Clinical and counseling psychologists diagnose and treat mental health conditions by talking with clients, understanding their problems, and helping them develop coping strategies. You'll need a doctoral degree and extensive preparation, but you can make a real difference in people's lives.
Pathly builds you a free, personalized roadmap and helps your counselor champion you along the way.
Clinical and counseling psychologists work directly with people to assess, diagnose, and treat psychological and emotional issues. You'll conduct interviews and assessments, listen carefully to understand each client's situation, and develop treatment plans tailored to their needs. Your days involve documenting client progress, staying current with research and best practices, and making decisions about the best therapeutic approaches. You might work in private practice, hospitals, clinics, schools, or community mental health centers. The work requires strong communication skills and the ability to build trust with people who are often vulnerable or in crisis.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists earn a median of $100,580 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is strong. Employment is projected to grow 11 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than average for all occupations, with about 4,800 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
This career requires a doctoral degree in psychology or a related field, which typically takes five to seven years of graduate study after your bachelor's degree. During your doctoral program, you'll complete coursework in therapy, counseling, psychology, and research methods, along with supervised clinical experience. Many programs include a doctoral internship where you work under supervision in a real clinical setting. After earning your degree, you'll need to meet licensing requirements in your state, which may include passing an exam and completing additional supervised hours. Starting early with psychology courses and volunteer experience in mental health settings can help you prepare for graduate school.
Most paths to this career involve completing a bachelor's degree first, then applying to doctoral programs, so the timeline is substantial. Understanding your options and building a plan that fits your goals makes the journey clearer, so explore Pathly can map the clinical and counseling psychologist path that fits you with your counselor to map out the steps ahead.
Many clinical and counseling psychologists must be licensed, and professional certifications can strengthen your resume.
Common certifications
Licensing is handled at the state level and the requirements vary, so check the licensing board in your state. Pathly shows your state's specific steps inside your roadmap.
You're drawn to work that centers on understanding people, building relationships, and helping others solve problems. This career suits people who are naturally curious about human behavior and motivated by the chance to support others through difficult times.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
Start with a quick quiz and assessments that surface your personality, your EQ, and what really motivates you, so your next steps are built around who you actually are.
Your free AI guide weighs this career against your strengths and goals, and surfaces the colleges, trades, and scholarships that match, so you know if it truly fits before you commit.
Get a personalized, step-by-step plan to reach this career, with the training, coursework, and credentials tracked in one place. Link your school or IEC and your counselor in the loop.
Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).