What Do Counseling Psychologists Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Counseling Psychologists assess and evaluate individuals’ problems through the use of case history, interview, and observation and provide individual or group counseling services to assist individuals in achieving more effective personal, social, educational, and vocational development and adjustment. They also collect information about individuals or clients, using interviews, case histories, observational techniques, and other assessment methods.

Other tasks include:

• Document patient information including session notes, progress notes, recommendations, and treatment plans.
• Counsel individuals, groups, or families to help them understand problems, deal with crisis situations, define goals, and develop realistic action plans.
• Develop therapeutic and treatment plans based on clients’ interests, abilities, or needs.
• Supervise interns, clinicians in training, and other counselors.
• Advise clients on how they could be helped by counseling.
• Analyze data, such as interview notes, test results, or reference manuals, to identify symptoms or to diagnose the nature of clients’ problems.

We asked Counseling Psychologists how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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78% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 88% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Counseling Psychologists counsel individuals, groups, or families to help them understand problems, deal with crisis situations, define goals, and develop realistic action plans. They document patient information including session notes, progress notes, recommendations, and treatment plans.

A typical day for a Counseling Psychologist will also include:

• Collect information about individuals or clients, using interviews, case histories, observational techniques, and other assessment methods.
• Develop therapeutic and treatment plans based on clients’ interests, abilities, or needs.
• Advise clients on how they could be helped by counseling.
• Analyze data, such as interview notes, test results, or reference manuals, to identify symptoms or to diagnose the nature of clients’ problems.
• Supervise interns, clinicians in training, and other counselors.

We asked some Counseling Psychologists a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	86% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	38% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	100% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	60% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	15% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	72% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Counseling Psychologists also refer clients to specialists or to other institutions for noncounseling treatment of problems. They may also supervise interns, clinicians in training, and other counselors.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Counseling Psychologists Consult with other professionals, agencies, or universities to discuss therapies, treatments, counseling resources or techniques, and to share occupational information. They might also Evaluate the results of counseling methods to determine the reliability and validity of treatments.

In addition, they Advise clients on how they could be helped by counseling.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Analyze data, such as interview notes, test results, or reference manuals, to identify symptoms or to diagnose the nature of clients’ problems.

To some Counseling Psychologists, it is also their responsibility to Provide consulting services, including educational programs, outreach programs, or prevention talks to schools, social service agencies, businesses, or the general public.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Counseling Psychologist, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/life-physical-and-social-science/psychologists.htm

http://www.apa.org/

http://www.asppb.net/

http://www.apsanet.org/