Counseling psychology is a specialty within clinical psychology that focuses on personal and introspective functions throughout a person’s life. Counseling psychology focuses on the emotional, social, work, school and physical health concerns people may have at different stages in their lives with strict attention paid to stressors and severe issues people struggle with on a day to day basis. Counseling psychologists help their clients with their physical, emotional, and mental health issues to aid in alleviating stress and resolve crises’ that plague their lives.

Similarly to a health consultant, Counseling psychologists diagnose patients and provide different treatments for more severe psychological symptoms. Across each stage of a person’s life, your psychologist will focus on:

Healthy aspects and strengths of a patient and focus on building on those traits

Find the sources of anxiety by observing a patient’s lifestyle and environmental factors

Use outside influences to pinpoint a patient’s stressors

Observing work/life balance of a patient

Counseling psychologists use many different methods and practices to successfully diagnose and treat their patients. Counselors host individual, group, and family sessions to learn more about the patient’s needs and stressors. Having outside perspectives to comment and elaborate about patient’s give counseling psychologists a better assessment of the patient’s needs. Dealing with a crisis in a patient’s life is also a crucial part of the job. Dealing with difficult situations is a huge when it comes to counseling psychology as many of the patient’s have gone through traumatic events in their life and it’s the job of the psychologist to find these stressors. Other skills used include psychological tests, clinical supervision, counseling meetings and coaching and training.

Outreach

Clients who serve under counseling psychologists encompass a wide variety of individuals and groups that benefit from counseling. These psychologists work with individuals of all ages including:

Young children with behavioral problems interfering with their school and home life

Adolescents with substance abuse issues or issues with schoolwork or bullying

Adults who struggle with family life, career issues, overcoming obstacles and those with suicidal tendencies

Elderly individuals concerned with the reality of retirement and health issues

Working with organizations and groups also is a huge part of working with a counseling psychologist. Using their skills in the workplace to counsel disgruntled employees is an important outlet for many organizations that aids in the overall productivity and effectiveness of companies.

The overall impact of counseling psychologists is palpable across many fronts. Giving individuals, groups and organizations a safe place to get help from a professional in confidentiality is paramount to overcoming many of life’s difficulties. The skills possessed by counseling psychologists can help many patients across various different platforms. The specialized treatment, diagnosis, and coaching given is unique to the individual and the process of working with a counseling psychologist can give you an outlet you can trust to aid you throughout your entire life.