My Dream Career As A School Psychologist

Extensive schooling, mental and emotional preparation, and personal dedication are the aspects required to becoming successful in this career. Psychology is a hard study to master, and depending on what field of psychology a person may want to go into can make the task even more

I desire to pursue school counseling as my career to become an effective and successful leader in this profession. Why? I have always held a passion for touching the lives of the youth in a great and positive manner. A licensed school counselor entails helping students with academic achievement, personal/social growth and career development, ensuring students become the industrious, well-balanced adults of tomorrow. while, operating as a professional school counselor involves me obtaining the appropriate knowledge and skills that will support me with providing exceptional service for clients. I believe that I can obtain this intelligence here at Capella University. I comprehend that as a professional school counselor I would be expected

“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

Multiple years of research and field experience as well as my undergraduate coursework in Psychology, Counseling, and General Education has provided me with ample skills to be successful at the graduate level in the School Psychology program offered at Francis Marion University. Working within the school system with students with mental health needs and exceptionalities has been a dream of mine since I was in high school. I am confident the School Psychology program at Francis Marion University will provide me with the skill set needed to make my dream a reality and become the best School Psychologist I can be.

“It takes a village to raise a child.” I never quite understood that saying when I was growing up, but my experiences teaching and working in school settings have showed me how true it really is. Obtaining a degree in school psychology will allow me to give the support that students, families and educators need to ensure that every student will thrive.

My name is Courtney Torok and I am currently a senior here at Kennesaw State University. I am graduating this December with a degree in psychology. I am originally from Michigan and moved down here to Georgia with my family just before starting at Kennesaw State University. I started off majoring in chemistry with the intent of applying to some kind of medical program, but eventually found that my passion was psychology. I have always wanted to work in the “helping” field. After graduating, I plan on applying to graduate school for school psychology programs where I will earn both my Master of Science in School Psychology and Specialist in School Psychology degrees. Ideally, I would love to be accepted into a graduate school in Florida, as

As I started my college career at Tuskegee University, where I double majored in psychology and English. I was passionate about creating social awareness and helping people, but I was unsure what career I was interested in after graduation. I thought about attending graduate school for Counseling Psychology, but I just was not sure about it. I spoke to a professor in the Counselor Education program at Georgia State University and discussed my interests with her. She suggested I look for a program accredited by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) School Counseling. I enrolled in the School Counseling program at Clark Atlanta

Becoming a mental health counselor wasn't an easy decision to come about. Hard to become prior to choosing to be a mental health counselor I have a desire to be a special-education teacher, specialize in working with children on the asperger's spectrum of autism. The reason I decided to choose to change my professional goals was because I thought as a counselor I will be able to work with children on different disabilities and adults on a one-to-one basis. Dream experience as a preschool teacher, many colleges have said that I have a sense of counseling and understanding when dealing with children and people. My previous class prior to this class give me a better understanding of what my goals are and how to reach them. So I truly believe

Following the interview conducted with a school psychologist, I was able to obtain a sense of Mrs. Montgomery’s basis for her practice, including her target clients, assumptions and values, goals and various roles of consultation, counseling, intervention and program evaluation (Sandoval, 1986). Mrs. Montgomery may be characterized as a school psychologist who places particular emphasis on the need to improve the student and systems’ capability.

I am interested in being a school psychologist for a variety of reasons. First, I believe that my background in working with children and families, and my B.A. in psychology are essential combinations that will be helpful in my pursuit of the degree. Second, I would like to work with children in a variety of educational situations, such as those in need of special education classes and those in talented and gifted programs. Third, I believe it is essential to work directly with the entire family system, not just the child. The child's progress depends on the home environment and the academic environment equally. This academic environment includes all professions (i.e., teachers,

One of my goals for the future is to obtain my master degree in school counseling. I believe that school counselors can make a tremendous difference in student lives; they can empower students to reach their full potential. I am currently working as a Parent Involvement Facilitator for the Washoe County School District, and I am also doing my internship with a school counselor at an elementary school. In addition, my undergraduate degree is in Human Development and Family Studies. Also, I volunteer at my church as a youth leader. Most of the positions where I have worked or volunteered, I have been able to work with families to help them reach their goals. For example, in my position as a Parent Involvement Facilitator I help families find

I am sending an email in response to the question you posed in the videos. I am starting my third year in the Ph.D school psychology program. I switched from the Ed.S program to the Ph.D program this fall. I am not certain why I chose school psychology. My bacholers is in Political Science and Psychology. I always thought I was going to go to law school, I even took the LSAT. While I was applying for law schools, I decided the career may not make me happy, so I found school psychology. I also saw a lot of unemployed laweyers when I was applying for law school. I want to work with any population. My practcum last year was at an elementary, middle school, and high school. I enjoyed working with all of the age groups. I have worked with children

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.

Throughout the years, schools have had to take on much more responsibility than just making sure that students are learning the material. Schools are now facing new challenges such as violence in schools, children that may be mentally or emotionally challenged, and basically being a caretaker for hundreds of kids, 365 days out of the year. With the new challenges, comes more responsibility and accountability which means adjusting accordingly. This is where the job of a school psychologist is of upmost importance. In the past, the role of the school psychologist has been solely to work with mentally challenged children. However, with the constantly changing demands that schools are facing, school psychology has broadened the field by transitioning from working with students individually to putting more focus into evidence-based work with families, classrooms, home-school partnerships, consultation and etc. (cite). The role of a school psychologist includes working with students, teachers, and other staff to help students excel academically, maintain healthy social relationships, manage emotions, exhibit healthy behavior and overall, create a supportive learning environment. They may also work with families, community, and school administration to make sure that students are in a safe school climate and explore ways to improve student success (American Psychological Association, 2016). School psychologists have had to broaden their training and expand their reach and