10 Types of Psychologists

When we need to visit a professional in psychology, maybe we think that they are all the same and that any of them could solve the problem that we are suffering from. But the truth is that among psychologists, there are large differences in terms of specialization that are going to have an influence on the kind of therapy that they set forth for us.

Just like in other fields of knowledge, like lawyers or doctors, we have to choose the psychologist who is really the right fit for what we need. You may be asking yourself, “why?” Because if we do not, the therapy may not have the result that you really need.

Types of psychologists

So that you may know a bit more about the world of psychology and the fields of specialization that exist, today you will discover 10 types of psychologists. Each one of them is specialized in a different problem, so if you need to visit one some day, do not have any doubts! Choose the one who is best suited to your needs.

1. Clinical psychologists

Clinical psychologists are those who have specialized in mental and emotional disorders whose crises can take place in the short term or last a very long time. They are very well prepared to deal with almost any problem that is presented to them, although they also need to be specialized for it.

This is why you can find clinical psychologists who specialize in depression disorders, eating disorders, anxiety, personality disorders, drug addiction, issues related to children and adolescents, and many other areas.

2. Psychotherapists

Psychotherapists are those in charge of offering psychological support and teaching patients a series of techniques that will improve their lives. The problems that psychotherapists treat are usually not as serious as those treated by clinical psychology

What does a psychotherapist focus on? Daily problems, conflicts in interpersonal relations, or emotional problems that make relationships difficult. Furthermore, psychotherapists know how to treat and manage stress and anxiety, which can have an effect on your relationships and your daily life.

3. Educational psychologists

Educational psychologist focuses on people’s learning processes. These psychologists tend to work in educational centers as counselors or by helping students who suffer from learning disorders.

Unfortunately, their presence in public schools is less frequent than we would like. They often find themselves faced with a large quantity of children who need help and little time to give each one the attention they need. This is the case, despite the fact that their timely intervention is often essential. The mission of educational psychology is not just for the child to learn, but for them to acquire the necessary resources and use them to make up for some kind of limitation.

4. Neuropsychologists

They tend to be researchers, though neuropsychologists often develop their professional activity in the field of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional rehabilitation for patients with brain damage. They are also specialists in the early diagnosis and treatment of dementia.

As such, their field of specialization is clinical and they work in the space that exists between neurology and psychology. Their central goal is the study of the possible changes that our central nervous system can suffer and how these can affect a person’s mental life.

These changes can be caused by different agents, ranging from trauma to a stroke or a tumor. Their greatest allies are neuroimaging techniques and their work is based on the relationship that exists between our physical brain and our mind.

5. Social psychologists

Social psychologists specialize in everything that is related to human behavior and the psychological factors that can influence our social interactions. Their field of knowledge ranges from interpersonal relationships to other subjects like culture, prejudices, or attitudes that we have towards other people.

They are specialists in creating group therapies and problems that can help those more disadvantaged groups or those minorities that find themselves excluded. Thanks to social psychologists, many people manage to reintegrate into society.

6. Occupational psychologists

Yes, there are also psychologists who specialize in the work field and who tend to work in departments for hiring, education, occupational health, and development. Sometimes they can also be found in Human Resource departments.

They hold a special importance given that they have a deep knowledge of motivation and leadership that can help those workers who have related problems at work. But they additionally help to improve the efficiency of these same workers.

7. Forensic psychologists

Forensic psychologists have their specialization in legal aspects, which is why their experience is very important in trials. They can sway the judge in some way to pass a fair sentence in favor of or against the accused party.

Their job includes proving what led a certain individual to commit the crimes or felonies that they are accused of. The study of their personality will allow a forensic psychologist to design a proper treatment for the accused person.

8. Sport psychologists

Sport psychologists are responsible for working with athletes, but they also work with the coach and the organization of the entire team. All of this with the goal to draw out the team’s full potential, as well as to increase their motivation, be as effective as possible, and effectively manage their stress.

A sport psychologist will help you have enough confidence in yourself to take your potential to its fullest limits. Moreover, they are good at increasing the whole group’s self esteem in a significant way and teaching them that limits only exist in their own minds.

9. Sexologists

Sexologists, too, are psychologists, specialized in diagnosing and treating everything related to intimate relationships. Their contribution is aimed at improving the sexual health of people with problems in this area, be this couples or individual patients.

We can classify the problems that these professionals get in their offices into three large categories: problems related to sexual desire, problems related to arousal, and problems related to orgasms.

Finally, if we do not make reference to a couple and we have discarded an organic cause, sexual problems are often related to other aspects of partner interaction, so the best thing to do is hold the intervention together with a marriage counselor who can work in synch with the sexologist.

10. Coaches

Yes, coaches can also be psychologists and they are responsible for making each person look for and figure out what their goals are, helping them to achieve everything that they set forth to do. The coach adapts to each individual and acts as a “counselor” so that they can find their path.

Are there many other fields of specialization? Of course there are! There is also canine psychology, psychology applied to video games, marketing psychology , psychology applied to nutrition… Without a doubt, there is a psychologist for each of our mental needs.