Clinical Psychology: How To Become A Clinical Psychologist

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All around the world, there is psychology going on. The ability to look at someone and know their personality or anything about their lives is psychology. It is what makes you understand a person. It is what makes you feel a person’s situation and what makes you connect with others; it is what makes us human. Whether you try to or not, you are constantly trying to figure out others or even yourself. You are constantly wanting to motivate yourself so you can accomplish some sort of goal—maybe a nap? a homework assignment? a delicious dinner? Psychology helps you grow as a person by experiencing bad lessons from the past and using those lessons to progress you forward. Psychology is all around us, and it has been since the beginning of human …show more content…

Through the use of therapeutic sessions and treatments, a clinical psychologist can help an incapable person learn to fit in with society and live a normal life (Odysseyware). Clinical psychologists can either be employed in hospitals, mental health facilities, or have their own private practice (Odysseyware). According to the informational website, “How to Become a Clinical Psychologist,” a clinical psychologist can be split into two categories: practitioners and researchers. They classify practitioners as the ones that work with clients, specialize in areas like “addiction, domestic relationships or learning disabilities,” and use certain psychological techniques such as assessment and intervention tools so they can help their clients achieve goals and get healthier; researchers they classify as the psychologists “committed to improving our understanding of human behavior,” and who make studies, help businesses, and try to improve various systems so work outcome can become better (“How to Become a Clinical Psychologist”). Many of the disorders a clinical psychologist deals with is schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, multiple personalities disorders, and other severe mental problems (Goodale & Goldberg). Using many techniques and therapies, clinical psychologists help their patients and clients get through their “emotional and behavioral issues” …show more content…

I just want[ed] to help people and I get a lot out of it; I feel like I’m doing a good deed.” Knowing you are helping people, especially children, can be one of the biggest rewards of being a psychologist (“Becoming a Child Psychologist”). In addition, other pros of being a psychologist include the salary being a national high, ranging from $38,000 to $125,000; the predicted growth being 11 percent from 2012 to 2022; the opportunity to work in many different areas, such as hospitals, private practices, schools, etc.; there’s a variety of treatments so you can pick and choose; and psychologists feel self worthiness and happiness when helping people—especially children—better their lives. However, there are some cons of becoming a psychologist: after getting a bachelor’s degree, another four more years of education are required; after the doctoral degree, two more years of supervised training are required and then after the ten years, you have to take and pass an exam (GRE) to earn a “specialty certification in child psychology.” In addition to these cons, child psychologists can come across children with traumatic and often unimaginable pasts and/or very violent reactions (Becoming a Child Psychologist”). Jessie Muret also says this is a hard thing for her to face too. To her, the most difficult aspect of the job is experiencing “secondary trauma, which is when you experience

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