Does the human mind intrigue you? Do you want to help others while learning more about the human experience? If this sounds like you, consider a career as a psychologist. Did you know that Florida National University offers a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology?

What is a Psychologist?

A psychologist is a mental health professional who evaluates and communicates with patients to help them better cope with mental health challenges and conditions. They have advanced training and clinical skills to assess and treat mental health-related issues. Psychologists promote healthy behavior, prevent disease, and improve a patient’s quality of life.

What Does a Psychologist Do?

Psychologists conduct research, consult with communities, diagnose and treat patients, and teach those pursuing the discipline. They assess behavioral and mental function compared to a patient’s well-being. Psychologists work with patients by:

Conducting Research

A psychologist may conduct scientific research to study behavior or brain function. They will observe, interview, and survey individuals to learn more about their behavior. This research may identify behavioral or emotional patterns. They may also test for patterns that will help them better understand and predict behavior. Psychologists will write articles, research papers, and reports to share findings with the industry.

Consulting with Communities

Psychologists could also specialize in Community Psychology; in this role, they focus on what goes beyond the individual and integrate social, cultural, economic, political, environmental, and international aspects to foster positive change, health, and empowerment at a systemic level.

Diagnosing Patients

Diagnosing a patient involves identifying psychological, emotional, behavioral, or organizational issues and disorders. Psychologists may administer personality, performance, aptitude, and intelligence tests following a biopsychosocial assessment to help diagnose patients.

Treating Patients

Psychologists discuss treatment options with patients. They intervene using talk therapy, group and family therapy, or a combination of the three modalities to improve their quality of life. The Psychologist monitors the patient’s progress and updates the treatment accordingly.

Teaching Psychology

Psychologists may enter the teaching field and give back to students who want to learn about psychology. In addition to teaching, many psychologists will conduct clinical research and write for publications.

What are the Different Types of Psychologists?

There are many types of psychologists with different roles and responsibilities. These various types include:

Clinical Psychologist – assess, diagnose, and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

Counseling Psychologist – helps patients deal with and understand problems. They use counseling to identify opportunities to manage issues.

Developmental Psychologist – studies a person’s psychological progress and development. They can focus on adolescents or study aging for older adults.

Forensic Psychologists – use psychology in the legal and criminal justice system.

Industrial-Organizational Psychologist – applies psychology to the workplace to improve the quality of work life.

Rehabilitation Psychologist – works with physically or developmentally disabled individuals.

School Psychologist – apply psychology to education and developmental disorders, including student learning and behavioral problems.

Why Do Patients See Psychologists?

Psychologists help with a wide range of health problems using evidence-based treatments to help patients improve their quality of life. These health problems may include:

Anxiety – is a feeling of fear, dread, or uneasiness. The body may react to anxiety with sweat, restlessness, tension, and rapid heartbeat. People may experience anxiety in high-pressure situations, but it may become a problem if it interferes with everyday life.

Chronic Illness – is a disease or condition that lasts three or more months and may worsen over time. A person with a chronic illness may have to adjust to the demands of the disease and therapy to treat the condition.

Depression – is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how a person feels, the way they think, and how they act. It can be characterized as a constant sadness, loss of interest, or discontinuation of regular activity. It can also cause difficulty thinking, remembering, eating, and sleeping.

Eating Disorders – is a serious illness associated with a severe disturbance in eating behaviors commonly related to a person’s thoughts, perceptions, and emotions. This disorder can be characterized as preoccupation with food and body weight or shape.

Gambling Disorder – is an uncontrollable urge to keep gambling despite the problems that it causes in one’s life.

Grief and Loss – is an emotionally painful response to loss. Losses can be hard to process, and grief may feel unbearable.

Hoarding – is an act of collecting large amounts of something, having an ongoing difficulty of throwing away or parting with possessions because of a need to save them.

Pain – is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. It is a patient’s nervous system signaling that something may be wrong. Pain can be chronic (long-term) or acute (short-term).

Phobias – are an uncontrollable, irrational, and persistent fear of a specific object, situation, or activity.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – occurs in patients who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, series of events, or set of circumstances.

Postpartum Depression – is a form of depression suffered by a mother following childbirth. Symptoms can be similar to depression but more intense and longer lasting.

Stress Management – ways to help patients better deal with stress, difficulty, and adversity. Stress is a normal psychological and physical reaction to the demands of life.

Trauma – an emotional response to a very stressful, frightening, or distressing event that is difficult to cope with. A single event causes acute trauma, whereas chronic trauma occurs from repeated and prolonged abuse. Complex trauma is exposure to multiple traumatic events.

How Do You Become a Psychologist?

A great way to become a psychologist is to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Florida National University. This program can be completed in four years with fundamental classes on abnormal psychology, behavior modification, adolescent psychology, social psychology, and the psychology of aging, to name a few. Electives can delve into juveniles, forensics, testing and measurements, learning, substance abuse, and many more subjects in psychology. Further concentrations include addiction studies and mental health.

Eager to Learn More?

This program prepares you for entry-level positions and advanced professional education in psychology. You will be exposed to the significant domains of psychology. You will acquire a solid knowledge base in each of these domains and be able to integrate and apply knowledge and meet your career goals. Upon program completion, Florida National University awards a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology.