In everyday language, a "psychologist" is someone you consult when you suffer from emotional or relational problems. Among each other, specialists call this type of psychologist with a master's degree in psychology a clinical psychologist. This person works either in an institution, a hospital for example, or in a private practice.

Clinical psychologists are not to be confused with other types of psychologists, who also have a master's degree in psychology, but with another specialty : psychologists who work for example in human resources in companies and institutions, psychologists who work in schools to guide students, or experimental psychologists who work in a laboratory.

Note : the word clinical derives from the ancient Greek word klinoo, to lay down, to recline, to put to bed. The word klinè used to refer to the couch one would lay upon during festive dinners. Nowadays it makes one think of the analyst's couch, or the patient's bed.