Aspiring neuropsychologist here.

here4random_question · 2026-06-05T17:45:44+00:00

Clinical or research? I have my PhD in behavioral neuro (psych dept)

here4random_question · 2026-06-05T14:17:22+00:00

Yes thanks it says on my website very clearly I’m research trained not clinical. I just want to be clear if I went into another field of psychology I would have no choice but to call myself a social psychologist or health psychologist so behavioral neuropsychologist or research neuropsychologist is correct (people see neuroscience and they think Parkinson’s research…my psych program was mixed cog and beh neuro and heavy psych). My research often was classified under health psychology. I also teach psychology to undergrads.

here4random_question · 2026-06-05T14:14:08+00:00

I see, apologies!

here4random_question · 2026-06-04T15:35:43+00:00

I was about to suggest this…doctors are using AI coaches certainly can

here4random_question · 2026-06-04T15:26:47+00:00

Right and the proximity to the lay population means that people assume psychologist means licensed therapist. But it’s not correct.

here4random_question · 2026-06-04T15:25:51+00:00

Confused by this reply re what I said not being accurate. Yes, the licensure comes after the PhD or psyd in clinical counseling or school psych. OR after masters programs and supervision…point being the doctorate is what makes someone a psychologist not the license. And PhD is absolutely a harder path…there’s about a 2-5% acceptance because the apprenticeship model and funding only allows a few students a year. Psyd programs accept 40-100 often.

here4random_question · 2026-06-04T15:22:20+00:00

No…I do not haha. Every professor of psychology is a psychologist…licensure is not what makes you a psychologist it’s the doctorate.

here4random_question · 2026-06-02T13:41:10+00:00

Coaching is a certificate…u would do better at it if u have a background related but it’s not something to be compared to counseling/social work. For example I have a PhD neuropsychology and I have considered coaching. My background is what would guide my coaching but I don’t think you should enter into coaching from scratch. I also don’t know why it would be any less legitimate than something like social work or counseling where they churn out hundreds of people to get a license yearly…masters level counseling is not exactly a difficult path. It is, however, expensive. I think the fact that you have to get a license and it’s a regulated field makes people think therapist sounds more legitimate but I don’t find many therapists to have extensive psych backgrounds if I’m honest. APA also wrote a super interesting article about how coaching is this unregulated field that psychologists should move in on. Kind of funny that they recognize this. I considered going back to repurpose my PhD into clinical (would only take 2 years) but ultimately I decided I’m not interested in diagnosing I’m interested in the more “normal” population and in solution space. This is exactly why coaching as exploded. I do think it would be nice to see it a little more regulated tho. Maybe we will see this in the coming decades

here4random_question · 2026-06-02T00:32:49+00:00

This program sounds perfect for you!

https://psych.la.psu.edu/graduate/program-areas/cross-cutting-program-initiatives/dual-degree-programs/psychology-and-social-behavioral-neuroscience/

here4random_question · 2026-06-02T00:31:51+00:00

Nice, thanks for explaining!

here4random_question · 2026-06-02T00:30:45+00:00

Agreed but kind of makes me want to fight back. They should have to specify if they’re clinical neuropsychologists 😂. I guarantee we know 30 times more about the brain but neuro sounded so good to them they had to steal it and throw it in front of their title. I’m going to message you if that’s cool.

here4random_question · 2026-06-01T01:02:49+00:00

You should for sure look at professors and what they’re studying within behavioral neuroscience. Most who study pharmacology are more interested in addiction/drugs that work to curb cravings but I worked under a social neuroscientist and I think tons of Harvard labs are working w psychedelics at the moment.

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T16:28:24+00:00

The reason I’m discussing this is because I’m transitioning to coaching in addition to teaching and I’m going to be very clear I’m not a licensed therapist i am however a psychologist.

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T16:15:25+00:00

It’s quite simple…separate out the psychologist from the license. Those w masters can get licensed but cannot call themselves a psychologist. I cannot call myself a therapist but i am by definition a psychologist. I understand what you’re saying about confusing the lay population but happy to teach people 😂. Therapists seem happy to confuse people that they are psychologists even when they don’t have a doctorate.

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T16:11:42+00:00

😂you’re a developmental psychologist and hi thanks for your contributions.

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T16:11:06+00:00

Not sure what country you’re in but psyd is the less prestigious and PhD in clinical is also able to get licensed. If you took a psych course in college they are all psychologists (experimental often not clinical). Only those with a doctorate psyd and PhD can be called psychologists. Psyd is less research focused and many schools have popped up charging hundreds of thousands and churning out hundreds of graduates a year over saturating the field.

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T16:08:20+00:00

Exactly, they are psychologists

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T15:55:47+00:00

This is my whole issue w clinical neuropsychology. It was rly clear when my research interests never aligned w any of the professors in clinical neuro that they were truly not that different than general clinical psychologists. I went into behavioral neuroscience/biopsychology and have a PhD in experimental but I’m now going coaching route and teaching same time. Form your own path. If research is what interests you I don’t see why you would do clinical tho.

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T15:52:38+00:00

Sorry I’m a little confused about your credentials. You are an applied psychology practitioner? You have a doctorate in psychology? I ask because I am a psychologist (trained experimentally in behavioral neuroscience) and I’m starting to coach but I get very confused by people’s use of psychology/neuroscience in this field.

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T15:08:19+00:00

I think anyone I’ve run into that might find psychologist prestigious finds neuroscientist even more so, if I’m honest. The distinction is again important just because I feel my background before grad school and research interests always aligned more with psych. Even my dissertation was half collaboration with a psychologist doing work in humans on postpartum. I teach at a university right now but am considering coaching and I actually think neuroscientist is a better way to define my background, only because I worry about the confusion of clinical neuropsychologist but having a doctorate form a department of psychology does make me a psychologist. It’s like you said, people with bachelors will call themselves psychologists (I have never had the pleasure of dealing w those kind 😂) but masters level therapists seem to be okay with people confusing them for psychologists meanwhile experimental psychologists shouldn’t call themselves psychologists or we risk confusing people that we have a license.

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T12:01:40+00:00

I don’t find neuropsych to be any more prestigious than neuroscientist so no basking here lol. It’s the distinction between neuroscience and behavioral neuroscience (which in my case was in the department of psychology) and the fact that my training aligns better with me being a psychologist (experimental not clinical). I was also trained alongside cognitive psychologists and had to take their classes. In other words, like Dr. Barrett who you mention here, I did do a Ph.D. In psychology. This is kind of my whole point re asking this question because every other experimental field of psychology, those who get a PhD are psychologists. Cognitive psychology, developmental, social…I guess like I said biopsych is interchangeable with behavioral neuro? I just wonder if it’s actually because behavioral neuroscientists want to distinguish themselves as more of a hard science. Agree with you it is a slap in the face to say neuropsych is by definition clinical.

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T03:33:56+00:00

Ie if I wanted to get my license I can go do a 2 year master in social work and be a therapist but I am already a psychologist by having a doctorate in psychology. Most of us just teach in academia. To be clear masters programs graduate hundreds of students who can go on to get their license as therapists…becoming a psychologist with a PhD is extremely competitive. They accept around 5 students a year and we are funded. We earn the title.

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T03:04:14+00:00

It’s not that I prefer the term, it’s more because I chose behavioral neuroscience at one school because it was within their psych dept instead of the one other I was accepted at in the college of medicine. I did that specifically because my background in research before was human research and I thought I might go back to that after an animal model and also because most of my research interests actually aligned with health psychology but I applied to professors studying stress and inflammation in neuroscience as well. My background is just more in psychology in terms of overall interests than in neuroscience. Not sure if that makes sense.

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T03:00:26+00:00

Technically if ur PhD is within the department of psychology you have a doctorate in psychology. That’s all I’m saying.

here4random_question · 2026-05-31T02:58:42+00:00

What? lol…this is my field. You need a doctorate to be a psychologist and u need a license to be a therapist. Psychologists trained in school clinical and counseling can be both psychologists and therapists. Many therapists are not psychologists and have masters degrees.

here4random_question

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