Psychoanalysis is a form of psychotherapy that explores the unconscious roots of emotional problems. Women in Psychology Mary Calkins - Memory researcher, first woman APA president in 1905. Margaret Washburn - First woman awarded a Ph.D. in psychology in 1894. Most psychologists take an eclectic approach today. Usually, a doctoral degree takes between 5 and 8 years after graduation from college.
Psychiatrists first graduate from medical school.
Then, they specialize in the treatment of emotional and behavioral disorders in a medical residency that usually lasts 3 years. Psychoanalysts are either psychologists or psychiatrists who have additional training in Freudian psychoanaysis. There are 47 divisions of APA, each reflecting a special skill or interest area. Developmental psychologists study changes in behavior across the life span. The cognitive approach looks at conscious thought processes, language, memory, perception, problem-solving, and other mental processes.