Mental Health / Psychology
The field of psychoanalysis includes the following professions: creative arts therapist, marriage/family therapist, mental health counselors, and psychologists. They employ a variety of methods to diagnose, assess, and treat patients with range of nervous, emotional, and behavioral disorders and conditions, including anxiety, depression, and phobias. Brooklyn College has several programs of study that allow students to prepare for a career in psychoanalysis. In addition, the CSTEP program can support students in the areas of creative arts therapy, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, neuropsychology, and psychology. Most, if not all, of these programs require a master's degree. Brooklyn College offers a master's degree in psychology; however, your undergraduate preparation at Brooklyn College can also prepare you for application to graduate programs elsewhere. The CSTEP program can be instrumental for students who need extra help in passing these classes.
Creative Arts Therapy
Creative arts therapists usually work as part of a team of health care professionals to provide care for a patient or a group of patients. They treat patients with mental illness through the use of psychoanalysis and the arts to address development and behavioral problems. The arts used can be art, dance, drama, music, poetry, and many other disciplines. Besides their training in psychotherapy, they also have training in clinical practice and human development; many also have education and training in the art in which they wish to specialize. In New York State, creative arts therapists must hold at least a master's degree, pass a state exam, and have 1,500 clinical hours working under a licensed professional health professional.
Marriage and Family Therapy
Marriage and family therapists treat cognitive or behavioral disorders that disrupt interpersonal relationships, for example, marital-couple, parent-child, or sibling relationships. Marriage and family therapists are trained to assess and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, and to address issues within relationship systems. They generally work with a team of health care professionals but can also work as solo practitioners to treat patients. In New York State, marriage and family therapists must have at least a master's degree with required course work in marriage and family theory, practice and assessment, and ethical practice. They must also do a supervised internship, pass a state exam, and have at least 1,500 client contact hours under the supervision of a licensed marriage and family therapist.
Mental Health Counseling
Mental health counselors evaluate, assess, and treat a wide variety of patients with mental and emotional disorders and other behavioral challenges. They address issues as varied as interpersonal relationships, education and employment concerns, personal mental health issues, substance abuse, and patients with disabilities. They can treat individuals, families, couples, and even groups or organizations and can do both crisis intervention or work long term with patients. Mental health counselors are trained in counseling, psychotherapy, and prevention, using a variety of techniques, and can work on their own in private practice or as part of a team at a hospital, health care facility, school, or company. In New York State, mental health counselors must have at least a master's degree with required course work in mental health counseling theory and practice, assessment, psychopathology, and ethical practice. They must also complete a supervised internship, pass a state licensing exam, and complete at least 3,000 hours of postdegree clinical experience under a qualified licensed mental health professional.
Neuropsychology
Neuropsychologists study how the brain and the nervous system manage and affect our cognitive and behavioral functions. It is a branch of study within psychology and relies heavily on research to determine how the brain functions. Much of this research can help doctors and other health care providers treat injuries or illnesses that are neurological in nature. Neuropsychologists can be researchers finding new ways to solve damage or impairment to the nervous system, or they can work in a clinical setting treating patients. Clinical neuroscientists often work in hospitals, clinics, or a physician's office to diagnose and assess patients. They can use a variety of very sophisticated imaging tools such as CT, PET, and MRI to diagnose neurological problems. The CSTEP program supports clinical neuroscientist researchers only. Preparation in clinical neuropsychology begins at the doctoral level, and specialized education and training is completed at the postdoctoral level.
Psychology
Psychologists are health care professionals who diagnose and treat mental, nervous, emotional, and behavioral disorders and ailments. Their practices can also include industrial or organizational psychology, research, and teaching. Only a licensed psychologist or a person working in an "exempt setting" may use these titles and terms. Exempt settings include chartered schools, settings operated by the government, and most colleges and universities. Students who are working in settings as part of their authorized doctoral program may have titles such as "psychologist-in-training" or "psychology intern." Psychotherapists are not necessarily licensed as psychologists in New York. In New York State, a psychologist must have at least a doctoral degree in psychology from a program registered or accepted as equivalent by the New York State Education Department. Psychologists with doctoral degrees such as Ph.D., Psy.D., and Ed.D. will be considered to have met the educational requirements required by the State of New York. In addition, they must complete two years of supervised experience, one of which must be done after the doctoral degree has been granted. They must also successfully complete a national licensing exam.
