| What You Should Know About Psychologists and Their Services* What is a psychologist? A psychologist is a health care professional who diagnoses and treats mental, nervous, emotional, and behavioral disorders and ailments. Psychologists’ practices also include industrial/organizational psychology, research, and teaching.
In providing services to individuals, organizations, and the public, psychologists apply principles, methods or procedures of understanding, predicting or influencing behavior.
Who may use the terms "psychologist," "psychological," or "psychology" alone or in combination with other words and phrases?
Only a licensed psychologist or a person working in an "exempt setting" may use these titles and terms. Exempt settings include chartered schools, settings operated by the government, and most colleges and universities. Students who are working in settings as part of their authorized doctoral program may have titles such as "psychologist-in-training" or "psychology intern."
"Assistant psychologists," who have a doctoral degree and are completing a two-year period of experience supervised by a qualified psychologist, may also use these terms.
Psychotherapists are not necessarily licensed as psychologists in New York.
What credentials do New York psychologists have?
New York psychologists have earned a doctoral degree in psychology from a program registered or accepted as equivalent by the New York State Education Department. Psychologists with doctoral degrees with the letters Ph.D., Psy.D. and Ed.D. all have met the same educational requirements. In addition, New York psychologists have completed two years of supervised experience, including one year after the doctoral degree. They have also passed a national licensing exam.
* Office of the Professions, NYS Education Department |