Matters of the mind

Psychology has evolved multifold from the days of couch therapy and psycho analysis to the very new forensic psychology and behaviour analysis. In earlier times, people who would opt for psychology would only get to work in mental health sectors as a clinical psychologist or a counseling psychologist. But in the current times, there are greater opportunities for students who are interested to pursue psychological studies. Some of the sub-fields under psychology are listed below:

Clinical psychology: Here the focus is on assessment and intervention for psychological issues. Post graduation and MPhil from an Rehabilitation Council of India registered institution will be required to practice as a clinical psychologist. One can work in hospitals, organisations that work in the field of mental health or even practice independently.

Counselling psychology: These days, there is a lot of emphasis on mental health and therefore, almost all schools and colleges hire psychologist/ counselor to deal with the emotional issues of their students. Those with a master’s in counselling psychology or in applied psychology can therefore work in schools, colleges, NGOs, hospitals and even start their own counselling centre.

Industrial/ organisational psychology: This specialisation focuses on workplace mental health. One can work in organisations supporting HR department in employee assistance programmes.

Health psychology: Here the focus is on counselling, intervention in hospitals and healthcare set ups. As there are a lot of lifestyle related issues and illnesses there is a growing scope for health psychology.

Neuropsychology: This specialisation involves the study of relationship between our behaviour and the brain as well as the nervous system functions. After specialisation one can work in neuro clinics and trauma hospitals apart from neurology and psychiatry departments.

Cognitive psychology: Cognitive psychologists are involved in the development of cognitive functions such as attention, concentration, memory and executive functions, and generally work in hospitals and cognitive labs.

Sports psychology: These psychologists work with sports persons and their role is to maintain the team cohesiveness as well as the players’ mental health.

Education psychology: These specialists work with educational institutes towards effective teaching and learning strategies.

Developmental psychology: Here the focus is on the overall development of individuals.

Experimental psychology: This sub-field deals with lab-based experiments involving animal and human behaviour in specific situations or circumstances.

Forensic psychology: It is a fascinating and upcoming sub-field of psychology, and involves the application of psychological principles in the legal system. One can be a part of legal system, correctional facilities and in investigative agencies.

(The author is a professor of psychology)