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A Day in a Psychologist's Life
Clinical psychologists
- help mentally and emotionally disturbed clients adjust to life;
- help medical and surgical patients deal with illnesses or injuries;
- help people deal with times of personal crisis, such as divorce or the death of a loved one;
- interview patients and give diagnostic tests;
- provide individual, family, or group psychotherapy;
- may collaborate with physicians and other specialists to develop and implement treatment and intervention programs patients can understand and comply with;
- may design and implement behavior modification programs
- sometimes train graduate students in the delivery of mental health and behavioral medicine services in universities and medical schools
Counseling psychologists advise people on how to deal with problems of everyday living.
School psychologists work in elementary and secondary schools or district offices to resolve students's learning and behavior problems.
Industrial-organizational psychologists apply psychological principles and research methods to the workplace in the interest of improving productivity and the quality of worklife.
Developmental psychologists study the physiological, cognitive, and social development that takes place throughout life.
Social psychologists examine people's interactions with others and with the social environment.
Experimental or research psychologists study behavior processes using human beings and animals.
Forensic psychologists work with lawyers, judges and other legal professionals who are involved in civil or criminal cases. They perform psychological assessments and interpret and present their findings, sometimes as courtroom testimony.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Psychologists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos056.htm (visited April 1, 2010).
Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Clinical Psychologists, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/details/19-3031.02 (visited December 6, 2010).
Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Industrial-Organizational Psychologists, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/details/19-3032.00 (visited December 6, 2010).

