The secret of American psychologists' success is in personally creating demand for their services.
In the USA, mental healers are divided into psychiatrists, psychologists (psychologists), counselors (counselors), and social workers (social workers). Alongside them, there is a mass of healers not falling under classification, who are by no means charlatans.
An American psychologist holds a doctoral degree in philosophy or in psychology in one of 50 psychological disciplines. This is the level of our candidate of sciences. They conduct research, write books, teach students. A bachelor's or master's degree will at most allow one to take a position as an assistant. Before obtaining a license, one must practice as an assistant for a couple of years. The right to work as a psychoanalyst is granted after 8-10 years of additional training.
In the USA, 25% of specialists are engaged in private practice. They open offices or cooperate with colleagues, and sometimes with regular doctors. Here we can also find similar free artists, but the majority work under an employment contract. Abroad, about 10% of specialists are in public service (hospitals, clinics, prisons). The number of university graduates exceeds the population's need for their services, so many move into related fields. A psychologist in America earns more than a teacher but less than a doctor.
Slightly lower in status are counselors – advisors or consultants. They are twice as numerous as psychologists. To work as a counselor, one needs a master's degree, one year as an assistant, and certification. Each has their own specialization – some work with elementary school students, others with high school students. The duties of counselors working with the disabled include treating depression and stress related to their injuries, solving professional and personal problems.
The third group, mental health counselors, serves dependent patients – alcoholics, drug addicts, etc. There are also gerontologists, multiculturalists, geneticists. The salary of counselors is about the same as that of teachers.
The duties of social workers do not include treatment or diagnosis. They protect the interests of people in difficult situations – during floods, disability, infringement of the rights of minors, etc. Social workers earn somewhat less than teachers.
A distinctive feature of American psychological science is that psychologists themselves have been involved in popularizing the field. Even today, many specialists appear on radio and television, write books. Most radio stations have a program during which any caller receives psychological help. The secret of American psychologists' success is in personally creating demand for their services.
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