Title Psychologist Degree Ph.D., Psy. Four years of graduate training beyond the bachelors degree is required in most states, as well as one year of internship and one year of post-graduate residency or professional experience. Typically psychologists complete core coursework in therapy, assessment, and research and are required to pass competency exams and complete a a dissertation prior to receiving their degree. To be licensed, psychologists must pass a national and state examination.
Some states grant different licenses for school, counseling, and clinical psychologists.
School psychologists usually work in educational settings and specialize in working with and providing assessment to children and their families. Counseling psychologists typically work with individuals dealing with transitional and developmental problems, career issues, and mental health problems of less severe psychopathology. Clinical psychologists are trained to work with all mental health issues but may have more training with more severe psychopathology and less with developmental and career issues. Most states license counseling and clinical psychologists under the general term 'psychologist' and the scope of treatment overlaps much more than it has in the past. Scope of Treatment Psychologists treat all forms of mental illness although specialities are not uncommon.