How to hire a psychology expert

A definitive guide on how to hire a psychology expert, including psychology researchers, neuroscientists, cognitive psychologists and more. 

Psychology, of course, touches on every facet of our lives. While the focus in the past has been the psychology of individuals and groups, there will likely be an increasing trend towards understanding the psychological influences of technology, environment, and artificial intelligence on human behavior and well-being.

What does a psychologist do?

Psychology is an extremely broad field with a myriad possible career paths and associated applications, some of which are well known, with others being less so. Some of these specializations include the following:

• Psychiatrist: A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental illnesses and disorders and who can prescribe medications to treat their patients. Besides medications, they also treat patients using various techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychoanalytic therapy. They may focus more on the biological causes of mental health problems.
• Clinical Psychologist: These professionals diagnose and treat mental and behavioral disorders, such as schizophrenia, substance abuse, depression, and eating disorders. Clinical psychologists typically have a doctoral degree in psychology (Ph.D. or Psy.D.). Although they often work in medical settings, clinical psychologists are not medical doctors and typically do not prescribe medications. There are various sub-specialties within this field, including child psychology, geropsychology, addiction psychology, genetic counseling, and health psychology. For example, health psychology studies the impact of psychological factors on health, illness, and recovery.
• Counselling Psychologist: These psychologists help people facing life challenges or life-changing decisions. They typically work in the areas of career counseling, marital and family therapy, and grief counseling, among others.
• Educational and School Psychologists: These psychologists help children or young people within an educational setting (e.g., school, university, or college) to address social and emotional problems and to facilitate those who are intellectually gifted or have learning disabilities.
• Industrial-Organizational Psychologist: I-O psychologists work in corporate settings where they apply the principles of psychology to e.g., improving hiring decisions, employee training, helping employees cope with organizational change, strategic planning, and improving productivity and motivation.
• Academic/Research Psychologist: Most research psychologists work for academic institutions, government, or corporations. They develop and apply psychological diagnostic, assessment, and research tools to studies that further the understanding of human psychology. For example, in experimental cognitive psychology, researchers investigate mental processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving. In academia, research psychologists are also responsible for developing curricula and training the next generation of psychologists.
• Neuropsychologist: Neuropsychologists are trained to diagnose and treat psychological disorders that are a result of neurological disorders or traumatic brain injury.
• Engineering/Human Factors Psychologist: These psychologists study human behavior and capabilities in relation to the design and operation of systems, technology, and machinery. They focus on maximizing efficiency and productivity while minimizing injury and other risks. The human factors studied include ergonomics, human error, product design, and human–computer interaction. Therefore, this specialization does not focus on understanding the psychology of individuals but rather explores how humans, in general, interact with technology, machines, and their environment.
• Forensic Psychologist: These professionals work in the fields of criminal investigation and law enforcement, where they use their knowledge of psychology to solve crimes and bring criminals to justice. This includes evaluating the credibility of witnesses, determining whether defendants are competent to stand trial, assessing defendants’ risk of flight and future criminal behavior, drawing up psychological profiles of criminals, investigating cases of domestic and child abuse, testifying in court, mediating child custody disputes, providing recommendations regarding sentencing, and training law enforcement officers. Forensic psychologists usually work with the police force, prison services, public defenders, and law firms.
• Psychometrist: A psychometrist administers and interprets psychological assessments (psychometric tests) that include cognitive, aptitude, and personality measures. Some psychometrists work alongside psychologists and psychiatrists, while others work independently for corporations, universities, or government.
• Sports Psychologist: Sports psychologists use psychological principles to help athletes improve their motivation and performance, train more effectively, and recover quicker from injuries. They work alongside coaches to develop training, rehabilitation, and team-building programs. They also provide counseling to athletes undergoing career transitions. Some sports psychologists study how sports and physical exercise can improve the mental health and overall wellbeing of non-athletes.
• Community Psychologists: These psychologists help large groups of people within a community, organization, or region, to cope with issues such as poverty, bullying and harassment, racial and gender inequality, and large-scale traumatic events such as natural disasters. They do this through research, interventions, educational outreach, and policy change and reform.
• Social Psychologist: These professionals study how an individual’s mental health and behavior are shaped by interactions with other individuals and groups, so as to improve or influence these interactions. Social psychologists work in a variety of settings, from research and academia to marketing, business, and government.

There are a great many other sub-specialties such as art therapy, consumer psychology, marketing psychology, military psychology, parapsychology, rehabilitation psychology, and cyberpsychology, to name just a few.

While only a bachelor’s degree in psychology is necessary for some entry-level positions such as a psychiatric technician or research assistant, most careers in psychology require at least a master’s degree, with most professionals holding a doctorate. Psychologists work at schools, colleges and universities, research institutes, government agencies, consulting firms, non-profit organizations, clinics, hospitals, corporations, and private practice.

The job titles of a psychology expert can vary according to the nature of their role and specialization. These can include Clinical Psychologist, Associate Professor in Psychology, Industrial Psychologist, Mental Health Technician, Research Fellow, and Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist. There are also freelance psychology content writers and freelance mental health writers, who write on these topics for the media, academia, government, and business.

How much does it cost to hire a freelance psychologist?

To hire a freelance psychology consultant, the fee can range from 50−150 USD per hour depending on the specialization and level of experience required. For example, a school psychologist would typically charge less than a psychiatrist who has had to complete medical school training. However, remuneration varies widely in psychology—even within the same field of specialization—with the most important factor being experience, such that clinical psychologists with15 years of experience can earn double that of colleagues with 5 years of experience.

The hourly fee can be negotiated upfront or a flat fee can be discussed for projects of a defined scope and duration. Either way, Kolabtree provides a cost-effective and user-friendly platform to consult with the top freelance psychology consultants.

How do you write an effective job post to hire a psychology expert? 

To attract top Kolabtree psychology experts online, ensure that your project description is informative and the scope is well defined. You will need to provide information on the following:

• Skills required (e.g., marketing psychology expertise)
• What the project area is (e.g., marketing of health foods)
• What the project entails (e.g., psychology research consulting regarding the marketing of healthier food options)
• What the deliverables are (be specific about what you need the outputs to be)
• Duration of the project (provide an estimate of how many hours work you will need per week/by when you need the project to be completed)
• By when you need to hire (having more leeway on this will give you more time to choose the best expert for your needs)
• Your budget (per hour or fixed fee)

If you are unsure what exactly is required, providing as much detail as possible will allow expert psychologists to still make an informed bid for your project and suggest the best routes forward.

Ready to hire? Post a project on Kolabtree and get quotes from psychology experts worldwide. 

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