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Any psychologists around here?

Silveresque

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I'm thinking of majoring in psychology and becoming a clinical psychologist (or some type of counselor, I haven't decided what exactly I want to do), but I don't know if this is the right field for me. What if I do all that work to get my Master's or Phd and find that I hate it? I mean, I love studying psychology, but what if I don't like the actual practice? Being a counselor would mean that I work with patients everyday, and I'm not exactly a people person. I can get along with anyone, but I'm so introverted that I don't really enjoy socializing and need a lot of alone time.

I guess what I'm asking is, what characteristics does it take to be a counselor/psychologist? I need to know if I'm suited for this type of career. Will I not like it if I don't particularly like socializing/interacting with people? Are there ways I could make it work for me?
 

LEGERdeMAIN

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I'm not, but I wanted to mention that most of the psychologists/psychiatrists I know are quick to dismiss typology as (mostly)useless rubbish. Some didn't even give reasons for why they were uninterested in the subject, as if I had asked if they thought the earth were flat. I completely understand their point-of-view, although I do appreciate imaginative models of the psyche. I would be surprised to find out that any regulars here were psychologists and believed that MBTI or other systems were accurate or useful enough to take into consideration in their careers.

You could always do some kind of research, rather than counseling. I was a psychology major(briefly), but decided against it. At the time I was interested in working at a university, conducting research. A psychology degree also has uses in the business world, sports, law enforcement, etc, etc. You're certainly not limited to mental institutes and private practices.
 
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ayoitsStepho

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Hey there Rev! I'm not a psychologist but I am a sophmore majoring in psychology (attempting to become an art therapist). I think when it comes to the practice of psychology (in clinical terms), there's a format that you use to help diagnose or help patients that are needing it. I don't believe there's a whole lot of coming up with small talk when speaking to patients. It could be different but I did watch a counselor for a while and he had specific questions he'd ask, different topics he'd speak on before the other person ever came in. So no, I don't personally think you have to be a social butterfly to succeed in a psychological field. It's more about having a desire to help people and understand the human mind.

I hope this helps you in some way. If we have other psychologists I'm sure they could give you way more information than I, but if you have questions that I think I could answer I'd love to help! :)
 
G

garbage

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Hi, I perform my fair share of psychological research (industrial and organizational, management, cognitive/behavior modeling), though my degrees aren't in psychology.

There are internships and shadowing opportunities abound in undergrad; I'd advise anyone of any major to look into them. They are how I found out that I hated electrical engineering.

If you can get along with people one-on-one, I don't see the whole "socializing" thing being an issue. Actually listening to the damn patient is one of the best skills one can have; better if you can empathize with them. I know some very introverted psychologists.

I would be surprised to find out that any regulars here were psychologists and believed that MBTI or other systems were accurate or useful enough to take into consideration in their careers.

From what I understand, most psychologists have moved on to trait-based theories, though there are MBTI practitioners out there who are psychologists--they're mostly of the organizational development and training sort, though.
 

Silveresque

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I'm not, but I wanted to mention that most of the psychologists/psychiatrists I know are quick to dismiss typology as (mostly)useless rubbish. Some didn't even give reasons for why they were uninterested in the subject, as if I had asked if they thought the earth were flat. I completely understand their point-of-view, although I do appreciate imaginative models of the psyche. I would be surprised to find out that any regulars here were psychologists and believed that MBTI or other systems were accurate or useful enough to take into consideration in their careers.

To be honest, I'm not all that into the MBTI. Although I find it interesting, I don't have enough experience with it to really be able to apply it in a useful manner at this point. I do think that the enneagram could be useful for a counselor, though, since it seems more psychological in nature--at least in terms of explaining subconscious motivations.

You could always do some kind of research, rather than counseling. I was a psychology major(briefly), but decided against it. At the time I was interested in working at a university, conducting research. A psychology degree also has uses in the business world, sports, law enforcement, etc, etc. You're certainly not limited to mental institutes and private practices.

I've thought about research psychology. I have no idea if it's something I would enjoy or be good at, but I guess I'll find out along the way.

Hey there Rev! I'm not a psychologist but I am a sophmore majoring in psychology (attempting to become an art therapist). I think when it comes to the practice of psychology (in clinical terms), there's a format that you use to help diagnose or help patients that are needing it. I don't believe there's a whole lot of coming up with small talk when speaking to patients. It could be different but I did watch a counselor for a while and he had specific questions he'd ask, different topics he'd speak on before the other person ever came in. So no, I don't personally think you have to be a social butterfly to succeed in a psychological field. It's more about having a desire to help people and understand the human mind.

I hope this helps you in some way. If we have other psychologists I'm sure they could give you way more information than I, but if you have questions that I think I could answer I'd love to help! :)

Thanks! That's kind of what I was hoping it would be like. I think I could do fine if I don't have to improvise all the time or do too much small talk. A format would certainly make it easier for me.

I would recommend these books

http://www.amazon.com/Being-Therapi...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329251797&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Pers...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329251853&sr=1-1

Carl Rogers and Alice Miller both have stated that empathic listening is more effective than any ‘school of thought’ for a therapist/counselor.

Thanks, I check them out! :)

Hi, I perform my fair share of psychological research (industrial and organizational, management, cognitive/behavior modeling), though my degrees aren't in psychology.

There are internships and shadowing opportunities abound in undergrad; I'd advise anyone of any major to look into them. They are how I found out that I hated electrical engineering.

If you can get along with people one-on-one, I don't see the whole "socializing" thing being an issue. Actually listening to the damn patient is one of the best skills one can have; better if you can empathize with them. I know some very introverted psychologists.

Thanks for your input! I may have to work on the whole zoning out thing though...That's another thing that worries me. I can just picture myself listening to the patient, trying to process the implications of something he just told me, and then realizing he's still talking and I didn't catch a word of what he just said. :p
 

Hazashin

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I'm thinking of majoring in psychology and becoming a clinical psychologist (or some type of counselor, I haven't decided what exactly I want to do), but I don't know if this is the right field for me. What if I do all that work to get my Master's or Phd and find that I hate it? I mean, I love studying psychology, but what if I don't like the actual practice? Being a counselor would mean that I work with patients everyday, and I'm not exactly a people person. I can get along with anyone, but I'm so introverted that I don't really enjoy socializing and need a lot of alone time.

I guess what I'm asking is, what characteristics does it take to be a counselor/psychologist? I need to know if I'm suited for this type of career. Will I not like it if I don't particularly like socializing/interacting with people? Are there ways I could make it work for me?

I know this doesn't help, but... I'm planning on majoring in psychology myself, whether it's clinical or academic. Also, you don't have to become a counselor if you're going into psychology, you can become a researcher. :yes:
 
G

garbage

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Thanks for your input! I may have to work on the whole zoning out thing though...That's another thing that worries me. I can just picture myself listening to the patient, trying to process the implications of something he just told me, and then realizing he's still talking and I didn't catch a word of what he just said. :p

Man, that's just something that comes with practice. I'm sure you'd fare fine :)
 

Silveresque

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I know this doesn't help, but... I'm planning on majoring in psychology myself, whether it's clinical or academic. Also, you don't have to become a counselor if you're going into psychology, you can become a researcher. :yes:

Cool! Good luck! :hifive:

It's a long and difficult path and a competitive field, but we can make it if we study hard and put our minds to it. :)

Research psychology is always a possibility. I'll have to wait and see if it's something I like.
 
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Glycerine

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I am pretty much done w/ my psych major.
DO INTERNSHIPS
GET RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

If you wanna pursue clinical or academia, for the most part, you gotta get a PhD or PsyD.

You could do research. Psychologists are used for policy making, marketing, behavioral detection, industrial organizational psychology, pretty much anywhere you have to take in the human/people factor (whether directly or indirectly). Most of the jobs are in the health psychology sector though. Be aware, that few people in psychology actually primarily do research because of funding. Many usually teach alongside their research.
 

Silveresque

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I am pretty much done w/ my psych major.
DO INTERNSHIPS
GET RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

If you wanna pursue clinical or academia, for the most part, you gotta get a PhD or PsyD.

You could do research. Psychologists are used for policy making, marketing, behavioral detection, industrial organizational psychology, pretty much anywhere you have to take in the human/people factor (whether directly or indirectly). Most of the jobs are in the health psychology sector though. Be aware, that few people in psychology actually primarily do research because of funding. Many usually teach alongside their research.

Yeah, I know you can still get jobs with a Master's degree, but a Phd would be better. I'll have to decide what I want to do. I'm going to start early, as in right now, in freshman year. I'm going to see if there are any research opportunities I could participate in. That's good advice. :)
 

Such Irony

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I'm thinking of majoring in psychology and becoming a clinical psychologist (or some type of counselor, I haven't decided what exactly I want to do), but I don't know if this is the right field for me. What if I do all that work to get my Master's or Phd and find that I hate it? I mean, I love studying psychology, but what if I don't like the actual practice? Being a counselor would mean that I work with patients everyday, and I'm not exactly a people person. I can get along with anyone, but I'm so introverted that I don't really enjoy socializing and need a lot of alone time.

I guess what I'm asking is, what characteristics does it take to be a counselor/psychologist? I need to know if I'm suited for this type of career. Will I not like it if I don't particularly like socializing/interacting with people? Are there ways I could make it work for me?

I've read that alot of psychologists and counselors are introverted. Sure you interact with people but its more one-on-one as opposed to large groups. People usually make appointments so you can plan your social interactions in advance. Don't know if that helps.

I've considered psychology as a major too. I didn't choose it in the end though. For me, I just don't know if I could handle all of the emotional baggage some of the clients would likely bring.
 

xisnotx

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I read somewhere that something around 1 in 5 psych majors don't have a job 6 months after graduation.
 
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Glycerine

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Yeah, I know you can still get jobs with a Master's degree, but a Phd would be better. I'll have to decide what I want to do. I'm going to start early, as in right now, in freshman year. I'm going to see if there are any research opportunities I could participate in. That's good advice. :)

It really depends on the state qualifications. Some states are more limited than others in regards to psychologist qualifications. In my state, they changed it a few years ago that you have to get a PhD in order to do therapy in most areas. I heard that if you get a job w/ a Masters, you might be under supervision your whole career if you do counseling in psychology. That's really good about the research.... Research, honors project, internships. It will look REALLY good for grad school! Good luck!
 

Silveresque

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It really depends on the state qualifications. Some states are more limited than others in regards to psychologist qualifications. In my state, they changed it a few years ago that you have to get a PhD in order to do therapy in most areas. I heard that if you get a job w/ a Masters, you might be under supervision your whole career if you do counseling in psychology. That's really good about the research.... Research, honors project, internships. It will look REALLY good for grad school! Good luck!

Thanks! I think I might go for the Phd then. It would probably be better in the long run.
 
G

Glycerine

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Thanks! I think I might go for the Phd then. It would probably be better in the long run.

I added a lot to the other post after I posted. Sorry about that!

Also, double majoring/minoring might look good too. If you like math and can do it well, you can help statistically analyze the data for the psych people who bombed math. I heard it's pretty profitable.

Or biology if you're into neuropsychology.

or computer programming can be a good skill.

Or anything else that relates to the subfield you wanna go into.

If you're into computer programming/maths/hard sciences and have an aptitude for them, then it may give you a competitive edge for going more into the technical research side w/o having to deal w/ people quite as much and still make a decent living.

I guess that all amounts to make yourself stand out in some way since psychology is a common major. One can get a lot of jobs w/ a psychology degree but not necessarily within the field since there are A LOT of psychology majors around.

That's all I have, I promise! :D
 

Silveresque

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I added a lot to the other post after I posted. Sorry about that!

Also, double majoring/minoring might look good too. If you like math and can do it well, you can help statistically analyze the data for the psych people who bombed math. I heard it's pretty profitable.

Or biology if you're into neuropsychology.

or computer programming can be a good skill.

Or anything else that relates to the subfield you wanna go into.

If you're into computer programming/maths/hard sciences and have an aptitude for them, then it may give you a competitive edge for going more into the technical research side w/o having to deal w/ people quite as much and still make a decent living.

I guess that all amounts to make yourself stand out in some way since psychology is a common major. One can get a lot of jobs w/ a psychology degree but not necessarily within the field since there are A LOT of psychology majors around.

That's all I have, I promise! :D

I've thought about double majoring, but I think it would be too difficult and stressful. I might be able to minor in German or Japanese though. I was originally planning on doing something with foreign languages before I got into psychology. I'm also good at computer programming and have a few credits of that already from an AP test I took in high school, so that's a possibility. But I think if I want to go into counseling psychology, human languages will probably be better than computer languages.
 
G

garbage

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Also, double majoring/minoring might look good too. If you like math and can do it well, you can help statistically analyze the data for the psych people who bombed math. I heard it's pretty profitable.

Or biology if you're into neuropsychology.

or computer programming can be a good skill.

Or anything else that relates to the subfield you wanna go into.

If you're into computer programming/maths/hard sciences and have an aptitude for them, then it may give you a competitive edge for going more into the technical research side w/o having to deal w/ people quite as much and still make a decent living.

I guess that all amounts to make yourself stand out in some way since psychology is a common major. One can get a lot of jobs w/ a psychology degree but not necessarily within the field since there are A LOT of psychology majors around.

That's all I have, I promise! :D

Man, yeah. One of my closest colleagues is a Ph.D. Psychology and keeps harping on how much of a benefit it is to bring something else to the table. He's big on (research) psychologists being able to program or, at least, to analyze data. A double major is just one way to show proficiency in something else; job experience or demonstrated projects are another way.

If you're interested in foreign languages, perhaps you could find an initial niche as a guidance counselor for international students or something of that nature.

I'm seeing a clinical psychologist friend today; might have to bounce some ideas/advice off of her.
 

Hyacinth

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There are different career paths for psychology; you don't need to be a counselor to be a psychologist. You can find psychologists in academia, research, consulting... so you don't need to be a people person. But on the other hand, as a psychologist, you don't need to be a really social person: you're there to do a job, and that involves talking, but you usually don't make a lot of small talk with your clients. Well, good psychologists don't do that unless there's a particular reason for it.
 

mmmmmcakeeeee

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Currently double majoring in Public Health Sciences & Psychology/Cognitive Sciences. If you're considering clinical psychology, you have to know that there are 2 fields: neuropsychology (though this term is getting a bad reputation) and counseling.

Neuropsychologists deal with more brain-based issues (just a bit more comparable to psychiatrists than counselors), whereas counselors are... counselors. They help people navigate through life. The way I see it, neuropsychologists care for people with actual neurological disorders while counselors handle social aspects of life like conflict management, self-fulfillment/actualization, etc.

If you don't like talking to people, I wouldn't suggest going into counseling (especially if you're not sure). Have you ever visited a school counselor? I suggest seeing one just to see how the job is. Personally, seeing my counselor and what he has to deal with everyday is what turned me off. If you like psychology and studying social behavior, maybe you can pursue the research in social psych - though not a lot of $ is typically invested in the field. Cognitive neuroscience is a very big field right now, and it's where I'm headed (more the research side). Practicing neuropsychologists can make big $, but you need to have a strong scientific background. And I think the field itself is phasing out into something different... haven't done enough research on it to know why or to what. This is just from hearsay.

So yeah, Try figuring out why you're interested in psychology, what can you see yourself doing for the rest of your life, is it worth going to school for it (psych grad schools are extremely competitive, and PhDs are often required for Clinical Psych), etc. You can find a very fulfilling career in psych, but only if you know what you truly want from it and if you're persistent/dedicated enough to it.

Good luck.
 
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