A Career in Clinical Psychology

Then earn a Doctoral degree as a Doctor of Psychology or Psy.D that requires 2-3 of advanced coursework and a 1-3 years dissertation. It is important for this program to be accredited by the American Psychological Association. This is also the time to begin some type of experience by taking a 1-year full-time internship. Next, one would have to complete a Post-doctoral Internship which is a “ placement to gain the experiences necessary for a license” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015, pg.1). After this it is time to obtain your License by passing the examination for Professional Practice of Psychology and depending on what state you live in, an ethics examination as well. One might think their almost to the finish line but after this there is still education requirements needed like “20 hours of continuing education per year, or 40 hours every two years” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015, pg.1). Finally obtain a Specialty Certification if the psychologist has a specific focus

There are many professional pathways within psychology that an individual may apply themselves to for their career. These include: clinical, forensic, health, and educational psychology. The professional career pathway within applied psychology which will be discussed in this essay is the field of clinical psychology. Clinical psychology aims to reduce the amount of psychological distress an individual experiences and enhance the promotion of psychological well-being. Clinical psychologists attend to both mental and physical health problems including addiction, anxiety, depression, learning difficulties and relationship issues in order to help individuals resolve their problems. Clinical psychologists predominantly work within hospitals, mental health groups and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Clinical | Careers, 2016).

“Few fields of study offer more career opportunities than does psychology” (Sternburg 3). There are a wide selection of specialties a person could go into with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. In graduate school, which is a must to attend, there is the option to explore the different specialities or to go into the desired specialty without any research of the others. There are also many options within a specific specialty. There is the option to be a teacher, to work for various organizations, be a speaker, to have your own practice, and many others. In the psychology field these options can all be combined. In fact it is expected of psychologists to do more activities involving their specialty than solely sit in an office and listen to patients. There are two specialities that I am interested in however, over the years, these specialties have become very similar. Clinical and counseling psychology have evolved to become one in the same. Someone who specializes in clinical psychology are more

Before postgraduate work can be started, the student must receive a bachelor’s in psychology and fulfill the requirements listed for the psychology program they wish to enter. Once a bachelor’s degree is achieved, a psychology major has the choice of either obtaining their master's or their doctorate. When earning a master’s a student is accepted into the college of his or her choice, and usually completes the program within 2 years, or longer. If a master's is earned, the student may go on to become an assistant in a clinical setting underneath someone who has a doctorate in psychology, but they will not be able to do any high level of work. If a student chooses to obtain a doctorate they are again, accepted into the program of their choice, although admission is very competitive. Once accepted into the doctorate program the student serves about 2-4 years where they receive training and guidance in a hospital setting, but it all depends on the program they enter. Having a doctorate in psychology will open the doors for soon-to-be clinical psychologists, and offers a higher job title, certification, and higher pay. Whether a student chooses a master's or a doctorate, a large amount of psychology classes must be taken. More than likely when a student is an a doctorate program, they are required to fulfill a 1-2 year internal ship of professional experience, as cited from

Myers and Briggs created a personality test that not only will help people to figure out their personality types, but at the same time it aids in the discovery of which career pathways people should take based on their specific personality traits. Based on the personality trait INFP that was given to me from the Myer-Briggs test I have quite a few career pathways that fit my personality. Some of the career choices suited to my personality is a writer, counselor, teacher/professor, psychologist, psychiatrist, musician, or a religious worker; which seems like a pretty broad selection. Although there is a broad selection of careers that would suit my personality none of which are the career path that I have chosen; which is to become a physical therapist, but if I was not set on a goal some of these career ideas would not seem too bad. While reading the list of jobs suited for my personality I was surprised to see that psychologist was on the list because before I decided to go for physical therapy I wanted to pursue a career in that exact field. As for most of the other fields mentioned above I

Each type has unique gifts and talents that can be used in different occupations. ISFJ personalities are practical and motivated to provide for others in the careers that they choose. The ideal work environment for this personality type is to work alone on projects, work with known facts, use standard procedures, work in a friendly and relaxed environment. Careers that are suggested for someone with the ISFJ personality are interior decorators, nurses, administrators, managers, child care professionals, counselors, paralegals, religious workers, shopkeepers and office managers. Personally, I want to work in the Biotechnology field developing cures for sick children and adults. I would love to find the cure for cancer and lyme disease. If I can make a difference in someone’s life I will then be satisfied with what I do for a living.

The results from assessment weren’t surprising to me, as I ranked very high in conventional, Enterprising and Social categories. There were several careers listed in the job zone that appealed to me such as Human Resources Specialist, A Meeting, Convention and Event Planner, Compensation and Benefits Manager and Social &Human Service Assistant. All of these careers stem from organization and analytical thinking characteristics and follow guidelines

Clinical psychologist are not like ordinary people, they are benevolent and placid people. Psychologist observe others behavior, brain functions, talk with clients, and diagnose disorders. The reason I chose this career is because I would love to help people overcome difficulties in their life and to be there for the people that need someone to listen. Psychologist are not only there to listen but they also give advice to others. They give them exercises and other ways to help fix a problem they could be having. It is important to understand education or training requirements, skills or talents needed, salary and benefits offered, and the duties for a particular career when making this decision

A Psychologist has one main job which is to help many people with their mental illnesses. Such mental illnesses can affect how a person does daily things. Helping many people with mental illnesses will let them go back to doing things the way they want to do it, without the fear of birds, or the need to eat constantly. Freeing the people to live their own lives and not the disorders. I would like to pursue this career in the hope to help clients be themselves.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA) website “Psychologists who provide clinical or counseling services assess and treat mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. They integrate the science of psychology and the treatment of complex human problems with the intention of promoting change.” ("Pursuing A Career In Clinical Or Counseling Psychology", 2014).) In the simplest terms, “the study of individuals, by observation or experimentation, with the intention of promoting change.” (Compas, Bruce, & Gotlib, 2002) Clinical psychologist careers vary in industries such as research, integrated health care, teaching, public policy and professional practice. Some clinical psychologists work exclusively on specific mental, emotional, and behavioral issues. Relationship conflict and conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction are a few examples of areas of specialization for a clinical psychologist. According to the APA website (2014), in order to become a clinical psychologist the journey begins with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Next the student must obtain a graduate degree. Each graduate program determines its own entrance requirements. Some doctoral programs require their applicants to have a master’s degree in psychology. Other people enter doctoral programs with only a bachelor’s degree. Most doctoral degrees take five to seven years to complete. You must also

Coursework along this path demands both education and psychology due to the nature of the work. There are mental health components and educational aspects. The masters degree in psychology requires at least two years of full-time graduate study and usually includes practical experience in an applied setting and a thesis based on personal research that is original. Getting accepted into graduate programs for psychology can be full of competition. School psychologists must meet credential and licensing requirements for individual states. These vary state by state. The licensing varies by type of position and is based on professional competence through training and experience. Some states require continuing education for renewal of licenses. According to Landrum and Davis (2009) “right now twenty-nine states recognize the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) designation on a national level” (p.73). Credentials transfer from state to state in this case and new credential exams do not have to be taken when moving from one of these states to another. Requirements for the NCSP include completion of sixty graduate semester hours in school psychology, a twelve hundred hour internship (six hundred hours in school setting), and a passing score on the National School Psychology exam.

I want to be a psychologist. I would love to learn all about the way people act, think and feel and at the same time try to help them. I have a very easygoing personality and I love to have fun and laugh. I ask a lot of questions, and I think I am very easy to get along with. Some career goals I have is to finish college, I would like to find a job I want to keep that I could make a career out of, and just take it one day at a time because I have desire to make the right decisions and live a pleasant life.

With being a psychologist, there are many different careers to choose from within this profession (Explore Health Careers). The first type of psychologists to choose from is a clinical psychologist. Clinical psychologists help people with counseling and psychotherapy. They work with people who have all around life problems, such as new adjustments in life. Clinical psychologists also help people who have emotional disorders or

A defining moment in clinical psychology training occurred during the Vail Conference in 1973 with the approval of a different training model. In addition to the Boulder model, the Vail model, referred to as the scholar-practitioner model, was approved. This version proposed that clinical training would stress providing professional psychological services while focusing less on training in research. Additionally, the symposium confirmed the concept that graduate education need not take place only in the leading

The Kuder Occupational Interest Survey used predictive validity. Using predictive validity, they proved that over 43 percent of the sample were in occupations corresponding to their five highest ranked scales. The reported reliability ranged between .40 and .80.