When people hear the word “psychologist” immediately they often associate it with a man or woman sitting in an office listening and taking notes on what their client is saying while lying on a couch. This is one of the many myths about the profession of psychologist that can often be heard.

It is clear that there are many psychologists who carry out this type of practice, which is known as psychotherapy. But the fields of applied psychology are many, and therefore psychologists perform different tasks and functions, and work with different clients: families, organizations, sportsmen, dogs, among others.

Within the world of psychology there is a wide variety of jobs, roles and specialties that do not have to be very similar to each other.

The different types of psychologists

Psychologists have various areas of expertise . Within these, some psychologists are dedicated to the practical field, but also to research or teaching.You may be surprised to know, for example, that there are psychologists who work in the field of video games …

As you can see, the areas of application in which psychologists work are multiple, and for this reason, we present below a list of the types of psychologists that exist and explain their main functions . These categories are not mutually exclusive, so it is not uncommon for a person to have the functions of two or even three types of psychologists.

Similarly, the fields of study of two of these types can be the same, taking into account that psychologists who are dedicated to research have a similar training to many others who are dedicated to intervene on a specific topic, as we will see.

12 types of psychologists to understand this discipline

Below we explain what kinds of psychologists exist and what functions each one performs.

1. Clinical psychologists

Clinical psychologists evaluate and treat mental and emotional disorders .

These psychopathologies range from short-term crises to difficulties that last longer. Some clinical psychologists have specialized in different pathologies: depression, eating disorders, anxiety, personality disorders, etc. Others focus on specific populations: children, adolescents, drug addicts, among others. Clinical psychology is regulated by law, so it is necessary to have completed an official master’s degree or a competition (for example, the PIR) in order to practice it.

2. Psychotherapists

Psychotherapy is a model of clinical intervention that offers psychological support and a series of techniques to improve the quality of life of patients.

Psychotherapy, in most countries, is not regulated by law, and the problems it addresses are not of the same severity compared to those usually addressed by clinical psychology. Psychotherapists often treat everyday problems, problems in interpersonal relationships or problems of an emotional nature. For example, relationship difficulties, or stress management treatment.

3.Educational psychologists

Educational Psychology bridges two fields of study: psychology and education . It focuses on the processes involved in learning and of individuals and on the roles played by the actors in the educational field, as well as the environment in which this learning takes place.

Thus, the educational psychologist usually works in educational institutions (e.g. schools) or educational guidance centres. Their functions are varied, and they may work individually, for example in the assessment and treatment of a child’s learning disorders, or they may work in a multidisciplinary way with other education professionals.

4. Developmental psychologists

Developmental psychologists can often work as educational psychologists, since learning is an important part of an individual’s development.

But developmental psychology does not only include children or adolescents in its field of study and application, but also includes old age . Therefore, these professionals can also work in geriatric homes. In Western societies there are more and more elderly people, which is why in recent decades the work of these professionals has become essential.

5. Experimental psychologists and other researchers

Experimental psychologists carry out tests and experiments to obtain new knowledge about different psychological aspects or phenomena . In psychology, however, other methodologies are also used that do not always involve the use of the experimental method, as is the case, for example, in case studies.

Research psychologists may have a training that is typical of other types of psychologists, but instead of intervening on subjects or groups, they research on them to obtain information with which to contrast hypotheses or to obtain specific data that are entrusted to them. They can study aspects of basic psychology such as memory, attention, perception or learning processes, among others, but also phenomena linked to a specific context, such as the appearance and propagation of rumours or the generation of specific discourses.

They usually work in universities or public or private research centres, and recently there has been a surge of interest from companies in hiring these professionals, due to the importance of developing R&D programmes. Large companies are very interested in issues such as consumer perception of a certain product, or in occupational health issues.

6. Neuropsychologists

A neuropsychologist is a professional dedicated to neuropsychology .

To be able to work in this field, it is necessary to have a Bachelor’s degree or a degree in psychology, as well as a postgraduate degree in that specialty. Sometimes it is usually clinical psychologists or experimental psychologists who hold these positions, since many neuropsychologists are dedicated to research. In the applied field, they may work, for example, on the cognitive, behavioural and emotional rehabilitation of a brain-damaged patient, or on early diagnosis and intervention in dementia.

7. Social psychologists

Social psychologists study and work on human behaviour and psychological factors that affect the social, community or group environment.

They are interested in aspects such as interpersonal, intragroup and inter-group relations. They are also interested in issues such as culture, prejudices or attitudes towards other individuals, and develop programmes for groups, for excluded minorities, for disadvantaged groups, among others. Professionals dedicated to the study of political psychology and cultural psychology can also be included here, and it is also normal to find people with training in anthropology and gender studies in this category.

8. Organizational and work psychologists

Organizational and work psychologists apply psychological methods and principles in the work and organizational environment .

Their tasks are varied, but they often work in the recruitment, training, occupational health or development departments. They also participate in performance evaluations or studies to find out the level of consumer satisfaction. In addition, in the work environment, some psychological variables such as motivation or leadership are of particular importance.

9. Forensic and Criminalistic Psychologists

Forensic psychologists apply psychological principles to legal aspects . Their experience is essential in court. They can, for example, help the judge decide which parent should have custody of a child by providing useful information or by assessing the mental competence of a defendant during a trial.

Forensic psychologists are not the same as criminal psychologists. To better understand the difference between both fields of psychology, we invite you to read our article: “Differences between Criminal Psychology and Forensic Psychology”.

10. Sports psychologists

Although the work of the sports psychologist is not known to many individuals, few doubt the importance of psychological factors in sports performance. Sports psychologists work with athletes, with the coach, with the team and with the entire organisation to maximise the potential of the team or athlete. Some of the psychological variables that are worked on are: self-efficacy, attention, motivation, level of activation or stress. But they also work on the interpersonal relationships of the athletes, the influence of the environment or communication.

To learn more about the work of the sports psychologist, you can click on this article: “10 reasons to put a sports psychologist in your life”.

11. Sexologists

Sexologists are professionals specialized in diagnosing and treating the psychological disorders that affect the intimate relationships of individuals (for example, erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation).

They also educate patients on aspects of healthy sexuality.

12. Other fields of application

But it doesn’t end there, because there are psychology professionals who work in smaller fields of application : traffic and road safety psychology, marketing psychology, psychology applied to video games, psychology applied to nutrition, group psychology, dog psychology, coaching…

In short, psychology is a field that has obvious connections with any economic, social and medical area, and it is for this reason that the profession of psychologist can find very varied specializations and applications.

Beyond the Types of Psychologists

It should be borne in mind that, regardless of how we classify the different types of psychologists, they all carry out a fundamentally equal task: the study of behaviour and mental processes and the application of this new knowledge in areas such as clinical psychology, education, etc.

That is, everyone, from their different fields of action, helps to better understand who we are and how we can change .