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In clinical psychology, there's a lot of discussion about the need to bridge the researcher-clinician divide. I've noticed my interests in conference presentations shift after transitioning from a professor for 10 years (primarily research) to a therapist (primarily clinical).
I'm still very interested in the data, but there is even more obvious need for concrete take home points about applying the research to daily work with my patients.
I also have a preference for simpler representative models that don't include every detail/possibility, because they are better for sharing with patients in our limited time of ~50-minute sessions.
I didn't talk about this much when I made this career change, but I was surprised by the bias expressed from some clinicians about academics who wanted to become therapists. I understand this isn't common to everyone, but it came up for me.
Obviously influenced by my own experiences, but I don't think this is warranted either. I think many clinical psychology academics have the skill set to make that change to more practice if they want to and the drive to provide excellent care.
The clinical scientist model has been an extremely useful framework for me in making that career change. It's made it easier to be a therapist who is applying scientific principles in a different domain.
Anyway, if you are thinking about this kind of career change or have already made it, feel free to DM or e-mail me if it's helpful to talk to someone else who has been through the process. :)
