There was a profession of psychology long before there was a science of psychology, even before the term psychologist came into public use. In early 19th-century America (as in centuries before, throughout the world), there were practitioners who counseled people about their marriages, advised individuals about possible careers, aided parents in the rearing of their children, advised companies about employee selection, and offered to cure a host of psychological illnesses through myriad treatments. These practitioners worked under various labels, including phrenologist, characterologist, spiritualist, graphologist, mental healer, physiognomist, mind reader, and psychologist.
Psychology is the scientific study of mental life and human behavior. It helps explain how we think, feel and act both individually and as part of a social group.
SCIENCE IN ACTION
Subfields in Psychology
http://www.apa.org/action/science/index.aspx?
How psychology benefits society and improves lives http://www.apa.org/action/
