Education Requirements
The American Board of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (ABCCAP) states that you must earn a professional doctoral degree in psychology, such as a Doctor of Psychology, to become a child psychologist (www.clinicalchildpsychology.com). These doctoral degree programs typically include a combination of clinical hours and studies in social psychology, personality, stress, psychopharmacology and human development, and you'll have to write and defend a dissertation. You may also be able to select a specialization, such as clinical psychology. You must also take courses that pertain to children and adolescents and complete an internship that has to do with clinical child and adolescent training, according to the ABCCAP.
After you earn your doctoral degree, you must obtain licensure in your state to practice psychology. Although some requirements vary by state, you must start by earning a doctoral degree, obtaining 1-2 years of supervised experience and taking the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, according to the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (www.asppb.net). To earn your specialty in child psychology, your experience must pertain to children and adolescents and you need to complete a post-doctoral residency program. After you've met the requirements, you can take the board certification examination, which consists of a review of your credentials, a samples review and an oral examination, according to the ABCCAP.
Specializations
Within the field of child psychology, you can also tailor your career by becoming a general, developmental or abnormal child psychologist, according to Psychology Career Center.org. You could also pursue a career as an adolescent psychologist. These specializations will influence the cases you take and the children you work with.
Job Postings from Real Employers
Child psychologists are necessary to help children who are having difficulties in school, at home or adjusting to life issues. Many job postings for child psychologists are for licensed psychologists and include working with children or adolescents in different settings. The following are some samples of job postings for psychologists that involve working with children from November of 2012:
- A healthcare facility in Hartford, Connecticut, wanted to hire a clinical psychologist to work primarily with children and adolescents to provide treatment for anxiety and mood-related issues, conduct related research and write proposals. The employer prefers candidates who are able to treat ADHD and personality disorders and who have a doctoral degree in clinical psychology.
- An allied health services company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was looking for a licensed psychologist who could provide cognitive, behavioral and socio-emotional assessments of children and adolescents. The employer preferred someone who had strong documentation and communication skills, a doctoral degree and the ability to meet children's physical, social, intellectual and emotional needs.
- A nonprofit family services organization in Sea Cliff, New York, searched for a psychologist who is able to work with special needs children. The ideal candidate would be a licensed psychologist who has experience working with autistic children, is behavior-oriented, can handle anger management problems and holds a master's or doctoral degree.
