Yes, to become a licensed psychologist and practice independently, you typically need a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree in psychology. These doctoral degrees require several years of graduate study and research, focusing on advanced coursework in psychology, supervised clinical training, and a dissertation or research project.
The two primary types of doctoral degrees in psychology are:
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy): PhD programs in psychology often emphasize research and academic scholarship. Graduates from PhD programs are trained to conduct research, contribute to the field's theoretical knowledge, and often pursue careers in academia, research institutions, or clinical practice.
PsyD (Doctor of Psychology): PsyD programs are more practice-oriented and focus on training psychologists to provide direct clinical services to individuals and communities. These programs often involve more clinical training hours compared to PhD programs and are designed to produce practitioners rather than researchers.
After completing their doctoral degree, aspiring psychologists typically need to fulfill postdoctoral supervised experience requirements and pass licensing exams specific to their jurisdiction to become licensed psychologists.
It's worth noting that there are other career paths in psychology that may not require a PhD, such as becoming a psychological associate or assistant under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. However, to practice independently and be officially recognized as a psychologist, a PhD or PsyD is generally required.