10 SPECIALIZATION FIELDS IN PSYCHOLOGY

Psychology is one of the most interesting as well as the most misunderstood field of humanities out there. (To be honest the entire field of humanities is misunderstood with people thinking that students of ‘arts’ are only painters or artists. There are people who take that up as their professions but it’s a sub-division of arts called fine arts. And therefore I prefer calling it humanities and not arts).

It so happens that the curiosity for this field over the years has led to some many myths about it that people often have lots of misconceptions about it. Thus, with this blog I will try to point out a few myths, give you a small overview of the various fields in psychology. I would also try to demystify the concept of mental health so that in times of need, if one is well-informed can easily seek help.

Let’s begin with a textbook definition of psychology- it is the scientific study of human and animal mind and behaviour. Psychology was born in 1879 at a lab in German University of Leipzig and since has been discovered and rediscovered in various ways along with scientific experiments and explanations. It also has its roots in philosophy and biology. It is therefore a perfect home to wide-ranging interests with a common quest: describing and explaining behaviour and mind underlying it.

ARE PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY THE SAME?

NO! Psychology and psychiatry are often confused for each other. Though both are sciences, they have quite a lot of differences both- in terms of education as well as the treatment approach:

• In terms of education, a psychologist requires at least a MA/M.Sc in one of the specialization in the field (which we will discuss shortly). A psychiatrist would require a bachelor degree like a MBBS and then a specialization in psychiatry (MD).
• Another major difference is that only a psychiatrist is eligible to prescribe medicines. Psychologists specialize in psychological testing and evaluation.
• A psychiatrist focuses on the physical processes thought to underlie the mental and emotional disorders. A psychologist on the other hand has extensive training in research and clinical practice.

The points of similarities include:

• Both of them are the experts in mental health
• Both conduct psychotherapy- focusing on serious problems associated with intra-psychic disorders, internal conflicts and personality issues.

10 SPECIALIZATION FIELDS OF PSYCHOLOGY:

Psychology is a vast field with a lot of need and scope. There is a huge difference in the demand and supply of mental health professionals. According to National Crime Records Bureau 2015, the entire mental health workforce, comprising clinical psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric social workers and psychiatric nurses, stands at 7,000, while the actual requirement is around 55,000. So let’s have a look at the 10 of these popular specialization fields of psychology:

1. CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY:

Clinical or Abnormal psychology is the field of psychology which deals with diagnosable disorders. It considers the description, causes and treatments of a number of mental disorders with the use of scientifically sound instruments. One such instrument or a manual is the DSM (diagnostic statistical manual) or ICD (international classification of diseases) which contains the check-points for the diagnosis of a particular disorder.

Clinical psychology often deals with disorders that are psychiatric in nature, meaning that those disorders are included which involves behavioural or emotional difficulties such that it is difficult to cope with them. Usually clinical psychologists are found in hospital settings, health-care, military and schools.

2. COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY:

Counseling psychology is the one that which is misunderstood as the field where people only come to talk and the counselor’s job is to only listen. This is only 5% of what a counselor’s job entails. It deals with the wellness, personal growth, career, educational and empowerment concerns. It is conducted individually as well as in groups which are diverse and multicultural. In addition, they not only help client focus on their goals but also helps them achieve it. Thus, it involves making choices as well as changes.

The point of difference between clinical and counseling psychologist is that clinical psychologists work with individuals who have a history of mental illness while counseling psychologists work with psychologically healthy individuals. Counseling psychologist are open to work in various arenas including- educational settings, organizational settings, social advocate, consultant, private practices.

3. INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY:

Industrial/organizational psychology is the field where principles of psychology are applied in a corporate setting to increase the productivity of the organizations. It also works in helping employees achieve higher level of job satisfaction and engagement. In addition, it also helps in increasing the motivation of the employees at work.

The major area of work for an industrial/organizational psychologist is helping the organization recruit and select the right person for the right job, training and development, working with the organizational design, leadership, and also establishing a work environment that fosters the well-being of the employees.

4. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY:

Social psychology is the branch of psychology which studies all aspects of our social existence- everything from love and helping people on one hand, to prejudices, exclusion and violence on the other. They also examine how groups influence us, how the social contexts we find ourselves in affects the way we make our decision, and how we explain ourselves, and the actions of others.

Social psychologists truly have a wide range of interests. They can work in almost all areas as people are found everywhere and so are groups.

5. DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY:

Developmental psychology, also called lifespan psychology focuses on understanding the growth and change that occurs during the entire lifespan. They study how the biological inheritance from our parents along with the environment in which we live jointly affects our behaviour. The topical areas in lifespan development include- physical development, cognitive development, personality development, and social development.

Thus, it covers topics from all ages-from conception to death. It also takes into account the individual differences at all the stages of life. A developmental psychologist can work in areas like school, college, health-care, or private clinics.

6. FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY:

Forensic psychology is a field which combines the principles of psychology and law. Thus it is the application of the clinical psychology to the legal arena. Thus it includes skills like assessment, treatment and evaluation to forensic settings along with application of research and experimentation in other areas of psychology (like cognitive or social psychology).

With these skills forensic psychologists perform such tasks as threat assessment for schools, child custody evaluations, competency evaluations of criminal defendants and of the elderly, counseling services to victims of crime, death notification procedures, screening and selection of law enforcement applicants, and the delivery and evaluation of intervention and treatment programs for juvenile and adult offenders.

7. SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY:

Sports psychology is an upcoming field of psychology in India which uses the principles of psychology and applies those skills to address the optimal performance and well-being of athletes. The developmental and social aspects of the sport participation are also included.

Sport Psychology interventions are designed to assist athletes and other sports participants (e.g., coaches, administrators, parents) from a wide array of settings, levels of competition and ages, ranging from recreational youth participants to professional and Olympic athletes to master’s level performers.

8. HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY :

Health psychology is about promoting and maintaining good health as well as prevention and treatment of illness. Health psychologist conduct and design programmes to help individuals to stop smoking, lose weight, problems of alcoholism, manage stress etc. This specialty area examines how biological, social and psychological factors influence the choices we make about our health.

Health psychologists study the factors that allow people to be healthy, recover from an illness or cope with a chronic condition. They are experts in the intersection of health and behavior and are in demand as a part of integrated health care delivery teams — working with other doctors to provide whole-person health care.

9. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY:

School Psychology, a general practice of Health Service Psychology, is concerned with children, youth, families, and the schooling process. School psychologists are prepared to intervene at the individual and system levels, and develop, implement and evaluate programs to promote positive learning environments for children and youth from diverse backgrounds, and to ensure equal access to effective educational and psychological services that promote health development.

Core knowledge is rooted in psychology and education and includes knowledge of psychoeducational assessment and diagnosis, intervention, prevention, health promotion, and program development focusing on children and youth development with the context of schools, families and other systems.

10. EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY:

These psychologists study how people learn and the educational process. This might involve developing instructional strategies and teaching techniques. Some educational psychologists study giftedness or learning disabilities.

Some professionals in this field specialize in identifying and dealing with potential problems that might interfere with how children learn. Others specialize in researching the learning process, while some might instead focus on designing instructional materials that maximize learning outcomes.

In addition to the above mentioned lists, there are a various other upcoming specializations in the field of psychology like Psycho-oncology, aviation psychology, positive psychology, fashion psychology, military psychology, expressive arts therapy etc.

My intention of these lists of fields was to make the readers aware of what exactly one specialization offers. They are quite distinct but at the same time there might be a small amount of overlap between them.

In addition, this clarification, rather explanation of various fields will also help you to identify the fraud practices happening in the field. Anyone with a 6 month course in one of the field is not a credible source and is not eligible to practice. So if you are seeking help, be aware of the credentials of the professional you are approaching.

That’s it from my end! See you until next time!

And if you haven’t read my previous blog, here is the link

REFERENCES:

• SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BY ROBERT A. BARON
• DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY BY ROBERT S. FELDMAN
• COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY BY GLADDINGS
• https://www.verywellmind.com/types-of-psychologists-and-what-they-do-2795627
• https://www.apa.org/ed/graduate/specialize/sports
• https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psn/2013/09/forensic-psychology

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