Psychologist

The Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, in its 5th edition (DSM-V), tool of the psychologist.

The term psychologist (feminine, psicóloga; also, psicólogo, psicologa) is applied to the professional who is dedicated to practicing psychology. It is a mental health specialist who, for that reason, is interested in studying and understanding behavior (or behavior, depending on the point of view of other terminologies). Academically, you may choose to specialize in one or more areas of your career, such that you may become a major in clinical psychology (if you work in therapy and treatment in mental or emotional health), behavioral or behavioral psychology (if you are interested in the study of behavior from the point of view of behaviorism and derived currents, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy), industrial psychology or psychology of work or occupational psychology or psychology of organizations (if you are interested in the job training and personnel selection), social psychology (if it addresses social processes, the study of groups, the influence or importance of the social on individual behavior and attitudes), educational psychology (education, childhood, school, learning processes), neurosciences or psychophysiology (the neurophysiological or neurobiological bases of behavior), forensic psychology, community psychologist and others.^{[citation required]}

Competitions by country

Spain

Undergraduate degrees in psychology specify the skills acquired. In the case of graduates in psychology, the so-called European supplement for degrees (which each graduate receives to show their competencies outside of Spain) specifies the following:

“This qualification trains the scientific approach of human behavior, the analysis of processes and relationships in social groups and the design and implementation of orientation, diagnosis, prevention and intervention activities related to behavioral disorders and behaviors that influence health.”

It is necessary to clarify that a psychologist is such when he is in possession of an accrediting university degree; in Spain, this degree comes from the bachelor's degree in psychology or the degree in psychology, only taught in universities. For this reason, it should not be confused with other professions or qualifications that, although they may seem to exercise similar powers, are very different. These are:

• Psychiatrist: A medically licensed person whose specialization has been the study of psychopathology through medical approach; psychiatrists are medical specialists in psychiatry. Psychologists are licensed in psychology, who can specialize in various branches, such as clinical psychology and health psychology, neurosciences, education psychology, work psychology and organizations, etc. The psychiatrist mainly uses pharmacology to improve the most incapacitating symptoms of mental health disorders, although in some cases it also performs psychotherapeutic intervention or treatments after a postgraduate training in these fields.
• Psychoanalyst: A person similar to the clinical psychologist, but whose speciality is psychoanalysis in one or more of its many aspects. Psychoanalysts therefore do not actively practice psychology, but psychoanalysis, of supposed differentiated from the prevailing psychology today. Some countries offer this degree in their universities as a branch within the psychology career; in Spain, such a university degree is not offered.
• Social Worker: Person responsible for providing optimal social integration to other people in risk situations or potentially disadvantaged. Although their professional application is supported in the assumptions of psychology, especially in their most social aspect, they are not limited to it, so social workers may be in possession of the title of psychologist or not being. Sometimes his professional work is covered with degrees partially related to psychology, such as anthropology or sociology, or training cycles such as social work, so his therapeutic work is limited to the insertion of the subject to a favorable and emotionally positive environment for him.
• Therapeutic: Person who seeks the mental well-being of another person professionally, even without being in possession of the university degree that accredits him as a psychologist. Many are courses, training cycles and non-official training offer that can lead to the formation of a therapist, but it is necessary not to confuse it with the psychologist, since they do not have the same training or the same obligations. A therapist does not need to credit any degree, so both academically and professionally are not trained to exercise the competencies of a clinical psychologist.
• Orientator: Person who offers himself as a guide so that another person can achieve some goal, which will inform him of well-being. As in the previous case, except in the field of education, it is not compulsory for a counselor to possess the title of a psychologist, so his knowledge is reduced to what he himself has considered appropriate, as courses or unofficial cycles.^{[chuckles]required]}

Therefore, although there are many people who try to work in the field of clinical psychology for profit, it is essential to make a distinction between those who are really qualified for it (psychologists) and those who simply emulate them, sometimes satisfactorily, even without possessing the essential knowledge accredited with the university degree.^{[citation required]}

Columbia

Colombian legislation, through Law 1090 of 2006, established that it is an essential requirement to practice as a psychologist to possess the professional card issued by the Colombian College of Psychologists, and this entity, in turn, can only grant it to those who demonstrate by a university degree your suitability to practice the profession. By means of the same law, November 20 was established as National Psychologist Day.

Mexico

The professional activity of the psychologist in Mexico, as well as the exercise of the rest of the professions in this country, is regulated by the Ministry of Public Education, through the General Directorate of Professions, which has the task of authorizing and Keep the professional registry in the country. Particularly for the exercise of psychological services in Mexico, the Mexican Society of Psychology participated in an international study that consisted of gathering information directly from professionals, scientists, and academics in the field to consolidate a guide of ethical principles and norms for psychological services in Mexico under the name of the Psychologist's Code of Ethics, whose purpose is to regulate psychological services at a professional, scientific, and academic level. As well as the Mexican Society of Psychology, in the country there are other organizations related to the profession, such as the Mexican Council of Psychology (Comepsi), and the faculties of public and private universities that teach this degree, such as the National Autonomous University of Mexico, through its Faculty of Psychology. As anywhere else in the world, psychological services are offered both face-to-face and online in Mexico much more frequently than in the past. Due to the health contingency due to COVID-19, it is possible to find several channels of remote psychological support, such as the "Questionnaire for attention to mental health risks COVID-19" of the Ministry of Health, for the use of the general public and health personnel, with the participation of the Faculty of Psychology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and the National Institute of Psychiatry "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz& #34;.^{[citation required]}

In Mexico, Psychologist's Day has been celebrated on May 20 since 1998, when it was established by the National Federation of Colleges, Societies and Associations of Psychologists of Mexico, A.C. (Fenapsime), because on this day, in In 1937, the first license to practice this profession in this country was granted, regardless of the fact that it had already been established as a doctoral option since 1924.^{[citation required]}

Regarding the number of psychologists per population, it is estimated that "(..) there are 12 psychologists in Mexico for every 100 inhabitants" in this country.

Areas of specialization

Psychology is a complex discipline, with many different ways of observing and interpreting the human mind and behavior and applying the knowledge gained. As it has developed as a scientific and professional discipline, there has also been increasing specialization, both in interest in research and in terms of training.

After completing their fundamental university education, those who obtain a degree in psychology must specialize in one or several of these specific areas —those that best suit their interests and abilities— in order to be able to effectively carry out a productive professional activity. Some of the professional occupations of the psychologist with more tradition and population are the following:^{[citation required]}

Experimental Psychologist

Experimental psychology is, historically, the oldest specialty within psychology since its birth as a science in the late 19th century (since, in 1879, Wilhelm Wundt founded the first experimental laboratory). The primary work of the experimental psychologist includes the development of skill and methodology for scientific investigation and the expansion of existing knowledge about psychological phenomena. To do this, they conduct research on all psychological processes, from the most basic —such as learning, memory, sensation, perception, cognition, motivation, and emotion— to the most complex. Most of this research is carried out at universities, although it is also carried out in private laboratories.^{[citation required]}

Psychopathologist

It is the professional of psychology specialized in the field of psychopathology (traditionally also known as abnormal psychology or psychology of abnormality), is interested in the study of psychic irregularities and abnormal behaviors, interpreting said abnormalities as quantitative deviations of normal behavior, thus ranging from frequent minor deviations to large deviations from normality that, although more exceptional, represent a problem of enormous social importance.^{[citation required]}

The primary task of the psychopathologist is to provide a systematic descriptive account and reason for all behavioral irregularities, whatever their degree of severity may be, to classify them, and to try to explain how they arose. His task is, therefore, rather theory-oriented, focused on expanding existing knowledge on various mental disorders. ^{[citation needed ]}

The psychopathologist can opt for two possible classes of interpretation of said abnormalities:

• Structural conception: Since any conduct has as a substrate a complex physiological mechanism, in which nervous and glandular systems play an important role, neurophysiological interpretation assumes that normal operating failures must be directly attributed to the organic breakdown of these systems. Thus, the injury or nervous illness, the subfunctioning or overfunctioning of the glandular mechanisms, or a combination of both, must be the fundamental cause of deviations from the conduct.

• Functional conception: emphasizes the role played by conditioning and learning in the genesis of personality and behavior. Deviations from normal conduct may result from either accidental or intentional strengthening of socially disadaptative responses.^{[chuckles]required]}

Despite these interpretational differences, the study of psychological abnormality should not be thought of as a dichotomous view of the nature of mental imbalance, but rather as a continuum that observes these deviations from normality at different levels, being It is expected that all studied abnormalities will be subject to optional non-conflicting descriptions, some of which will emphasize psychogenesis and others neurogenesis.^{[citation needed]}

Clinical Psychologist

Clinical psychologists are primarily interested in the diagnosis, cause, and treatment of psychological disorders, which range from mild to very severe. That is, the clinical psychologist makes maladjusted personality and behavior his field of study and, through the use of therapeutic procedures—mainly the various modalities of psychotherapy—try to change his environment in such a way that his psychic balance is restored. In this it differs from the related specialty of psychopathology, in its more practical orientation. In addition, most clinical psychologists are trained to carry out research, thus giving feedback to the psychopathological theories on which they are based. It is convenient to clarify that clinical psychologists are not authorized to prescribe drugs; however, in some states of the United States they have acquired this right, only after completing postgraduate training.^{[citation required]}

Clinical psychologists work in hospitals for mental disorders, institutions for the disabled, mental health clinics, prisons, and in private practice. They are also hired by Public Health, necessarily going through an opposition called PIR (Resident Internal Psychologist) and which offers a fairly small number of places.^{[citation required]}

To obtain the title of specialist in clinical psychology, in Spain it is necessary to have obtained the PIR title or accumulate the necessary experience and training required by the Ministry of Health.^{[required appointment ]}

Forensic Psychologist

Psychological counselor

These counseling psychologists, like the clinicians, perform—and interpret—psychological tests, interview and observe those who come to them for help, and give them practical advice for solving the problem that initially brought them up. They work primarily with adaptation problems that the "[normality|norm]]" person may suffer. Due to the nature of this professional orientation, those who mostly go to the psychological counselor are young people who suffer problems of educational, vocational or social adaptation, due to which in every college and university there is a service of psychological attention and guidance available to the student. ^{[citation required]}

Unlike clinical psychologists and psychopathologists, these psychologists are primarily interested in "normal" adjustment that most face at some point in life, such as stress caused by work, marital disputes, problems of uprooting and others. Typically, both clinical psychologists and counselors divide their time between caring for patients and researching the causes of psychological disorders and maladjustments and the effectiveness of different types of psychotherapy and counseling.^{[citation needed]}

Among the main professional opportunities for a psychologist, the following can be found:

• the clinic (private consultation or hospital: necessarily going through an opposition called PIR (Resident Internal Psychologist) and offering a small number of places; in 2009, 126 places at the national level;
• the health care (recently legalized and with competences similar to the PIR that are still to be better realized; it is accessed through the sanitary approval by complying with the Social Economy Act until 5 October 2014, or after that date, through the Official Master's Degree in General Health Psychology);
• (business, generally in human resources);
• research in the area of psychobiology and neurosciences;
• (schools and children ' s centres);
• neuropsychology (custodial rehabilitation centres);
• social intervention (e.g. in social services);
• There is also the possibility of engaging in research in universities or private laboratories.
• Recently, about 25 years old, a new branch of psychology was developed: legal psychology, a vertiente that incorporates all those professionals who dedicate themselves to conjugating the right with psychology. It understands the legal behavior of people. Within legal psychology, they find themselves:
  • psychology applied to work done in the courts;
  • Prison psychology;
  • the psychology of crime;
  • judicial psychology (testimony, jury);
  • Police and armed forces psychology;
  • victimology;
  • mediation.
• Also, the psychology of sport, the psychology of perception (very used in road safety) and the psychology of attention (used by air controllers, for example).^{[chuckles]required]}

Psychologist online (on line)

It is the psychology professional who performs his work online (that is, on the Internet, through the computer or cell phone), in videoconference.

• Perform sessions helping the patient wherever and whenever.
• Anonymous, in a safe and private context, for the patient to speak with total confidence.^{[chuckles]required]}

Professional deontology of the psychologist

The professional activity of the psychologist necessarily carries with it ethical implications, being subjected, therefore, to professional demands and obligations of a deontological nature. These moral considerations are normally agreed upon and disclosed by the professional associations of psychologists. In the preamble to the Statement on the Ethical Standards of the Psychological Profession, adopted by the American Psychological Association (APA), it is stated that:

The psychologist believes in the dignity and worth of the individual human being. He is committed to increasing the understanding that man has of himself and others. As this company proceeds, it seeks the psychological well-being of anyone who can seek its services or any subject, human or animal, who can be the subject of its study. It does not employ its position or professional relationships for purposes that do not agree with these values, nor should it allow that to happen when its own services are employed by others. While it demands freedom of investigation and communication for itself, it also accepts the responsibility conferred by this freedom: competencewhen he claims it; objectivityin the report of his findings, and consideration for the best interests of his colleagues and his society.

Some of the most outstanding ethical requirements by the professional associations of psychologists in Spain are the following:

• The intervention of the psychologist, either at the request of counsel of a person or by a society, implies full confidence, and demands that professional secrecy be countered.
• The intervention of the psychologist must never seek to obtain information or knowledge in order to obtain benefits on the subjects to which his services are provided.
• The ethical code of the psychologist always requires, as a ultimate objective, the service of the person, the search for his mental health and his mental balance.
• The psychologist can never impose his objectives, but help to discover them to the client subject of his intervention, since every subject is a free being.
• The psychologist cannot impose guidelines or rules of conduct on the subjects involved, because every subject, besides being free, is responsible for his actions.
• The psychologist should not help the subjects of his intervention to circumvent their responsibilities, but help them to be aware of them.
• In conflict situations in their professional work, such as, for example, dealing with the interests of a company for which it works, while it must be concerned about the interests of persons contracted by the company and of which it is also responsible, it must mainly serve the psychological benefit of the people.
• The psychologist must be aware of his own limits and shortcomings, both of his limitations and of the limits and gaps in his training, having a moral obligation to be up to date and to perfect his knowledge. He must never promise anything that he is not sure he can fulfill and must warn about his limitations whenever society asks him more than he can actually offer.
• The psychologist should not seek to enter into conflict with his colleagues, and in the event of their occurrence he should not seek to make it public and notorious, but to turn to the conciliatory role of the Professional College.
• The psychologist must avoid lowering or banalizing his profession with his actions or with the image that he offers to the public, especially when asked in public media to interpret events and behaviors or to illustrate certain psychological therapies. It must never offer a light picture of the psychological profession that confuses it with parapsychological practices of clairvoyance, spiritists and sensationalists without scientific psychological basis, activities that are undoubtedly not supported by professional colleges of psychologists.

Speech by the Professional Association of Psychologists (Spain)

The authority that must safeguard compliance with this professional deontology in Spain is the so-called Professional College of Psychologists. This institution is in charge of intervening in the event that a professional violates the ethical code to which professional psychological activity is bound, in addition to having certain obligations towards its affiliates:

• Professional colleges of psychologists should be vigilant and take action in the event that a psychologist suffers from personal imbalances affecting their professional exercise.
• They must intervene, following the guidelines of the deontological code, when conflicts and public scandals occur as a result of reports and diagnoses that interfere with the rights and interests of others, or conflict with reports issued by other psychology professionals, adopting the administrative processes they deem appropriate.
• They must denounce the practices of banalization and professional ambiguity in the exercise of psychology, as well as remind their affiliates of the responsibility to offer an adequate image of their profession.
• They have an obligation to remind the professionals of psychology of their responsibility to provide effective assistance, for which it is necessary to keep up to date their training and to avoid an ambush in the exercise of the psychological profession, since professional techniques are not unmovable. To this end, they must ensure that their affiliates receive a kind of continuous training, offering them a regular update of their theoretical and practical training.