How To Write a Police Psychologist Resume (With Sample)

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Updated June 9, 2025

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A police psychologist serves an important role in police departments. Their job helps to preserve the mental health of law enforcement officers and others affected by crime, while maintaining standards that contribute to the quality of law enforcement in a community. If you're interested in pursuing this interesting field, it's important to know how to craft a resume that gets you noticed.In this article, we explain what a police psychologist resume is, discuss some of the requirements of the job, provide a step-by-step guide for creating such a resume and provide both a template and an example to guide you.

What is a police psychologist?

A police psychologist is a mental health professional within a particular subspecialty of forensic psychology, which is the application of psychological principles to the fields of law and criminal justice. Police psychologists work not only with law enforcement officials but also with those who've witnessed or survived crimes. The counseling that a police psychologist provides helps these patients to overcome various stressors and challenges.Police psychologists may also contribute to other areas of criminal justice. The following are comprehensive descriptions of their primary duties:

General psychological counseling

Psychological counseling is the act or process of guiding patients toward mental, emotional and behavioral wellness. A large part of the job of a police psychologist involves helping law enforcement officers cope with the stress associated with their profession or circumstances. Police psychologists are often keenly aware of the unique challenges their patients experience and the strategies that can help to overcome these difficulties.

Specific psychological treatment

Specific psychological treatment refers to targeted counseling aimed at helping a patient through a traumatic experience. For police psychologists, this may be a law enforcement officer, witness or person who has seen or survived an event that is difficult to process. The counseling the psychologist provides in these instances helps the patient to contextualize the trauma and heal over time.

Training

Police psychologists may train law enforcement officers on matters such as how to deal with potential threats. The training they receive can help them to assess such threats and consider possible responses that can preserve the safety of everyone involved. In this way, police psychologists can educate officers on concepts such as de-escalation and contribute to reductions in undesirable consequences.

Psychological evaluations

Some of the characteristics of the ideal law enforcement officer are a strong sense of moral responsibility, civility, empathy and self-control. Finding candidates who possess these qualities involves performing psychological evaluations, a task for which a police psychologist would be qualified. By applying their education and training to the hiring process, police psychologists can help ensure a generally stronger, more competent police force.

Investigations

Depending on their area of expertise, police psychologists may also support criminal investigations. Some may participate in interrogations or interviews to determine whether a suspect is being truthful or a witness is in a state of mind to provide accurate details. Others may contribute to negotiations, such as those involving hostages, to defuse the situation and work toward a desirable outcome.Related: Criminal Psychology vs. Forensic Psychology: What Are the Differences Between Them?

Police psychologist requirements

To improve your candidacy for a police psychologist position, make sure to show that you meet the minimum requirements of the job, which typically include the following:

Education

The minimum education requirement to become a police psychologist is a doctoral degree. Police psychology is not a universally available academic discipline, so it may be necessary first to earn a bachelor's degree in psychology and then a master's degree in an area such as forensic psychology or criminology. That being said, there may be exceptions to the doctoral requirement depending on your specific career path. If, for example, you wish to work in a consulting or operational support role, a doctoral degree may be preferable but not required.Related: Interesting Careers for Psychology Ph.D.s: 11 Jobs To Consider

Internship and training

A predoctoral or postdoctoral internship is a common requirement for aspiring psychologists. An internship allows you to gain practical knowledge in your specialty under the supervision of a licensed practitioner. In this setting, you have opportunities to apply theory and book learning to real-life situations. The total amount of internship and training time may vary depending on your state but generally amount to around 3,000 hours.

Licensure and certification

To use the title "psychologist" and to practice psychology in a clinical setting, a license is required. To earn your license, you pass an exam given by the licensing board in your state. The specific laws and requirements depend on your state, but it's usually necessary to complete your doctoral degree and internship before you can apply for licensure. Of note, the American Board of Professional Psychology offers specialty certification in both forensic psychology and police and public safety psychology.Related: Psychology Certifications: Definition, Types and Tips To Earn One

Skills

A broad range of skills is necessary to perform the job of a police psychologist. The following are some of the essential skills and qualities of the profession:

Comprehensive understanding of psychological principles
Basic understanding of criminal justice and law
Knowledge of the stressors, conditions and other challenges associated with law enforcement
Comprehension of the psychological responses to trauma
Empathy for those who've had experiences different from your own
The ability to communicate clearly and patiently to convey challenging concepts
The ability to think critically plus observe and analyze patients' nonverbal cues
Discretion concerning patients' disclosures and identities

Related: 20 Skills Needed To Be a Psychologist

How to create a police psychologist resume

Follow these steps to create a police psychologist resume that can maximize your chances of getting the job you want:

1. Thoroughly read the job description

It's usually a good idea to tailor your application documents to a specific position, and the details in the job description can guide you in that endeavor. As you read, look for keywords. These are terms that relate to important aspects of the role, such as education requirements, skills and experience. Record or take note of the keywords that apply to you so you can incorporate them into your resume later.

2. Create the header

The header contains your name, an applicable degree or certification, your contact information and your general location. To create the header in a word processing application, first double-click in the header area. Then input your first and last name at the top. Set this text in a more prominent font so that it's easily noticeable.On a shared line below your name and credentials, input your phone number, email address, city and state. Use a phone number that you have access to throughout the day and a professional-sounding email handle. A handle that includes a combination of your name and numerals would be appropriate.

3. Include a professional summary

A professional summary is a brief self-introduction and statement about your qualifications. In two or three sentences, describe who you are and mention your credentials, skills and experience. Use as many keywords from the job description as would be reasonable. The sentences you write in the professional summary don't have to be complete sentences. It's common to write in phrases instead.

4. List your employment history

The employment history section is a reverse-chronological list of your previous employers, ideally in relevant professional fields. For each entry in this section, include your job title, your dates of employment, the name of your previous employer, their location and several bullet points describing your duties and accomplishments. For the most recent position, mention five bullet points, but you can reduce the number to three for anything earlier.

5. Include a skills section

The skills section is another brief section that lists your most important competencies. A helpful strategy in this section would be to include more of the keywords you highlighted earlier. Focus on the keywords you found relating to both skills and duties and input them precisely as they appear in the job description. For example, if the job description mentions "counseling law enforcement officers and survivors of crimes" as an essential task of the job, include that verbatim in your skills section. Although it appears in the tasks area of the job description, it also qualifies as a skill.

6. Mention your education

In the education section of your resume, list each of your postsecondary academic qualifications in reverse-chronological order. For each entry, include the specific degree you earned followed by the name of the academic institution from which you earned it and your year of graduation. For a police psychologist resume, you're likely to list at least three qualifications—your doctoral, master's and bachelor's degrees.

7. Mention your license and certification

The final section of your police psychologist resume addresses your license and certification. As these credentials are requirements for the profession, it's important that you include them. For each entry here, mention the title of the credential and the year in which you completed or renewed it. You can also mention the date of expiration instead of or in addition to the year of completion.

Police psychologist resume template

You can use and adapt the following template to help you craft your own police psychologist resume:[First and last name][Phone number] | [email address] | [City], [State]Professional Summary[A brief introduction that mentions your credentials, education and skills]Experience[Job Title], [Starting date–Ending date]
[Employer Name], [City, State]

[Strong verb] + [duty] + [impact]
[Strong verb] + [duty] + [impact]
[Strong verb] + [duty] + [impact]
[Strong verb] + [duty] + [impact]
[Strong verb] + [duty] + [impact]

[Job Title], [Starting date–Ending date]
[Employer Name], [City, State]

[Strong verb] [duty] + [impact]
[Strong verb] [duty] + [impact]
[Strong verb] [duty] + [impact]

Skills[Relevant skill] | [relevant skill] | [relevant skill] | [relevant skill] | [relevant skill] | [relevant skill]Education[Title of Degree Earned]
[Name of Institution], [year of graduation][Title of Degree Earned]
[Name of Institution], [year of graduation][Title of Degree Earned]
[Name of Institution], [year of graduation]License and Certification

[License/Certification], [year earned or renewed]
[License/Certification], [year earned or renewed]

Police psychologist resume example

Consider this example of a police psychologist resume to guide you:Helena Alessandro610-222-5555 | helena.alessandro@email.com | Horsham, PAProfessional Summary35-year-old licensed and ABPP-certified Psy.D. with six years of professional experience. Looking to leverage skills in communication, counseling and critical thinking for a police psychologist position with the Horsham Police Department.ExperiencePolice Psychologist, February 2019–Present
Warrington Police Department, Warrington, PA

Provide law enforcement officers with psychological counseling to cope with common stressors
Counsel law enforcement officers, witnesses and survivors after traumatic experiences
Perform psychological evaluations of prospective law enforcement officers to determine their suitability for the role
Support investigations and other police matters by interviewing suspects and assisting in negotiations
Provide training to law enforcement officers on criminal psychology

Forensic Psychologist, January 2016–February 2019
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Philadelphia, PA

Interviewed criminal suspects and recorded conclusions concerning their responses and behavior
Psychologically counseled survivors of crime experiencing trauma
Provided court testimony about the mental health of law enforcement officers, survivors of crime and criminal suspects

SkillsCommunication | Counseling | Critical thinking | Analysis | Organization | EmpathyEducationDoctor of Psychology in forensic psychology
University of Warminster, 2016Master of Psychology in forensic psychology
Rolling Hills University, 2011Bachelor of Science in psychology
Southeast Pennsylvania University, 2007License and CertificationABPP Board Certification in Police and Public Safety Psychology, 2018Licensed Psychologist, 2016The model shown is for illustration purposes only, and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards.

 

The information on this site is provided as a courtesy and for informational purposes only. Indeed is not a career or legal advisor and does not guarantee job interviews or offers

 

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