Will AI replace clinical psychologist jobs?

The AI disruption score for clinical psychologist is 11/100 (very low risk). Some tasks may be automated but the role will evolve rather than disappear entirely.

Public Administration & LegalLegal, social and cultural professionalsISCO 2634

clinical psychologist

Q: What skills does a clinical psychologist need?

A clinical psychologist needs 95 essential skills including clinical reports, counselling methods, conditions for professional practice of clinical psychology, psychological diagnostics, creation of clinical psychological opinions. Core competencies include .

Clinical psychologists diagnose, rehabilitate, and support individuals affected by mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders and problems as well as mental changes and pathogenic conditions through use of cognitive tools and appropriate intervention. They use clinical psychological resources on the basis of psychological science, its findings, theories, methods, and techniques for the investigation, interpretation, and prediction of human experience and behaviour.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (95)

clinical reportsclinical reportsThe methods, assessment practices, credentials and opinions gathering procedures necessary for writing clinical reports.counselling methodscounselling methodsCounselling techniques used in different settings and with various groups and individuals, especially concerning methods of supervision and mediation in the counselling process.conditions for professional practice of clinical psychologyconditions for professional practice of clinical psychologyThe institutional, legal and psychosocial conditions for professional practice of clinical psychology with the aim to apply them in the exercise of the psychological profession in health care.psychological diagnosticspsychological diagnosticsThe psychological diagnostics strategies, methods and techniques concerning health-related experiences and behaviours as well as mental disorders.creation of clinical psychological opinionscreation of clinical psychological opinionsThe development of opinions based on specialised literature and evidence-based documentation in the field of clinical psychology.expert services in clinical psychologyexpert services in clinical psychologyBody of services provided in the clinical psychology field such as psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy.diagnosis of mental health issuesdiagnosis of mental health issuesThe diagnosis of mental health issues such as disorders or illnesses, and psychological factors in other diseases within different issues and different age groups.health care occupation-specific ethicshealth care occupation-specific ethicsThe moral standards and procedures, ethical questions and obligations specific to occupations in a health care setting such as respect for human dignity, self-determination, informed consent and patie...consultationconsultationThe theories, methods and concepts related to consultation and communication with clients.neurologyneurologyNeurology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.psychopharmacologypsychopharmacologyThe awareness of various effects that medicines have on the patient or client's behaviour, mood and thinking.drug interaction managementdrug interaction managementThe managerial activities related to patient`s interaction with the medical treatment provided.multi-professional cooperation in health caremulti-professional cooperation in health careThe way to behave during team meetings, visits and meetings in multi-professional cooperation especially with other health professionals.history of patient's psychotherapeutic problemshistory of patient's psychotherapeutic problemsThe records of the patient`s previous psychotherapeutic problems or disorders.emergency psychologyemergency psychologyThe methods used for coping with trauma or disasters.scientific literaturescientific literatureThe medium of informing the scientific community, including academic researchers, about the results of scientific research. It constitutes a permanent and cumulative collection of all the findings of ...health psychologyhealth psychologyThe development, implementations and evaluation of health psychological concepts.clinical psychological treatmentclinical psychological treatmentTreatment methods and intervention strategies used in clinical psychology, such as the treatment of persons with mental illnesses and disorders in different settings, with different clinical symptoms ...crisis interventioncrisis interventionCoping strategies in crisis cases which allow individuals to overcome their problems or fears and avoid psychological distress and breakdown.therapy in health caretherapy in health careThe principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions.evaluation of psychological performanceevaluation of psychological performanceThe characteristics of the methods used to assess psychological parameters.primary careprimary careThe regular, routine medical care provided to patients, usually performed by a physician or a nurse, that leads to a decision on the following course of action required to solve the health problem of ...psychological interventionspsychological interventionsThe characteristics of the methods and procedures meant to instigate change in human behaviour.psychologypsychologyThe human behaviour and performance with individual differences in ability, personality, interests, learning, and motivation.methods of differential diagnosismethods of differential diagnosisThe procedures used to differentiate between conditions having similar symptoms.psychopathologypsychopathologyThe criteria of psychiatric diagnoses, the use of the disease classification system, and the theories of psychopathology. The indicators of functional and organic disorders and the types of psychophar...psychological treatment measurespsychological treatment measuresThe psychological treatment measures for persons of all ages and groups, with the aim of improving treatment skills and the provisions of trans-cultural and gender aspects.psychological healthcare servicespsychological healthcare servicesThe characteristics of the psychological healthcare services in the inpatient and outpatient sector.first aidfirst aidThe emergency treatment given to a sick or injured person in the case of circulatory and/or respiratory failure, unconsciousness, wounds, bleeding, shock or poisoning.psychiatrypsychiatryPsychiatry is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.respond to changing situations in health carerespond to changing situations in health careCope with pressure and respond appropriately and in time to unexpected and rapidly changing situations in healthcare.prescribe psychotherapeutic treatmentprescribe psychotherapeutic treatmentPrescribe, direct, and administer psychotherapeutic treatments or medications to treat disorders of a mental, emotional, or behavioural nature.educate on the prevention of illnesseducate on the prevention of illnessOffer evidence-based advice on how to avoid ill health, educate and advise individuals and their carers on how to prevent ill health and/or be able to advise how to improve their environment and healt...inform policy makers on health-related challengesinform policy makers on health-related challengesProvide useful information related to health care professions to ensure policy decisions are made in the benefit of communities.employ cognitive behaviour treatment techniquesemploy cognitive behaviour treatment techniquesEmploy cognitive behavioural treatment techniques for those whose treatment involves cognitive re-training, addressing dysfunctional emotions, maladaptive behaviours and cognitive processes and conten...use clinical assessment techniquesuse clinical assessment techniquesUse clinical reasoning techniques and clinical judgement when applying a range of appropriate assessment techniques, such as mental status assessment, diagnosis, dynamic formulation, and potential tre...manage psychotherapeutic relationshipsmanage psychotherapeutic relationshipsEstablish, manage and maintain the therapeutic relationship between psychotherapist and patient and client in a safe, respectful and effective way. Establish a working alliance and self-awareness in t...apply psychological intervention strategiesapply psychological intervention strategiesUse various intervention strategies to treat patients in clinical psychology.use e-health and mobile health technologiesuse e-health and mobile health technologiesUse mobile health technologies and e-health (online applications and services) in order to enhance the provided healthcare.empathise with the healthcare userempathise with the healthcare userUnderstand the background of clients` and patients’ symptoms, difficulties and behaviour. Be empathetic about their issues; showing respect and reinforcing their autonomy, self-esteem and independence...provide clinical psychological assessmentprovide clinical psychological assessmentProvide clinical psychological assessment in relation to health and health-related and health-conditioned behaviour and experience, as well as clinical disease patterns and their impact on the human e...record healthcare users' progress related to treatmentrecord healthcare users' progress related to treatmentRecord the healthcare user's progress in response to treatment by observing, listening and measuring outcomes.test for emotional patternstest for emotional patternsDiscern patterns in the emotions of individuals by using various tests in order to understand the causes of these emotions.provide a psychotherapeutic environmentprovide a psychotherapeutic environmentCreate and maintain a suitable environment for the psychotherapy to take place, making sure the space is safe, welcoming, consistent with the ethos of the psychotherapy, and meeting the needs of the p...provide testimony in court hearingsprovide testimony in court hearingsProvide testimony in court hearings regarding a variety of social matters and other events.formulate a case conceptualisation model for therapyformulate a case conceptualisation model for therapyCompose an individualised treatment plan in collaboration with the individual, striving to match his or her needs, situation, and treatment goals to maximise the probability of therapeutic gain and co...respond to healthcare users' extreme emotionsrespond to healthcare users' extreme emotionsReact accordingly when a healthcare user becomes hyper-manic, panicky, extremely distressed, agressive, violent, or suicidal, following appropriate training if working in contexts where patients go th...manage healthcare users' datamanage healthcare users' dataKeep accurate client records which also satisfy legal and professional standards and ethical obligations in order to facilitate client management, ensuring that all clients' data (including verbal, wr...deal with emergency care situationsdeal with emergency care situationsAssess the signs and be well-prepared for a situation that poses an immediate threat to a person's health, security, property or environment.provide clinical psychological support in crisis situationsprovide clinical psychological support in crisis situationsOffer psychological support and emotional guidance to patients facing crises situations.help healthcare users develop social perceptivenesshelp healthcare users develop social perceptivenessProvide strategies and support to healthcare users with social difficulties. Help them understanding others` verbal and non-verbal behaviour and actions. Support them in developing better self-confide...use psychotherapeutic interventionsuse psychotherapeutic interventionsUse psychotherapeutic interventions suited to the different stages of treatment.work with patterns of psychological behaviourwork with patterns of psychological behaviourWork with the patterns of a patient or client's psychological behaviour, which may be outside of their conscious awareness, such as non-verbal and pre-verbal patterns, clinical processes of defence me...provide health educationprovide health educationProvide evidence based strategies to promote healthy living, disease prevention and management.conduct psychological assessementconduct psychological assessementAssess patient`s behaviour and needs via observation and tailored interviews, administering and interpreting psychometric and idiosyncratic assessments.diagnose mental disordersdiagnose mental disordersFormulate a diagnosis for people with a variety of issues and mental disorders, ranging from short-term personal and emotional problems to severe, chronic mental conditions, recognising and critically...test for behavioural patternstest for behavioural patternsDiscern patterns in the behaviour of individuals by using various tests in order to understand the causes of their behaviour.identify mental health issuesidentify mental health issuesRecognise and critically evaluate any possible mental health/illness issues.diagnose psychiatric symptomsdiagnose psychiatric symptomsRecognise and diagnose the common medical, neurologic and primary psychiatric symptoms such as delirium, dementia, violent episodes, self-injurious behavior, etc.handle patient traumahandle patient traumaAssess the competences, needs, and limitations of people affected by trauma, referring the patients to specialised trauma services where appropriate.advise on healthcare users' informed consentadvise on healthcare users' informed consentEnsure patients/clients are fully informed about the risks and benefits of proposed treatments so they can give informed consent, engaging patients/clients in the process of their care and treatment.use psychoeducationuse psychoeducationWork with patients and their families through psychoeducation.evaluate clinical psychological measuresevaluate clinical psychological measuresEvaluate the provided clinical psychological measures in order to assess their impact and their outcomes taking into account the patients` feedback.work on psychosomatic issueswork on psychosomatic issuesWork with body and mind issues such as the spectrum of human sexuality and psychosomatic ailments.interpret psychological testsinterpret psychological testsInterpret psychological tests in order to obtain information on patients' intelligence, achievements, interests, and personality.comply with quality standards related to healthcare practicecomply with quality standards related to healthcare practiceApply quality standards related to risk management, safety procedures, patients feedback, screening and medical devices in daily practice, as they are recognized by the national professional associati...comply with legislation related to health carecomply with legislation related to health careComply with the regional and national health legislation which regulates relations between suppliers, payers, vendors of the healthcare industry and patients, and the delivery of healthcare services.listen activelylisten activelyGive attention to what other people say, patiently understand points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times; able to listen carefully the needs of cus...adhere to organisational guidelinesadhere to organisational guidelinesAdhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly.counsel clientscounsel clientsAssist and guide clients to overcome their personal, social, or psychological issues.monitor therapeutic progressmonitor therapeutic progressMonitor therapeutic progress and modify treatment according to each patient's condition.perform therapy sessionsperform therapy sessionsWork in sessions with individuals or groups to deliver therapy in a controlled environment.work in a multicultural environment in health carework in a multicultural environment in health careInteract, relate and communicate with individuals from a variety of different cultures, when working in a healthcare environment.provide psychological interventions to chronically ill personsprovide psychological interventions to chronically ill personsProvide psychological interventions to patients and their family members associated with chronic illnesses such as cancer and diabetes. Intervention and treatments may include management of pain, stre...record the outcome of psychotherapyrecord the outcome of psychotherapyKeep track of and record the process and results of the treatment used in the psychotherapy process.promote inclusionpromote inclusionPromote and respect diversity, and advocate for equal treatment of genders, ethnicities and minority groups in organisations in order to prevent discrimination and ensure inclusion and a positive envi...support patients to understand their conditionssupport patients to understand their conditionsFacilitate the process of self-discovery for the healthcare user, helping them to learn about their condition and become more aware of and in control of moods, feelings, thoughts, behaviour, and their...provide clinical psychological counsellingprovide clinical psychological counsellingProvide clinical psychological counselling in relation to health impairments, their conditions and the possibilities for change.promote mental healthpromote mental healthPromote factors that enhance emotional well-being such as self-acceptance, personal growth, purpose in life, control of one`s environment, spirituality, self-direction and positive relationships.interact with healthcare usersinteract with healthcare usersCommunicate with clients and their carer’s, with the patient’s permission, to keep them informed about the clients’ and patients’ progress and safeguarding confidentiality.organise relapse preventionorganise relapse preventionHelp the patient or client identify and anticipate high risk situations or external and internal triggers. Support them in developing better coping strategies and back-up plans in case of future diffi...ensure safety of healthcare usersensure safety of healthcare usersMake sure that healthcare users are being treated professionally, effectively and safe from harm, adapting techniques and procedures according to the person's needs, abilities or the prevailing condit...apply organisational techniquesapply organisational techniquesEmploy a set of organisational techniques and procedures which facilitate the achievement of the set goals set such as detailed planning of personnel's schedules. Use these resources efficiently and s...carry out psychiatric assessment of childcarry out psychiatric assessment of childEvaluate the child or young person's problems with attention to physical, genetic, developmental, emotional, cognitive, educational, family, peer, and social components and use the information to dete...develop a collaborative therapeutic relationshipdevelop a collaborative therapeutic relationshipDevelop a mutually collaborative therapeutic relationship during treatment, fostering and gaining healthcare users' trust and cooperation.apply context specific clinical competencesapply context specific clinical competencesApply professional and evidence based assessment, goal setting, delivery of intervention and evaluation of clients, taking into account the developmental and contextual history of the clients, within ...use techniques to increase patients' motivationuse techniques to increase patients' motivationEncourage the patient`s motivation to change and promote the belief that therapy can help, using techniques and treatment engagement procedures for this purpose.provide clinical psychological expert opinionsprovide clinical psychological expert opinionsProvide clinical psychological expert opinions and reports regarding the performance, personality traits, behaviours and mental disorders.assess healthcare users' risk for harmassess healthcare users' risk for harmEvaluate if healthcare users might potentially be a threat themselves or others, intervening to minimise the risk and implement prevention methods.refer healthcare usersrefer healthcare usersMake referrals to other professionals, based on the healthcare user's requirements and needs, especially when recognising that additional healthcare diagnostics or interventions are required.work in multidisciplinary health teamswork in multidisciplinary health teamsParticipate in the delivery of multidisciplinary health care, and understand the rules and competences of other healthcare related professions.provide strategies of differential diagnosisprovide strategies of differential diagnosisUse various methods to identify the most approapriate diagnosis among conditions with similar symptoms.decide upon a psychotherapeutic approachdecide upon a psychotherapeutic approachMake an informed choice about which type of psychotherapeutic intervention to apply when working with patients, according to their needs.accept own accountabilityaccept own accountabilityAccept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.promote psycho-social educationpromote psycho-social educationExplain mental health issues in simple and understandable ways, helping de-pathologise and de-stigmatise common mental health stereotypes and condemning prejudicial or discriminatory behaviours, syste...

Optional (21)

forensic psychiatryforensic psychiatryThe psychiatry methods applied, the organsation and duties in both criminal and civil frameworks of justice.neuroscienceneuroscienceThe field of study related to the structure, the development and the functions of the nervous system. It focuses on the normal functions of the nervous system, and to what happens in presence of neuro...research designresearch designThe set of methods and techniques of research that are used to conduct a study. It includes practical steps in research such as purpose statement, data collection, methodology, and data analysis.clinical social workclinical social workThe branch of social work that deals with assessing, making diagnoses, treating and preventing bio-psychological problems and other behavioural disturbances.experimental psychologyexperimental psychologyThe branch of psychology that is involved in testing theories in relation to all the various aspects of human mind through empirical research methods.sexual disorderssexual disordersThe range of sexual disorders such as sexual aversion disorder, hypoactive sexual desire disorder, and vaginismus and the effects of medication on sexual function.psychosomaticspsychosomaticsInterdisciplinary medical specialty addressing the connection between the social, psychological, and behavioral attitudes and their impact on human processes.occupational healthoccupational healthThe subfield of study of public health that focus on improving the wellbeing of individuals in the workplace for all the occupational profiles. It is concerned with health and safety in the workplace ...apply hypno-psychotherapyapply hypno-psychotherapyHypnotise a patient to create subconscious change in the form of new responses, thoughts, attitudes, behaviours or feelings.work with healthcare users under medicationwork with healthcare users under medicationWork with healthcare users who are using prescribed medications and other drugs.provide clinical advice to team membersprovide clinical advice to team membersProvide regular or ad-hoc supervision and advise team members on clinical matters.apply caseload managementapply caseload managementManage a number of patients within a given amount of time, striving to provide optimum health services.conduct forensic evaluationsconduct forensic evaluationsParticipate in evaluations required to attest the presence and severity of a mental illness, according to the requirements of a criminal or civil court.prescribe medicationprescribe medicationPrescribe medications, when indicated, for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to the client`s needs and in accordance with evidence-based practice, national and practice protocols and within scope...work on the effects of abusework on the effects of abuseWork with individuals on the effects of abuse and trauma; such as sexual, physical, psychological, cultural and neglect.provide treatment strategies for challenges to human healthprovide treatment strategies for challenges to human healthIdentify possible treatment protocols for the challenges to human health within a given community in cases such as infectious diseases of high consequences at the global level.use foreign languages for health-related researchuse foreign languages for health-related researchUse foreign languages for conducting and collaborating in health-related research.work with healthcare users' social networkwork with healthcare users' social networkGet involved with the friends, families and other relevant actors important for the client or patient being treated, under the conditions of confidentiality and transparency.apply systemic therapyapply systemic therapyConduct therapy, not addressing people on a strictly individual level but as people in relationships, dealing with the interactions of groups and their interactive patterns and dynamics.use foreign languages in patient careuse foreign languages in patient careCommunicate in foreign languages with healthcare users, their carers, or services providers. Use foreign languages to faciliate patient care according to the needs of the patient.apply psychoanalysisapply psychoanalysisConduct psychoanalysis on patients, focusing on unconscious forces that can have a negative effect on their psychological well-being.