What is the best part of being a [clinical] psychologist?

Question

I want to be one someday [when Im older]. & would love to here some insight. What is the pay?

Answer 1

It's not really a field to go into if you're in it for the money. A 2001 survey by the American Psychological Association found that the average pay was about $72,000. With the amount of training required, you could make a lot more money being a lawyer or a physician. But it is a really good profession if you want to feel like you're making a difference in the world. You can come home from work each day and feel satisfied that you did some good. Also, it is not a profession in which you are likely to get bored. Daily work for clinical psychologists tends to be quite varied. Especially if you don't just do private practice. Working in a hospital setting, for example, would provide opportunities for clinical work, for research, and for training others. Within clinical psychology, there are endless possibilities for specialization. So, if you find an area which really interests you, you can concentrate on that area. Maybe you want to work with abused children, people with chronic pain, teenagers with eating disorders, old people with memory problems - the list really is endless. Often psycholgists end up working with a variety of populations over a career. A lot of skills are transferable, so you may start working with abused children, say, and then decide what you really want to do is try and prevent abuse, so you get additional training and start working with high risk parents. Clinical psychology can be a very rewarding career. Here is a link to the APA website, which has a lot more information: http://www.apa.org/divisions/div12/aboutcp.html

Good luck!

Answer 2

The best part is helping people find solutions to problems that are making their lives miserable, problems that they couldn't possible unravel by themselves. Cognitive psychology makes this a fairly efficient process, not drawn out like psychoanalysis.

It isn't easy to get a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, but it's required. A lot of work. After you get your B.S. (4 years), it could easily take another 4 years to get the Ph.D.

After you get your practice underway, it's realistic to earn over $100,000 annually.

Answer 3

Whoops, patience is a distinctive feature. think ofyou've got to attend till you're 18 or older to enter college. i'm employed in the occupation advisory branch at an area college and your age and tutorial methods gained't get you in the front door of our faculty. those are guidelines set through the federal authorities and state. what's the tremendous rush besides, at 16 you are able to wish to be in pcs and expressing your children, go away some thing else to us "previous-parents."

Answer 4

The Best Part is different with each person. You indicate that the Money would be a qualifier and an interest in your case. So pursue it with that in mind and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Good Luck!! @8-)