therapy) is central to the practices of many clinical
psychologists, but psychologists use a wide range of
strategies, depending on the unique needs of the client.
Some clinical psychologists work as members of healthcare
teams or as administrators of community and behavioral
health programs. Others serve as educators of students and
clinicians in psychology and the other health professions.
Their work places include healthcare settings as well as
universities, medical schools, and other schools in the
health professions. A smaller number of psychologists do
research.
Counseling
psychologists, like clinical
psychologists, engage in direct patient care, and some
serve as educators, administrators and researchers. In
general, the clients of counseling psychologists are
healthier than the clients of clinical psychologists.
Counseling psychologists are more involved in career and
vocational counseling than are clinical psychologists
Health psychologists specialize in
biopsychosocial aspects of health and illness. Many have
advanced education in psychopharmacology, physiology, and
rehabilitation. Typically, health psychologists work with
medical professionals in clinical setting. Their work can
include the direct care of patients, for example, people
with chronic pain or brain injury. Health psychologists
also develop patient programs that encourage healthy life
styles and discourage smoking and other harmful behaviors.
Researchers in health psychology tend to focus on problems,
such as substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, and pain
reduction. Some health psychologists serve as consultants
to healthcare organizations and organizations involved in
health policy.
Rehabilitation psychologists work with
stroke and accident victims, people with mental
retardation, and people with developmental disabilities
caused by such conditions as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and
autism. They help clients adapt to their situation, dealing
with such issues as pain management and functioning in the
work world. Rehabilitation psychologists are also involved
in public health programs designed to prevent disabilities.
And they testify in court as expert witnesses about the
causes and effects of a disability and a person's
rehabilitation needs.
Neuropsychologists
(and behavioral
neuropsychologists) study the relationships between brain
systems and behavior, and they explore the clinical
application of that knowledge to human problems. For
example, they may study the way the brain creates and
stores memories or how various diseases and injuries of the
brain affect emotion, perception, and behavior. With the
dramatic increase in the number of survivors of traumatic
brain injury, clinical neuropsychologists work with health
teams to help brain-injured people resume productive lives.
For more information on these health-related subfields, as
well as other subfields, such as social psychology,
industrial/organizational psychology, forensic psychology,
and engineering psychology, see the American Psychological Association
website.
Health
Issues
Spero Manson, Pembina
Chippewa, PhD, describes the highly stressful
environment in which many American Indian and Alaska
Native people live. Manson says that given all these
factors it’s not surprising, particularly in rural
reservation communities, to find a high prevalence of
alcohol, drug, and, mental health problems. Manson,
however, stresses, “This is not a statement about moral
weakness or characterlogical weakness of Indian and
Native people….In fact, it’s incredible that Indian and
Native people are as resilient and vibrant and
optimistic as they are. This really speaks to the
strength of our people.”
The challenges facing Indian and Native people are further
exacerbated by the great need for psychologists and other
mental health practitioners, particularly in rural
reservation communities. The American Psychological
Association (APA) recognizes the great mental health
disparities, noting that the lack of mental and health and
substance abuse services contribute to the high rate of
suicide and post traumatic stress disorder. In 2006 the APA
called on Congress to provide an additional $30 million to
the Indian Health Service for mental health and alcohol and
substance abuse programs.
Need for Culturally-Sensitive Services
Hiring just any
psychologist, however, doesn’t guarantee that the needs of
Indian people will be met. Even when services are
available, it is not unusual for American Indian and Alaska
Native people to be uneasy about using them or to
prematurely discontinue treatment. This is especially true
when Native people feel that the mental health
professionals are trying to shape their behavior in ways
that conflict with traditional values and lifestyle
preferences. "Particularly for more traditional people,
mental health services are regarded as white man's
medicine," says Carolyn
Barcus, Blackfeet,
EdD. “It isn't their way. Another barrier can be
confidentiality. On reservations people know each other.
The Indian Health Service is the only game in town on
many reservations."
Barcus says that Native people are typically better able
than non-Native people to address Native health issues: “If
you don’t understand the culture, there’s no way you can
give Native people the kinds of treatment that is
culturally appropriate. No one understands a culture as
well as someone who grew up in it. Even though other
peoples’ hearts can be in the right place, there are just
certain things about the culture that they aren’t going to
comprehend."
Barcus continues, “With their respect for traditional ways,
Native psychologists can help make services more responsive
to the needs and values of the community and help ensure
that both Traditional and Western wisdom are called upon.
They can also help people and communities figure out how to
prevent behavioral and mental problems in the first place.
In addition, Native psychologists can help people and
communities enhance their capacities to learn, teach, and
work.”
Need for Indian and Native Psychologists in Academe
John Chaney, Mvskoke
Creek, PhD, argues that there is a great need for more
Native American psychologist-educators who can help
shape graduate programs that are relevant to the values,
perspectives and needs of Indian people. The competitive
atmosphere in many programs is counter to more
collaborative Indian ways. Also psychology itself tends
to focus on the individual rather than the community.
Further, Chaney points out that research is showing that
some of the well-established psychological constructs
and measurement instruments do not appear to fit the
experiences of Indian communities.
These challenges, which are linked to the differences
between the dominant western ways and Indian ways, has led
Barcus to argue that the “science of American Indian
psychology” needs to be created. Native psychologists, she
says, “have the opportunity to be in on the ground floor of
creating this science, which is currently in the infant
stages.”
At the very least, Indian psychologists are in an excellent
position to stretch and enrich the whole field of
psychology by challenging assumptions and offering
alternative perspectives and models.
Employment
Opportunities
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that
employment opportunities for psychologists will continue to
grow over the next decade, especially in outpatient mental
health and substance abuse treatment clinics. They also say
that jobs will be available in schools, public and private
social service agencies and management consulting
services.
Psychologists are likely to be needed in Indian communities
for many years. The Indian Health Service Division of
Behavior Health needs psychologists to help with its
mission that includes supporting tribal and urban Native
communities in reducing the prevalence and incidence of
alcoholism, drug dependencies, and behavioral health
conditions.
Parts
of this article were originally published in the Fall 2000
issue of Winds of Change. (The cover artist is Roy Henry
Vickers, Tsimshian and English.)