What is a psychologist?

Psychologists specialise in understanding and working with human behaviour. There are many different kind of psychologists. For example:

Sport psychologists help athletes perform to their potential.

Forensic psychologists work in the court and justice system. They may help people within the criminal justice system and aid the police in investigating crime.

Academic psychologists work in the university setting and study human behaviour.

Organisational psychologists work in the corporate setting. They often work in recruitment, selection and training for organisations.

At Innovate Psychology and Education, we are a group of clinical psychologists.

Clinical psychologists specialise in helping people function more effectively, enjoy life more and deal with life problems. Clinical psychologists generally have at leat six years of university training. This includes four years of undergraduate study and a two year Masters degree. They are usually required to complete ongoing professional development and education.  Some of our psychologists have additional training, such as a PhD and an additional diploma in Meditation.

What is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?  A psychiatrist is a medically trained doctor, who has then gone on to do psychiatry training following their basic medical degree.  Often psychiatrists specialise in prescribing medication and sometimes focus on the biological causes and implications of problems in a person’s life. Psychologists are not doctors, cannot prescribe drugs and don't work specifically with the biological factors involved with psychological distress.

 

Innovate Psychology and Education, (08) 8357 1711