Clinical psychologist vs Therapist

A clinical psychologist is a mental health practitioner who typically completes specialized training and earns certification for diagnosing and treating psychological, mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders and illnesses, including personality disorders, attention deficit disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Common duties and responsibilities include:

• Meeting with clients to evaluate and assess emotional, mental, or behavioral disorders or problems

• Diagnosing existing or potential illnesses

• Providing psychological treatment

• Working with a psychiatrist if prescriptions are needed

• Researching human behavior, thought processes, and emotions

A therapist often referred to as a "counselor," commonly provides counseling or psychotherapy services to their clients. Traditional therapy is the process of meeting and talking with clients to help resolve problematic feelings, beliefs, behaviors, and relationship issues.

Common duties and responsibilities include:

• Interviewing, observing, and assessing clients through talking and conversation

• Guiding clients through healthy decision-making processes

• Using talk therapy techniques to support clients

• Leading group therapy sessions

To work as a clinical psychologist, you need a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) from a program accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Therapists, on the other hand, only need a master's degree in their specialty areas, such as marriage and family therapy, from institutions accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

For the extra years of higher education, clinical psychologists earn a bit more money. The national average for a clinical psychologist, for example, is $98.146 a year compared to the national average for a therapist of $70,387 a year.

Future job prospects are more favorable over the next ten years for therapists (16% projected growth) compared to clinical psychologists (8% projected growth).