Licensed psychologists require a doctoral degree, supervised clinical experience, and certification exams. They specialize in clinical or counseling psychology and must pass subject-specific tests to become licensed. Many pursue additional national certifications for credibility and must take refresher courses to keep their licenses current.
Licensed psychologists are professionals who study human behavior and implement the principles in applied counseling settings. Individuals who offer their services to the general public specialize in one or more areas of clinical or counseling psychology, each with specific psychologist licensing requirements. Most countries set strict guidelines for people seeking a psychologist license and usually require doctoral degrees, one to two years of supervised clinical experience, and success in certification exams. Licensing requirements are determined by special state boards in the United States, although professionals often seek additional national certifications to enhance their credentials.
An individual seeking a psychologist license in any specialty is usually required to complete a doctoral program from an accredited university. Most students spend about four years in graduate programs in general psychology, where they are introduced to the principles of psychological research and applications. In addition to psychology classes, students usually take several courses in statistics, sociology, and communication. Near the completion of a graduate program, a student may apply for admission to graduate schools in psychology. Most doctoral programs take five to seven years to complete and feature coursework focused on a particular psychology specialty and clinical internships to help students gain first-hand experience with clients.
After earning a doctorate, an individual can usually acquire a position in a hospital, mental health practice, or school, where they must work under supervision for a certain number of hours. Requirements vary by location, but most states and countries require new psychologists to spend one to two years in supervised training positions. Professionals who demonstrate competence for the job and wish to begin practicing independently can take psychologist licensing exams administered by their state or country. Most exams cover the basics of counseling, ethics, and legal obligations.
Almost every specialty has its own psychologist licensing exam. There are independent tests for marriage and family therapists, developmental psychologists, substance abuse counselors, and school psychologists who must pass subject-specific tests in order to become licensed. Prospective school psychologists in the United States are often required to take an exam administered by the National Association of School Psychologists, as well as meet state qualifications for educational practitioners, in order to obtain their credential.
Many psychologists in the United States choose to pursue additional voluntary national certification in order to improve their credibility and chances of finding work. The American Board of Professional Psychology offers a highly regarded certification to individuals who have met all other licensing requirements and have proven themselves as outstanding workers in the field. In order to keep their licenses current on important clinical developments, psychologists are typically required to take refresher courses and recertification exams periodically throughout their careers.
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