What does a child psychologist do?

Psychology is a very broad science, and precisely for this reason, those who dedicate themselves to it cannot afford the luxury of pretending to cover everything: to offer a quality service, you have to specialize.

Now… What are the functions of each of these branches of Psychology? In many cases, the tasks of those who dedicate themselves to one of them differ greatly from the day-to-day work of the rest of specialized psychologists. In this case, we will focus on explaining what do child psychologists do putting their knowledge and experience to work helping people.

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What is Child Psychology?

Child Psychology is the study of the psychological processes of children and the intervention on them where there are problems, to improve the quality of life of minors and their caregivers and families. Although it may seem the opposite due to its name, in practice this branch of Psychology also encompasses the experiences of adolescents, which is why this discipline is often called "Psychology Child-Juvenile”.

Thus, we could say that in general Child Psychology investigates and intervenes on the behavior patterns of minors, on their way of managing their emotions and thoughts, and also offers support to caregivers and families so that, from home, they are able to generate a context in which the boy or girl can develop properly, taking into account their characteristics and needs.

It is also important to know that although this definition is very broad, in practice, most child psychologists guide their I work towards the clinical and/or health field, either performing therapy, giving support to families with children with developmental disorders, etc. However, it is relatively common for them to collaborate with schools and institutes, to form part of Perinatal psychology services of a health center, which intervene in the field of work social etc.

On the other hand, although both disciplines partially overlap, We must not fall into the mistake of believing that Child Psychology and Educational Psychology are the same; On the one hand, the educational context goes far beyond the childhood stage, and on the other, child psychologists work with situations and experiences that are not directly related to the way in which a minor experiences the educational processes (formal education or informal education) in which she is involved.

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What are the functions of the child psychologist?

Going more specifically, the tasks that define the day-to-day of child psychologists are, in general, the following (although not every professional has to dedicate himself to all of them).

1. Assist parents

Some of the most common work of child psychologists has to do with inform and provide psychological assistance to fathers and mothers with doubts about the well-being of their son or daughter, or about the most effective and appropriate parenting methods. This class of tasks can be carried out both in private sessions requesting time in the consultation, or either through general training and awareness programmes, such as courses, talks and workshops.

2. Establish child welfare programs and protocols in schools

This includes apply bullying prevention and management models, assist in communication tasks with parents, detect signs of neurodevelopmental disorder or learning disorders, ensure that schools meet the standards of inclusion and psychosocial support for functional diversity, etc.

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3. Facilitate the diagnosis of disorders in childhood and youth

The training of child psychologists allows them to quickly detect signs and symptoms of possible mental, developmental or neurological disorders that may affect the psychological growth process of the little ones, thus leading to an early diagnosis.

4. Intervene in child-juvenile therapy

Psychological disorders that affect children and adolescents have a series of characteristics that require the attention of specialized psychologists in these age groups.

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How to train to be a child psychologist?

To develop professionally in the field of child psychology, it is necessary to take a Master's degree in this field after having completed the university degree in Psychology; in this way, students will be able to learn the theory and practice of this discipline, going beyond the basic training they have.

Some training programs for specific areas of child psychology (such as therapy applied to neurodevelopmental disorders in boys and girls) and/or sciences related to this (such as perinatal psychology or school context psychopedagogy), while others offer a complete perspective that encompasses all the psychologist's own competencies childish. The latter is the case of Master's Degree in Child and Youth Psychology from European University, a 100% online option with live virtual classes, based on experiential learning and theoretical-practical content to know how to exercise professionally.

In the study plan of this Master, such relevant topics as psychological intervention in emotional disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders and behavioral disorders in boys and girls, the application of behavior observation techniques children and youth, the development of communication skills necessary to adapt to the needs of minors and their families, and more. On the other hand, it includes stages of external internships in two different but complementary areas: the clinical area and the psychosocial and functional diversity area.

This Master, aimed at graduates and graduates in Psychology, lasts 12 months and 60 ECTS credits. At the time of completion, students will obtain an official Degree issued by the European University of Valencia.