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Career Options for Psychologist

Career News August 8, 2013

A lot of smart people avoid psychology because of the idea that the field requires years and years of unending training. Not true! While a psychologist and a psychiatrist may have to devote a great portion of their lives to extensive schooling, you can simply earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree and find lucrative and stable job opportunities.

What Avenues Await You?

Psychology is actually one of the most active fields at the university level, and while the enthusiasm is great upon graduation, sometimes enthusiasm is reserved. After all, psychology students are not trained to focus on their career—just the complexities of the science. And, it might surprise you to know that few departments even offer career workshops or special classes devoted to the business side of psychology. However, the fields are there; you just have to know where to look.

First, you must decide if you want to pursue clinical psychology or counseling psychology, two different fields. Clinical psychology involves diagnosis and treatment of emotional, behavioral and cognitive disorders. These are the most common problems, such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and so forth. These professionals often work in health care institutions, including hospitals, clinics and private practice, perhaps even opting to work with children or seniors as a specialty. On the other hand, counseling psychology involves less severe symptoms and is more personal goal oriented.

Other Career Options in Psychology

There are also careers in research or experimental psychology, which involves studying more about human mental processes. You have the option of venturing out into law and forensic psychology, which is the psychology of not only criminals, but also the courtroom itself, and how juries decide cases. You may be called upon to provide assessments and expert testimony, or simply work as a consultant. Of course, this particular path may require an additional specialization, such as law.

There is also the option of health psychology where you can work in a health center or perhaps a corporate business that allows you to collaborate with others. Other avenues exist in rehabilitation psychology, which is the treatment of individuals coping with disability, particularly the mental and emotional rebuilding phase.

Neuropsychology and behavioral neuroscience study disorders, particularly among brain structure and the affects it has on the central nervous system. Your job here may be with a government agency or even working with pharmaceutical companies. Social psychology is all about social civics and environment, getting along with people in a variety of settings, while developmental psychology is concerned with the development of the human mind from impressionable youth to seniority. Rounding out your avenues is educational psychology, which teaches newcomers about the science you love.

And, even if you don’t excel in these fields as a physician, you can work as an assistant or even at the business end of the profession, if you were to earn an MBA, as well as a psychology degree. The options are endless, if you are driven. Ultimately, what matters is that you are helping people improve their life, while advancing science, medicine and psychology for the future.

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