Counseling psychology is a field that provides therapy to those who are struggling with emotional or personal problems, but may or may not have a psychological disorder

1. Professional Opportunities In Health Psychology
Professional Opportunities In Health Psychology
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http://evolutionary-psychology.net/
The broad field of health psychology deals with promotion of health, improvement of the health care system,
and different governmental approaches to the nation’s health care policies. A health psychologist also
focuses on understanding how most people perceive, cope, and recover from preventable ailments.
Basically, matters concerning health and illnesses are influenced by a myriad of factors which include
hereditary and contagious issues as well as behavioral and psychological factors. A health psychologist
brings together biological, psychological, social, and behavioral factors to determine how they influence the
overall physical and mental well being of different groups of people.
As a health psychologist your focus will mainly revolve around addressing common risk factors such as the
following:
•Effects of stress and its reduction.
•Health consequences of excessive weight and its management.
•Importance of good nutrition and how to promote it.
•Reduction or elimination of irresponsible sexual behaviors.
•Encouragement and counseling for terminally ill patients.
•Efficient hospice care
Health psychology specialists work in different settings such as major hospitals, clinics, universities, and even
in private corporations. The settings also depend on the health psychologist’s area of specialization. Some
examples of these areas include the following:
•Clinical health psychology which involves other subfields such as psychotherapy and health education.
•Community health psychology which focuses on prevention and intervention measures at the community
level by assessing behavioral traits in a community and promoting healthy behaviors.
•Public health psychology which seeks to understand health at the population level. Specialists in the various
subfields of this branch of medicine also supervise and advise other health care professionals and educators
working directly with the community.
•Occupational health psychology which incorporates industrial organization with promotion of better health.
Specialists in this subfield seek to understand how work-related issues impact on workers’ physical and
mental conditions.
Some of the major prerequisites to join this profession include:
•A Ph. D or Psy.D degree in psychology or
•An undergraduate psychology degree followed by a post graduate degree in the relevant field.
•Certification by the American Board of Professional Psychology after a one year post doctorate degree
internship.
•There are other opportunities for holders of bachelor’s or masters degrees in community mental health or
correctional facilities. However, such opportunities require the health psychologist to work under a licensed
specialist.
Remuneration for health psychologists largely depends on geographic location, educational background, and
of course experience. Statistics by the American Psychological Association however indicate that a health
psychologist working directly with human services earns around $80,000 annually while a licensed specialist
earns an average salary of between $40,000 and $85,000 per year.
Qualified specialists in this field address social, psychological, and behavioral factors that lead to such
illnesses as strokes, heart conditions, HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other infectious diseases. Recent studies show
that almost 50 percent of all deaths in the US are related to behavioral risk factors which are easily
preventable. This makes it quite relevant for health care workers to work closely with individuals and
communities in an effort to eliminate common risk factors and promote health.
If you want to learn more, you may consider to visit:
http://evolutionary-psychology.net/
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