Burning Question and Need Help!

[FutureDrGina]

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So I have received some mixed information and need some clarification. Is it true that you an only call yourself a psychologist if you have graduated from a clinical, counseling, school, or combined program (so can't call yourself a psychologist if graduate from doctorate health psychology program) (other requirements of course include supervised experience and licensure exams along with graduating from the above four programs)? So if I choose to attend the Health Psychology program at University of Miami, I will never be able to call myself a psychologist?

Thank you for the help!🙂

 

[Annakei]

So I have received some mixed information and need some clarification. Is it true that you an only call yourself a psychologist if you have graduated from a clinical, counseling, school, or combined program (so can't call yourself a psychologist if graduate from doctorate health psychology program) (other requirements of course include supervised experience and licensure exams along with graduating from the above four programs)? So if I choose to attend the Health Psychology program at University of Miami, I will never be able to call myself a psychologist?

Thank you for the help!🙂

Will you be licensed as a psychologist after your program? If so, then yes you will be able to. Keep in mind that certain boards have legally protected terms such as therapist, psychologist, counselor etc But one is only able to call themselves the above-mentioned if licensed in that field.

Hope that helps.

 

[water808]

So I have received some mixed information and need some clarification. Is it true that you an only call yourself a psychologist if you have graduated from a clinical, counseling, school, or combined program (so can't call yourself a psychologist if graduate from doctorate health psychology program) (other requirements of course include supervised experience and licensure exams along with graduating from the above four programs)? So if I choose to attend the Health Psychology program at University of Miami, I will never be able to call myself a psychologist?

Thank you for the help!🙂

Univ of Miami has 3 tracks in the Health Division -- 1 clinical and 2 non-clinical. If it's the Health Clinical Psychology Track, then it is an APA-accredited clinical program, with the required internship and all. In this case, you'd be a clinical psychologist upon completion of the program.

From my understanding, there is no PhD in "Health Psychology;" they're typically a specialty in either a clinical or experimental PhD program. Miami also awards the PhD in Behavioral Medicine and Behavioral Neuroscience, neither of which are psych programs per say.

 

[deleted176373]

Wow, from the title, I thought it was gonna be a question about gonorrhea. Whew!

Seriously, you have some good answers there... If it is a clinical psychology program and you qualify for licensure after completion, you're a psychologist. There are also some exempted settings in which (I believe, like academia) where psychologists can retain the title of psychologist without licensure.

http://www.siop.org/tip/jan09/17silzer.aspx

"Title Law—Laws, statutes, rules, and/or regulations that refer to the public use of any title or description of services incorporating the words “psychology,” “psychological,” or “psychologist,” or claims to be trained, experienced, or an expert in the field of psychology and offers to engage or engages in the practice of psychology for any person for a fee. Title use laws vary from state to state."

So it varies by state etc.

Mark