Clinical vs. General Psychologist Career?

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If you’re looking into a career in psychology, you may have wondered which career path is right for you: General psychologist or clinical psychologist.

A main difference between a clinical psychologist and general psychologist is in their training pathways. 

In Australia, a general registered psychologist would have followed the ‘4+2’ pathway, which means they’ve completed The undergraduate degree in psychology and then either a post-graduate or honors year (four years) plus ‘on the job’ training of two years. They can work in a variety of professional and medical settings and assess, diagnose, and treat clients with a range of concerns. 

On the other hand, a clinical psychologist receives additional tertiary qualifications and clinical training, although the total time is still six years. The clinical psychologist would have completed either a Masters or Doctorate with two years of supervised clinical work. Clinical psychologists may also have additional experience and background in conducting psychological tests, research, diagnosis, consultation and treatment - however this is not accurate for all training psychologists. 

It’s important to note there is a significant overlap between the actual day-to-day function of general and clinical psychologists which may explain some of the confusion. 

Whichever way you decide to go—general or clinical—is a personal choice rather than a question about competency. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the Australian Psychological Society (APS) recognise both general and clinical psychologists.