Psychologist

You'll need:

• knowledge of psychology
• counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
• customer service skills
• the ability to understand people’s reactions
• sensitivity and understanding
• excellent verbal communication skills
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• to enjoy working with other people
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Your day-to-day tasks will depend on your specialism. For example, you might work as an educational psychologist, where you would:

• help children to overcome difficulties
• interview young people and assess their emotional state
• develop treatment programmes to help clients' psychological wellbeing

As an occupational psychologist, you'll:

• assess the productivity of a business and how the staff work
• develop processes to measure employee talent and progress
• have one-to-one sessions with employees to support their wellbeing

In counselling psychology, you may:

• work with children and adults to explore their social, economic, cultural and spiritual health
• use psychotherapeutic methods, like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), to treat patients
• assess patients and recommend treatments

If you're a neuropsychologist, you could:

• investigate the impact of injury or illness on patients' behaviour
• make rehabilitation and treatment recommendations
• look to improve patients' health and quality of life

You could work in an NHS or private hospital, at a school, in a therapy clinic, in the community or at a client's business.

Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.

Registration

• you'll need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council

Further information

You'll find more advice on careers and training in psychology from The British Psychological Society.

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks, as you may be working with children and vulnerable adults