Health psychologist

(Original post by Ag1212)
Could I have some more information on becoming a health psychologist? And what is it like to be a health psychologist? Do you get to do a lot of research?

(Original post by National Careers Service)
Hi there,

Health psychologists tend to work in a healthcare setting with patients and their families and, to get to this point, you'll need a psychology degree, followed by a master's and, if you want good career progression, a doctorate. What it's like on a day to day basis depends on the setting and the patients but generally you'll be trying to promote a healthy lifestyle and supporting their wellbeing and, in certain cases, the management of conditions and their related pains and symptoms.

Many health psychologists, once their qualified to doctorate level and have some experience, can choose to do research as part of their professional development and may stop practising while doing so, but that's a personal decision at the time. People who are more interested in the research side of things may stop practising altogether and go into higher education, teaching and researching at a university.

Here's the job profile for this role on the Prospects website, it outlines key information about the role including responsibilities, skills, qualifications and salary, you might find it useful reading prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/health-psychologist

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks, Mark