Clinical psychology degrees from University of Houston

University of Houston offers one of the continuously accredited clinical psychology programmes in the United States. It has been accredited since 1959 by the American Psychological association.

The program trains students in 3 major areas

Clinical Psychology Adult
Clinical Psychology Child
and
Clinical Neuropsychology

What is Clinical Psychology?

Psychology is the study of mind and the associated processes/behaviour with an aim to ensure mental well-being and personal development.

Clinical psychology is defined by the American psychological association as the psychological specialty that provides continuing and comprehensive mental and behavioural health care for individuals and families; consultation to agencies and communities; training, education and supervision; and research-based practice.

It is a specialty in breadth — one that is broadly inclusive of severe psychopathology — and marked by comprehensiveness and integration of knowledge and skill from a broad array of disciplines within and outside of psychology proper. The scope of clinical psychology encompasses all ages, multiple diversities and varied systems.

Let us check the courses available to prospective students of clinical psychology.

University of Houston undergraduate degree in psychology

University of Houston offers Psychology major in B.A. and B.S.

There is a not-so-subtle difference in the courses though.

B.A is less in math and science. So with B.A. you can branch out to other fields such as law, journalism, education etc. Also, this is ideal for someone who intends to join workforce immediately.

B.S syllabus includes maths and science classes. Hence B.S is ideal for those wishing to pursue graduate studies in psychology or go to medical school. Take this only if you are interested in taking science classes.

Details of both programme are available in this link
from University of Houston.

University of Houston graduate degrees in clinical psychology

Graduate degree programme has 3 major areas of study.

Clinical Childhood Psychology Concentration.

CCP trains graduates in research and clinical interventions from infancy to early adulthood. Here experienced faculty members will mould you into clinical psychologists capable of using scientific knowledge to improve mental well-being of children and young adults.

Clinical Neuropsychology Concentration

Neuropsychology involves the science practice of relationship between brain and behaviour.

Here the students will be part of multi-disciplinary research and clinical teams, trying to understand the brain-behavior relationship and improving the metal well-being of persons and their families.

Clinical Psychology Adult Concentration

Here, psychologist work with adults and families. Adult psychologists study their subjects for their thinking, feeling and behaviour.

You can apply to UH clinical psychology programmes via this link .

Are there online degrees in Psychology from University of Houston?

Yes, there are.

University of Houston offers bachelor degrees in psychology via distance education.

But both B.A and B.S in psychology requires some classes to be taken in campus. So these are not exactly online degrees. Final 30 hours must be completed at University campus classes.

But your diploma will NOT show that your studies were completed though online classes.

Check this link
for details of online programme in psychology.

Are there scholarships available to psychology students?

Yes. There are undergraduate scholarships available from department of psychology.

Both Laurie T. Callicutt Scholarship and Lee and Beverley Martin Scholarship are available to students.

Please click the scholarship link
for details.

What are the career paths for clinical psychologists from University of Houston?

Different career paths are available to talented practitioners of clinical psychology.

College professor

If you love teaching, this is the career for you. Ideal for those who have worked in the field or have done research, then you can channel all that experience into teaching bright young minds and shaping their career.
Doctorate is required for becoming a tenured professor. But junior teaching positions are open to master’s degree holders.

Behavioural health psychologists

Behavioural health psychologists work with individuals having behavioural issues like addiction. They help clients, by helping them identify the triggers, teach coping mechanisms, and improve their overall functioning and well-being.

Child psychologists

Child psychologists work with Children and attend to their behavioural problems. They will identify at-risk children, underlying causes, counsel them, improve their behavioural issues, teaching them to cope, changing dangerous thinking patterns and providing emotional support.
In lot of cases, the psychologist will have to develop individualised treatment plans.
Once can find employment in schools, clinics, mental hospitals, detention centres, or start private practice.

Counsellors

A counsellor work with clients in a counselling background. These are usually one-on-one sessions, when you have to talk on issues in a non-confrontational way. One has to address the issues that have impacted the clients negatively and help them address the issues. Sometimes counsellor has to let the client do the talking and keep listening.
A master’s degree is needed to practice as a counsellor.

Case Manager

Case mangers help individuals manage their life hurdles. Case managers work with the clients and organizations to ensure that clients get the resources they need to meet their goals. So, case manager has to be in periodic contact with client and help them with access to resources and help them tide over problems.
Examples are medical case manager, mental health case manager, substance abuse case manager etc.

Mental health social worker

With a bachelor’s degree you can start working as a mental health counsellor. You will work under supervision of a psychiatrist or psychologist and provide counselling to individuals.
Your duties may include helping at-risk youth, finding housing for clients, taking clients to hospital appointments, taking them to school, helping clients sign up for Governmental assistance etc.

Special education teacher

Special education teachers work with students, who have physical/mental disabilities. These disabilities may make them slow or delayed learners.
Special education teacher works with these students to ensure they receive the best education possible. So teacher may adjust the curriculum to match their pace of learning. Depending on the needs, you may have to teach basic curriculum or even life skills like cooking, socializing, paying bills etc.
A bachelor’s degree is sufficient for this career.

Substance abuse counsellor

Substance abuse counsellors work with those, who are addicted to alcohol, drugs, food or gambling etc. Counselling sessions can be private or in a group setting. One may get work at a substance abuse help centre, clinic, or hospitals.
Some states need only bachelor’s degree. It is better to check with the state’s licencing authorities as to qualification.

Private practice as a psychologist

With a master’s degree in psychology, one can open own private practice as a psychologist. Here one can focus on a particular area to focus on like working with corporate clients from high-stress work environments. Or school children. Or those with anxiety issues.
This is a lucrative career depending on your speciality and a doctorate will add to the psychologist’s reputation.

What is the salary of a Clinical psychologist?

According to Bureau of labor statistics, the mean annual wage of a psychologist is $87,450 .

Needless to say this varies depends on your location and experience.

What are the must-have basic skills of a Clinical psychologist?

Communication

A clinical psychologist must be able to communicate efficiently with patients, and with team members in a research function.

Listening

Patients themselves may be unable to express their problems eloquently.
Ability to listen and glean information from what patients say and do not say is a very critical skill, in diagnosing patients.

Behavioural Perception

When a patients leaves many things unsaid, clinical psychologist should be able to read information from the behaviour of the clients.

Critical thinking

Whether you are treating patients or doing experiments or conducting research, you need to examine available information, see different perspectives and consider alternatives.

Ethics

A clinical psychologist is bound to face complex moral situations, when dealing with patients and their situations. All the actions must be rooted in firm clinical knowledge and ethical behavior. Under no circumstance should you lose the trust of the client or your colleagues.

In conclusion

Above information should help you make an informed decision on joining University of Houston’s clinical psychology program.
References.
https://uh.edu/class/psychology/clinical-psych/
https://www.apa.org/topics
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes193031.htm