How to Become a Health Psychologist
A health psychologist specializes in the relationship between a person's physical and psychological health. Health psychologists work in such settings as medical centers, universities, corporations, consulting firms, and government agencies. Some health psychologists (applied health psychologists) are licensed to provide such clinical services to clients as smoking cessation or coping with an illness. These psychologists usually have additional training in clinical psychology or counseling psychology. The education required to be a health psychologist is extensive and typically requires a doctoral degree.
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Instructions
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Major in psychology in college and obtain good mathematical and writing skills.
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Volunteer or get a job working in a professor's research laboratory or with another type of health project while you are an undergraduate. Research experiences related to health are crucial to writing a strong personal statement when applying to graduate school.
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Research graduate programs in health psychology during your junior year. If you have a particular health interest, such as chronic pain, investigate graduate programs that describe a strong research program in that area. Select graduate programs that have clinical psychology or counseling psychology training if you wish to be an applied health psychologist.
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Prepare applications for graduate programs in health psychology during the summer and fall of your senior year. This task will involve writing personal statements, and gathering college transcripts, GRE scores and letters of recommendation from your professors.
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Submit applications to graduate school in the fall of your senior year. Prepare for any interviews by practicing with your professors or co-workers. Be prepared to describe your health-related research or clinical interests during interviews.
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Attend psychology graduate school for four or more years. You may have to complete a master's thesis and a doctoral dissertation on a health-related topic. Typically, you will be matched with a mentor or adviser who will help guide your research.
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Apply for a clinical or counseling internship if you wish to be a licensed psychologist who provides services to clients. Complete a standardized form for each internship site and submit the application package to the site. Interview at sites that select you and rank your internship preferences.
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Complete all state requirements to obtain your license after completing graduate school. These vary by state and may include taking such exams as the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology and practicing under the supervision of another psychologist.
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Obtain additional training through a post-doctoral program if you wish to be an academic researcher or need to complete licensure practice requirements. The application process for health psychologist jobs varies by organization, but often requires personal statements, transcripts, a curriculum vitae or resume, letters of recommendation and examples of your publications.
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Tips & Warnings
Get advice in this process from other psychologists or professors who have completed the steps.
Use the "APA Monitor," a publication of the American Psychological Association, to search for potential jobs.
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