From Clinical Psychologist to Human Factors…an Unexpected Journey

By: Latanya S. H. King, PsyD

A quick internet search will yield a definition of psychology as the scientific study of mind and behavior. But unfortunately, many people also assume they know exactly what psychology is, and never look beyond the quick and surface level definition. There are so many aspects of psychology that impact every career field, but often the average person only thinks about therapy.

Through this same lens, many college freshmen pursue an undergraduate degree in psychology with the goal of becoming a practicing psychologist that provides various types of clinical treatment. My journey was no different. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, and completing post-doctoral requirements, I had accomplished my goal and was working as a Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Psychology.

I LOVE clinical psychology. My passion for studying people, their thinking, and their behaviors has never changed. But one day, after almost 17 years of experience providing various aspects of behavioral health treatment, I realized there was something else that I was supposed to be doing. To be clear, it was not that I was no longer satisfied, or that I suddenly wanted to abandon my career because of an isolated event or incident. Instead, I simply wanted to pursue something new.

I am a firm believer in taking risks and always trying new things when an opportunity becomes available. Seeking out new experiences brings opportunities for growth and development. New experiences also allow for new learning and the chance to grow in ways that one might not have encountered if they stayed in the same routine. So, whenever I’m inspired to try something else, I always take the risk! Some might say that this might dangerous, but I believe that it might be amazing.

I began to apply for positions that were safely within my expectations of how I could use my education and experience related to clinical psychology. I started to apply for jobs related to various aspects of behavioral health/teaching/training/academia. However, I already had a full career that allowed me to work in various behavioral health settings such as inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, partial hospital programs, community-based programs, private practice, and academia. At this point in my career, I wanted to use my education and experience in a new way.

When I received an email from a job search engine, with the subject “We have a job for you!” I laughed and ignored it. I had never heard of human factors, and I was skeptical of a job search engine emailing me with the subject line “We have a job for you!” It appeared to be a scam!  Well, these emails did not stop; moreover, human factors related jobs began to “pop-up” everywhere, thanks to my digital footprint. I began to explore the field of human factors, and I decided that there was no harm in applying.

To my surprise, I received a quick response. Still, I remained skeptical of the position and the field of human factors. I was skeptical because throughout graduate school I was focused on pursuing clinical practice and teaching in academia. Most importantly, I intentionally attended a graduate program that was based on the practitioner-scholar model and geared to train students for clinical practice.

As I explored the human factors field further, I recognized that I have transferrable skills. I have always worked in diverse populations; therefore, I am comfortable around new people in an in-depth interview setting. My ability to easily engage others, especially in crisis situations, was always my strongest skill in inpatient psychiatric facilities. I find that my calm demeanor in tense situations and my talent for engaging others is the key when moderating usability testing sessions. These skills are also helpful for satisfying my curiosity because I genuinely enjoy understanding the human experience.

My experience with psychological assessment and writing psychological reports was a strong foundation for learning to write and contribute to technical human factors documentation. As a clinical evaluator, my ability to complete lengthy assessments, attending to every detail, asking appropriate questions, all while being able to keep my client engaged has also proven useful in the human factors field. Experience developing course materials, lectures, and other teaching materials has informed my understanding of how information is interpreted, can be developed, and captured in a way that engages a large audience. These skills are invaluable when capturing a story about data in human factors studies.

I am sure that there are other transferable skills that I have yet to discover. However, transferring my skill set was not my focus when I decided to start exploring human factors as a new career path. My focus is, and will always be, seeking opportunities that allow for professional growth and development.

I am hopeful that graduate programs, especially psychology programs, begin to offer opportunities or even elective classes for students to explore various ways to use their degree. Yes, we can all be therapists, and yes, the world needs plenty of therapists. But there are also other opportunities that exist beyond clinical practice or teaching in academia. My unsolicited advice to others considering a new career path:

Take risks…

Seize every opportunity…

Don’t limit yourself…

Be firm about your goals, but flexible with your approach…