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Discovering Truths and Behaviors
How do human beings make decisions? What triggers a person to take action at any given point? Have you ever found yourself asking these questions? An attempt to make sense of these questions can be as easy as studying psychology or the science of the soul. While many people have contributed greatly to the science that seeks to understand human behavior it takes dedication to specialize in this area of work. Completely and exclusively learning, understanding, studying, and explaining the answer to these questions can only be understood by a true psychologist.
Psychologists study the behavior of individuals and groups to understand and explain their actions. They specialize in a wide variety of areas. Experimental psychologists concentrate on human behavior as well as rats, monkeys, and pigeons. Environmental psychologists study the influence of environment on people. Clinical psychologists work in mental hospitals or clinics or maintain their own practice. The psychologist field I wish to pursue a career in is a counseling psychologist, who helps people with daily problems concerning their personal, social, educational, and vocational life. Along with the few I have named there are many other types of psychologist professions. Each psychologist contributes by applying his or her own knowledge and expertise to the field of psychology.
Becoming a Psychologist is no easy task. A masters degree in psychology takes about 2 years of schooling. It qualifies a person to assist psychologists in the same field. However without much schooling and training opportunities are limited. Your best bet is to get a doctoral degree, which takes anywhere from 5 to 7 years it, is required for employment as a licensed clinical psychologist. Advancement in this field is limited due to how far you pursue schooling but, most psychologists with doctoral degrees venture out on their own after several years and set up their own practice. The occupational outlook handbook states about one half of all psychologists are self-employed. It also says the employment rate of psychologists is expected to grow about as fast as the average occupation through 2008.
Average salaries for a psychologist with a masters degree can range from 20,000 to 30,000. The money increases the farther you pursue your schooling. The median pay for a psychologist with a doctoral degree is anywhere from 60,000 to 70,000. Psychologists with private practices generally have higher salaries. It can range anywhere from 70,000 and up. If you are looking to making lots of money in this profession earning your doctoral through schooling is a sure way to secure a degree that can lead to many open options.
Along with your many options in this field it is obviously wise to take each step one at a time in order to find the area that suites you best. A family friend Chris who has been a psychologist for over15 years told me to ask myself this question when considering this profession: Would advising and counseling others leave you with a sense of complement at the end of the day? She believes to be a good psychologist you must love working with people and have and open mind. She also said being a psychologist can be very rewarding work, it can open your eyes to many new discoveries. Each day after she leaves if she can look back over the day and think to herself she just helped one person she had a good day.
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