THE 16 BEST GIFTS FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS - PSYCHOLOGY - 2025

Finding a good gift for a psychologist can take time and creativity. Surely you have an important person in your life, a friend, family member or partner who is dedicated to psychology. And chances are, when his birthday or other gift-worthy event approaches, you've thought about what he might like a thousand times.

Psychology is an exciting profession and those who chose it are characterized by living it intensely. Therefore, a good way to make a psychologist happy is to give her something related to her work.

Depending on what tasks you dedicate to within Psychology (as you know it is a very broad discipline), you can choose different gifts that will surely be useful.

Thus, depending on the preferences and interests of the recipient, you can choose between more modern gifts and the latest technology; Or, you can always go for traditional gifts that shouldn't fail.

You should also remember that most psychologists like reading or learning related to their profession, although you can also choose fun gifts that are associated with their tastes.

In this article you will discover the 16 best gifts for psychologists with which you will surely be right.

1. Virtual reality glasses

Many of the consultations that a clinical psychologist receives are related to anxiety disorders, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder or post-traumatic stress, among others.

One of the most used treatments in cognitive behavioral therapy is exposure. Through this therapy, the psychologist guides his patient to a gradual and controlled exposure of his fears.

For example, if the patient has a phobia of an animal or insect, it is helped to gradually interact with that fear so that, progressively, he overcomes the phobia.

However, many times it is not possible or it is very difficult to achieve that exposure. For this, the professional can use photos or videos, although in some cases they also use exposure in imagination.

However, these types of exposures have certain limitations, so the psychologist can rely on new technologies to perform therapy.

Virtual reality has been shown to be a good method to achieve this goal. It consists of glasses or helmet that the patient must put on. It emits images throughout its visual field, generating a feeling of immersion.

Although virtual reality technology has been developing since the 70s, only since 2000 have some devices been offered on the market such as the Oculus Rift. It is characterized by its high quality, and that is why its price is higher.

You can also find simpler ones like the Google Cardboard. Simply with the mobile phone, virtual reality experiences can be generated.

One of the most popular and affordable virtual reality glasses, which is also used by mobile for its development, is the Samsung Gear VR. This device is used by companies such as Psious, which also offers a platform to use virtual reality in clinical practice.

2. Detachable brain

A gift that a psychologist is sure to love is a detachable brain. This allows you to visualize the entire anatomical structure and can help you with your work. It will be useful both to refresh your knowledge and to decorate your study space.

There are different models on the market, with variable prices depending on the details you include. They will usually be able to identify different parts of the nervous system such as the cerebellum, temporal lobe, frontal, parietal, and occipital. Even the brainstem, hippocampus, ventricles, insula, striatum, etc.

3. The famous couch

The typical couch that psychologists interact with can be a good gift if your loved one is passionate about psychoanalysis.

In fact, it was Sigmund Freud who popularized the couch to serve his patients from the nineteenth century. The idea was that patients could be heard without eye contact.

Today some more traditional professionals continue to use these position rules, although some opt for more modern offices.

In the case where your family member or friend has their own workplace, they can be given other furniture in which there is a more direct interaction with the patient.

You can also choose other types of furniture such as tables, lamps, armchairs, sofas… As well as other decorative elements, for example, paintings, shelves, clocks, cushions, vases, etc. These elements will help you to have a more welcoming and pleasant office.

4. The essential DSM-5

An essential tool that could be one of the most useful gifts for any student of Psychology is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The latest version of this book, edited by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), is the fifth and was published in 2013. Our loved one may need to consult from time to time the characteristics of a disorder, or certain details about the diagnostic criteria. It serves both for clinical practice, or as a review of knowledge.

5. Rat as a pet

Every psychologist during his career will have read about countless experiments with rats. Many of them will have been fascinated by the ability of these little beings to learn new behaviors, especially those interested in behaviorism.

Many of these professionals begin to develop sympathy for these creatures, as well as curiosity to observe their behavior directly.

Sure, rodents could make a great gift, especially for animal lovers. This pet has the advantage that it is easy to care for, it can be kept in a small space and it adapts easily to any environment.

6. Programs or mobile applications for patient administration

If your loved one cares for several patients and organization is not their best virtue, it may be necessary for them to have software to help them.

A license for a program with these characteristics would be an excellent gift, which would facilitate your daily work. One of the best known is Clinic Cloud or Clin Win.

There are also different applications for smartphones for this purpose, allowing you to access the data from your mobile, anywhere, anytime.

7. Courses

Psychology advances every day and that is why professionals must work to have constant training.

It is important that they stay updated in their profession to develop quality work. In addition, it is never too late to learn something new, so a course in any field of psychology that interests you can be a wonderful gift.

There are many offers of online courses with topics as varied as psychological care for the sick, intervention with minors, psychosocial care in emergencies, psychopathological disorders, cognitive development in childhood, training in social skills, etc.

8. Jewelry (pendants, rings…)

For psychologists who like to take care of their image while showing their passion for their discipline, there are accessories that represent organs, nerve cells or chemical structures of neurotransmitters.

Thus, for example, you can find jewels of brains, neurons, the structure of serotonin, dopamine or acetylcholine.

9. Coffee maker

It's no wonder that psychologists have a close relationship with coffee. He has been a faithful companion during the most intense days of study and work.

A good coffee to take a break and recharge batteries is very pleasant, and it can also be used to share with other colleagues and even with patients.

There are many options on the market for this gift, but the most successful may be the one that works with capsules. In addition, it is more practical if your loved one has an office.

In most offices there are no kitchens or large surfaces to use other more traditional coffee makers. At the same time, their designs are usually attractive and simple.

10. Psychological tests

Depending on the specialty of the person to whom you want to give the gift, you can choose different psychological tests that can help you evaluate your patients.

For example, a test that can never be missed is one that assesses intelligence: the WAIS test (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Adults). Its current edition is the fourth (WAIS-IV).

If, on the contrary, what is required is a neuropsychological examination, you could give him the Barcelona test.

To analyze anxiety, a very complete test is the STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Questionnaire).

There are countless tests on the market that will surely be useful to you, the important thing is to research your specialty and look for an updated and validated version of the test in question.

11. Posters related to the profession

Psychologists love to adorn their walls with prints or posters that reflect any representation associated with their profession.

Thus, you can attract pictures that represent the symbol of Psychology, brains, neurons, theories… It can be used to decorate your office or your room, and there are more modern or more serious models.

You can also give him a poster depicting the famous Rorschach test. This test is used to assess personality and consists of ten sheets with ink stains, which are presented in an unstructured way.

The professional asks his patient what he sees in the images and from his answers he can establish hypotheses about the person examined.

The Penfield Homunculus is another option. It is a representation of the anatomical divisions of the cerebral cortex, showing each organ of the body and where it would be in the brain.

12. Voice recorder

A very useful gift for a psychologist can be a portable voice recorder. If you are a psychology student, it can be used to record the classes and then study them.

It can also be essential to collect information from interviews, remember patient data, or to record seminars, conferences or talks that you attend.

13. Books

There are numerous books that you could gift to a psychologist. The more specific and technical ones, as well as the simple and fun ones, are useful. Books that treat the subject in a pleasant way never fail, so that the person can have fun and learn at the same time.

One of the books might be interesting as a gift is "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" by Oliver Sacks. This top professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College in New York left us in 2015, but we keep his great works.

In this book 20 histories of patients immersed in neurological diseases are narrated. Professor Sacks tells his stories from a very human perspective, but allowing us to learn about the curious workings of the brain.

Another very successful book may be "Think Fast, Think Slow" by Daniel Kahneman. Its author is considered the father of behavioral psychology, and was a 2002 Nobel Laureate in economics. He describes a revolutionary perspective on the brain, explaining how the way we think works.

According to Kahneman, we have two systems of thought: the first is fast and intuitive, while the second is slower and deliberative.

Knowing how such thoughts work will help us determine when we can trust intuitions (fast thinking) and when we should turn to slow thinking.

14. E-reader

Another option may be an e-reader. Currently the use of these devices is very widespread, as they have the advantage of being able to store many books in it. Plus, it can be taken anywhere, and they have screens that don't reflect light and make reading more enjoyable.

One of the best-selling reading devices is the Kindle Paperwhite, marketed by Amazon, which has a gigantic catalog of books to buy and download on the reader. It also has numerous free or very cheap books.

Another very famous device is the Sony reader that uses a screen with electronic paper technology and that supports different extensions of electronic books.

15. Business cards

How many times have you lost a good contact due to not having a business card? It is common to meet someone and want to keep in touch, but the data is written down on a crumpled paper, or it is forgotten in the memory of the mobile.

Therefore, a gift that a psychologist by profession will surely like is a business card. Although it seems that they are no longer used, business cards can be very useful to introduce yourself to a person, in addition to giving a more professional and serious touch.

16. Agenda or notebook

This gift is never too much and it is always necessary for any professional. Although there are technological tools that serve the same purpose, many of us still like to take notes by hand.

There are many models of agendas, even in some stores it is possible to create personalized agendas. Thus, images or drawings related to psychology could be added.