What a clinical psychologist really does
You listen closely, test carefully and write precisely, so you can tell what is going on with someone and help them change it, while always watching for risk.
FieldPeople and community
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Extensive preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for clinical psychologists, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Five to seven therapy sessions a day, in person or by video, mostly sitting and listening closely
- Writing progress notes after each session and updating treatment plans
- Intake interviews with new clients to gather history and form a diagnosis
- Giving, scoring and interpreting psychological tests, then writing assessment reports
- Checking for risk of harm whenever there are warning signs, and safety planning when needed
- Consulting with psychiatrists, primary care doctors and other therapists about shared clients
- Supervision meetings and keeping up with research
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- Risk assessment is rated the single most important task in the job, so you screen for it even when a client seems fine. Task 1, assess patients for risk of harm to self or others: importance 99, Core, the highest rated task (O*NET Tasks)
- Documentation is a huge part of the job. Notes and reports follow almost every hour of therapy. Task 2, document session and progress notes: importance 95, Core; Task 4, write reports and maintain paperwork: importance 89, Core (O*NET Tasks)
- It is a sitting job. You spend most of the day in a chair, which surprises people expecting more variety. Spend Time Sitting: 78% continually or almost continually (O*NET Work Context)
- You have a lot of independence in how you work. Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals: 72% a lot of freedom; Freedom to Make Decisions: 68% a lot of freedom (O*NET Work Context)
- Frustrated or hostile clients are a regular part of the work. Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People: 44% once a week or more, 48% once a month or more (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
A doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) in clinical or counseling psychology, including practicum placements and a one year internship, followed by supervised postdoctoral hours and a national licensing exam. O*NET respondents report post doctoral training (48%), a doctoral degree (44%) or a master's degree (8%).
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: This trial cannot show what it is like to sit with real pain session after session, to build a therapeutic relationship over months, or to read body language and silence in the room. It also cannot show formal administration of standardized tests. All clients are fictional and scenarios are kept non graphic. You act as a doctoral psychology intern, and a licensed supervising psychologist reviews and co signs every note, diagnosis and safety decision.
Reading about it is one thing.
Find out how the work feels to you before you spend on a degree, course or job change. Your first trial is free.
Other careers you can try
Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 19-3033.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.