Want to be a psychologist.?

Question

I have wanted to be a shrink ever since I was a little kid. It is time for me to start my schooling however I want to know exactly what is needed. I have seen enrollment counselors but they tell me something different every time. Could someone explain what is needed to be in this profession. Preferably from someone who has done it but all answers are welcome.

Guess i should be more specific. I want to be a psychologist not a psychiatrist.

Answer 1

Hi Shake! To be a psychologist is a good profession to consider, and I can tell you the process as I went through it myself. Everything that I'm writing below applies to the USA. The process can be very different in other countries. Canada, New Zealand, and Australia may be somewhat similar to USA, but there will be some differences. Less developed countries may not have very much in the way of requirements to be a psychologist; it just depends, country by country.

"Shrink" is usually a term for psychiatrists, not psychologists. As you probably already know, psychiatrists are medical doctors who received extra training in psychiatry. A psychologist is someone who has a Ph.D. in psychology and who is licensed to practice psychology (meaning they can see patients or clients).

About the words patients and clients: In today's world, psychologists tend to prefer the word clients, although patients is still widely used, as well. Patients are usually people who are in hospitals or are being seen by a medical doctor. Clients are people who have come for help with some problem. Some people argue that the word patient makes it sound like the person is sick, which is often not the case -- the person just needs help. So that's why many people use the word clients these days, instead of patients.

Okay, for the USA:

There are several different kinds of psychologists. Clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists, and school psychologists work with clients or patients. There are also many other areas of psychology in which you can get a Ph.D. (such as experimental, developmental, social, cognitive, and so on). Most of those people teach in universities or do research for companies and organizations.

From what you've written, it sounds like you are interested in working with clients to help them improve their lives in some way. So that would be clinical, counseling, or school psychology.

Clinical psychologists primarily work with people who have mild to severe psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, or are psychotic. Clinical psychologists often work hand-in-hand with a psychiatrist or other physician who can prescribe medications.

Counseling psychologists are trained to work with normal people who going through various normal life changes, such as marital or relationship problems, job/career searches or changes, substance/alcohol abuse, or people who want to improve some area of their life or personality, like become better students, or better parents, or better lovers, or whatever.

So, although clinical and counseling psychology are different in theory, in reality the training that clinical and counseling psychologists receive is very similar, and many end up doing identical jobs.

School psychologists work with children, teachers, and often the school system. They test children to see if they are eligable for special programs such as gifted programs, special education, and so on. They help teachers learn new and better ways of working with children.

To get a Ph.D., you first must complete your Bachelor's Degree, which usually takes 4 years, but you can do it in 3 if you go during the summers. It would be very helpful to get your Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, as that will prepare you for graduate school. During your junior year, you should start researching which graduate school you want to attend. You have to take the GRE (Graduate Record Exam), and your scores should be at least 1200 to get into a good school. However, it's possible to get into a lesser school with a 900 or 1000 on the GRE, although it's rare. Getting into Clinical Psychology graduate school is VERY competitive. Counseling Psychology and School Psychology are less competitive, but you can still expect some stiff competition. Some schools are easier to get into. Other schools may be harder to get into but have better training or a better reputation.

Once you enter graduate school, you will first complete your Master's degree, which takes 1 - 2 years. You have to take a number of courses, pass comprehensive exams, and do a thesis (research study) to complete the Masters. After that, you will complete your Ph.D., which can take another 3+ years. After you finish all your coursework and practica (classes where you get to see real clients and practice your skills), you have to (1) pass comprehensive exams (which might be written, or oral, or both), (2) complete a dissertation (a comprehensive and original research study), and (3) complete a one-year full-time internship (where you get to see patients/clients under the direction of a licensed psychologist). The internships are competitive also. But if you are a good student, you will not have a problem with the competitive part; you will find a slot sooner or later.

Some graduate schools give a Psy.D. degree instead of a Ph.D. The primary difference is that the Psy.D doesn't require a dissertation and is less research oriented. If you want to teach in a university, a Ph.D. is usually required. So a Ph.D. is more versatile. But a Psy.D. will allow you to practice psychology, to see clients.

After you finish your Ph.D., you still are not finished yet! To practice psychology on your own, without supervision, you have to finish two full years of work under a licensed psychologist. You can then apply for your own license. Each state in the US has their own laws for licensing. So you get licensed in a particular state or states. Most psychologists are licensed to practice in the state they live in, and sometimes in the nearby states. Once you are licensed, you can hang out your shingle, and there you go! You can also work in hospitals, clinics, etc.

Many people don't realize that to be called a "psychologist" you must go through this process. Someone who has just a Bachelor's or Master's degree cannot be called a psychologist. Only someone who has completed their Ph.D. and become licensed is truly a "psychologist." People who have Ph.D.s in Psychology but who are not licensed are simply said to have Ph.D.s in psychology. If you have a Ph.D. or a Psy.D. then people may address you as "Dr. Shake."

There are many other ways to become a counselor, if working with people who have problems is your goal. You don't have to be a psychologist. Clinical social workers, people with degrees in psychology/sociology/education, and psychiatric nurses are all allowed to do counseling and receive certification as counselors, if they have the training required. That may be what your career counselors were referring to. As you can see, there's a big difference between the training required to be a psychologist and the training required to be a counselor or therapist.

Good luck!!!

Answer 2

There is a difference between Psychiatry and Psychology. Psychiatry requires a medical degree while Psychology requires a Ph.D. Both fields are different in that Psychiatry is more about prescribing medications for patients whereas Psychology is generally more about therapy and behavioral interventions with patients. Which are you more interested in?

A "shrink" like the ones on TV are hardly the norm... no one lies on couches any more or gets hypnotized. The general notion of what a shrink does is EXTREMELY glamorized by the media and real psychiatry/psychology is absolutely nothing like that.

If you'd like to pursue psychiatry, then you have to go to med school and specialize in it. If you want to pursue psychology, then you have to work your way up to a Ph.D. or a Psy.D which is about 8-10 years of undergrad and post-grad study. Hope this info helps!

Answer 3

You need to do a bit of research on your own. Find a college where the turn out GOOD Psychologists. Get the college catalog and see which classes are required to get the degree.

In addition, open the Yellow Pages and find a psychologist with a private office. Call them and ask them to give you a few pointers. What did they like? Not Like? What classes are good, which are not? Is there a good college? What college would they have attended OTHER than where they graduated? What did they do to get where they are? What other jobs are there for a psychologist than private practice? Would only take a few min out of their day and most would consider it flattery that you came to them.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

It sounds like you'd like to do therapy, which opens up your choice for either a PhD or PsyD. The PsyD is a practitioners degree with little emphasis on research, while the PhD will often require more research classes or projects.
First you need to look online at which schools look interesting according to which classes they offer. You'll also want to make sure that they are apa approved and for how long.
Second, you need to look very carefully at the requirements for each school and begin to gather what you need (transcripts, reference letters) and also write essays for each one that you plan to apply to. You also need to pay attention to various deadlines for each school for when you need to apply.
I've been through this. Questions that you need answered are how many students in each class, the model or orientation that the school works from, their requirements for practicums and how they work there, and if they have concentrations that you'd be interested in (forensic, health, family).
It can be overwhelming and expensive to apply to schools, so take your time and stay organized. Good Luck!