- A Clinical Psychologist is a healthcare professional trained to assess, understand and support people with psychological difficulties, neurological and mental health conditions
- Clinical Psychologists are different from psychiatrists: while psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medication and focus on the medical aspects of mental health, clinical psychologists specialise in psychological therapies and assessment, working through talking therapies rather than medication
- Clinical Psychologists also differ from counsellors: counsellors typically have shorter training and work with everyday emotional difficulties and life challenges, whereas clinical psychologists have doctoral-level training and are qualified to work with more complex psychological difficulties and severe mental health conditions. Clinical psychologists can also conduct formal psychological and neuropsychological assessments, which counsellors are not trained to do.
- When working with people who have neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or brain injury, clinical psychologists help with the emotional and psychological challenges that can accompany these diagnoses, such as low mood, anxiety, adjustment difficulties, or changes in thinking and memory
- A key skill is neuropsychological assessment, where clinical psychologists conduct detailed evaluations of cognitive abilities including memory, attention, problem-solving and planning skills, helping to identify specific difficulties and recommend strategies or accommodations
- Clinical psychologists work closely with other healthcare professionals as part of multidisciplinary teams to provide holistic care, often working with the family and/or carers as well as with the person themself
