Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Sessions involve interviewing clients, reviewing histories, and using tests to identify psychological, emotional, or behavioral problems and to judge risk of harm. The same visits are used to counsel individuals, groups, or families through crises, set goals, and work out realistic next steps, then write session notes, progress notes, and treatment plans. Diagnoses and plans are checked over time and changed when they are not working. Some also design behavior-change programs or consult with medical staff on treatment. The work suits people who listen closely, notice how others are feeling, and can keep careful written records while making sound clinical judgments.
Typical education: Post-Doctoral Training
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$100'580
Median Wage Market Position
$100'580
What you might do
- Interview clients and give psychological tests
- Diagnose mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders
- Counsel individuals, groups, or families in distress
- Assess whether someone may harm themselves or others
- Keep session notes, reports, and treatment plans
- Check if treatment is working and revise plans
Skills that matter
- Assessing risk of self-harm
- Writing session and progress notes
- Diagnosing mental and emotional disorders
- Counseling individuals, groups, or families
- Collecting history through interviews
- Tracking whether treatment is working
AI & the future of this role
Therapeutic alliance, clinical judgment, and licensed responsibility for diagnosis and care remain hard to automate. Assistive tools might ease notes or psychoeducation, but in-person trust and liability keep most treatment work grounded in human practice.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details