Psychologists and students of psychology study people s actions, thoughts, perceptions, sensations and feelings. If you question why people think, act and feel as they do, the field of psychology may interest you. Many people associate psychology with psychological therapy and the practice of clinical psychology. There are actually many other areas of psychology that are studied, such as cognitive, social, and developmental psychology. Although the field of psychology is in no way limited to just clinical psychology, many prospective students are interested in this field.
Students often ask about the distinction between a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist.
The work conducted by clinical psychologists and psychiatrists is similar. However, whereas a clinical psychologist has a graduate degree in psychology, a psychiatrist has a medical degree with psychiatric residency training. Typically psychiatrists focus more on the physiological side of mental health issues and are trained to prescribe psychotropic medications. A clinical psychologist, however, does not prescribe medication, and focuses more on the client s feelings, thoughts and environment. Psychologists working in these areas are not applied in the sense that they pursue knowledge rather than applying it in practice.