Hi, everyone. I'm a lurker here, but reading messages on this list has helped me so much with many military questions I've had. Thank you. I have a question now that I've been unable to find the answer to, and I'd appreciate any and all help.

I'm working on a sci-fi story set on a large capital ship in space. I've been trying to follow Naval customs with it, though there is lots of room for changes or different interpretations. I don't need anything strict or by-the-book.

One supporting character will be an onboard psychologist, something along the lines of a grief counselor for the ship's personnel as they're in the middle of a war. I found some info on clinical psychologists on the U.S. Navy's website at http://www.navy. com/careers/ healthcare/ medicalserviceco rps/clinicalcare providers/ clinicalpsycholo gy/ , and it mentions that such a person can be commissioned as a Lieutenant. Would that be an appropriate rank for someone in the field or on a ship, or would higher-ranking people generally be assigned to ships in a warzone?

Are military psychologists referred to by their rank or by "Doctor"?

Also, would any officer be able to attend a counseling session with any of the psychologists onboard, or would junior officers be paired with the lower-ranking psychologists and the senior officers be paired with the higher-ranking psychologists?

Thanks in advance! (Hopefully this message is formatted okay. Sorry if it's not.)

-Katie Z.