psychologist

A psychologist is a mental health professional trained in the areas of human behavior, psychological health, personality, and how people think, feel and behave. Licensing laws in all 50 states allow only those with specific qualifications to call themselves psychologists. Qualifications vary, but the person must hold at least a master's degree, or in some states a doctorate degree, from an accredited graduate program. A certain amount of supervised experience is also required, and the person must pass a standard exam before practicing independently. Many psychologists choose to specialize in a particular area such as children and adolescents, research, counseling, or industrial and organizational psychology.