How does clinical psychology differ from non-clinical psychology?

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Psychology, the study of human behavior, has many applications. Two prominent areas of the field include clinical and applied psychology. But how do clinical and applied psychology differ?

A psychology degree can help you develop skills and knowledge to work with a wide range of populations. Chelsea Overholt, PhD, LPC, academic program director; and Whitney Zimmerman, PhD, assistant academic program director at Capella University, share their insights into the differences between clinical and applied psychology.

What is clinical psychology?

Clinical psychology involves working directly with clients to help diagnose, treat and manage their mental health. This work addresses a wide range of behavioral and mental health issues through various therapeutic techniques.

As such, students in the MS in Clinical Psychology, Clinical Counseling program participate in face-to-face residencies and have supervised clinical training. Although states have different licensure requirements for clinical practice, residencies can help provide students with some clinical practice hours to help prepare for state licensure eligibility.*

*It is important to understand all educational and individual requirements for licensing. Capella University cannot guarantee licensure, certification or endorsement. State regulations vary regarding professional licensure. It is your responsibility to understand and comply with requirements for your state.

What is applied psychology?

Applied psychology draws on insights and knowledge from psychology and typically involves research, teaching or consulting with people, organizations or systems. While professionals in this field may work with clients, it isn’t in a therapeutic context. Their work relies heavily on understanding human behavior and psychological processes.

Students in applied psychology programs participate in research to study how the mind works, the development of humans throughout their lives and how changing conditions in communities might affect different populations.

How do the education and training differ for clinical and applied psychology?

Both clinical and applied psychology will generally have an overlapping group of core courses such as multicultural topics, ethics, biological basis of behavior, lifespan development, statistics and research methods. 

Clinical psychology typically includes courses focused on psychotherapy, psychopathology, therapy and psychological assessment. Depending on the area of focus, the curriculum could include clinical application of skills as well as practicum and internship. Applied psychology would typically include courses focused on research skills, psychological theories as well as courses specific to one’s area of focus (e.g., such as pursuing a specialization in industrial and organizational psychology).

The level of education to strive for – whether a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate – depends upon your professional goals and area of interest.

Wondering which psychology field is right for you? Here’s a guide to psychology areas you can explore.

What skills can be useful if you’re interested in pursuing a path in psychology?

Whether you decide to pursue a path in clinical or applied psychology, there are many skills that can be used across various contexts. Some skills that are useful to develop include:

• Writing
• Critical thinking
• Communication
• Analytical thinking
• Research
• Information literacy

Choosing between clinical and applied psychology

The choice between clinical and applied psychology should be guided by your interests in working directly with individuals in mental health contexts versus applying psychological principles in broader areas. Clinical psychology is ideal for those who are passionate about therapeutic interventions and direct patient care. In contrast, applied psychology appeals to those interested in research, advisory roles and applying psychology to nontherapeutic fields.

Both paths offer rewarding opportunities to explore the complexities of human behavior and help others.

Explore psychology degrees from Capella.