How & Why You Should Become a Clinical Psychologist in 2023?

People in today’s world have upgraded their standard of living and are striving hard to maintain their lifestyles. They have chosen very hectic daily routines which have deprived them of their mental peace. Their unending desires have no limit. As a result, we have affected our mental health more than our physical health and without noticing it, we are actively creating more problems for ourselves.

Here comes the role of a clinical psychologist who is offering their devoted services to calm all such people facing mental health issues like anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and much more. They listen to them and provide ultimate holistic care to get them back the peace they are looking for.

So, if you are a person who is ready to listen to society’s call for getting eternal peace with the choices, they have made for themselves, come on, bind your gird today.

You will find no other way than to become a clinical psychologist to help out people in the healing process or give them the strength to fight the opposing situations and poison their lives with negativity all around.

It is not as easy as making a cup of tea to become a clinical psychologist. It costs a detailed study in the specific field from undergraduate courses to get a license after completion of a postgraduate course and practice. Here We will give you a brief guideline to enlighten your passage to be a clinical psychologist in the upcoming future.

Who is a Clinical Psychologist?

A licensed clinical psychologist is a professional expert that helps people deal with their mental and behavioral problems through their therapies and treatment. They receive specialized training to enable them to diagnose and treat a variety of mental, behavioral, and emotional difficulties. All clinical psychologists must use methods and therapies rather than drugs to assist patients in restoring their better mental health.

Why Choose Clinical Psychology as your Career?

A career in clinical psychology would fit you if you are the type of person who is passionate about helping others and deeply interested in how the human mind functions. Clinical psychologists receive specific training that qualifies them to assist patients in a variety of ways.

They may be helped in a variety of ways, including by being given therapy for various mental disorders, helping them become more resilient, assisting them in building strengths for spending a better life, and helping them make adjustments and choices. You also have other chances in the field of clinical psychology. These options include ones that you will find fascinating for yourself, such as starting your private practice or working for a hospital, school, or other institution.

How many Years Does it Take to Become a Psychologist?

Studying one or two psychology books doesn’t make you a clinical psychologist. Rather, a psychology student spends almost 8 to 12 years to become a clinical psychologist by learning expertise in field-related techniques and procedures. They do extensive studies on human nature, behavior, thinking, personality, and almost everything that helps them out in treating and understanding the problems of their patients.

The best thing to do is to pursue this professional pathway if you believe it will be beneficial to you. However, the question remains, how to become a clinical psychologist? So, this article is focused entirely on it.

Read this article carefully to get the best piece of information on this career option if you have either already planned or are planning to pursue clinical psychology as your profession.

How to Be a Clinical Psychologist?

You may start your career in clinical psychology by enrolling in clinical psychology as a study location. According to the American Psychological Association, clinical psychologists should possess the following training to practice their profession:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Master’s degree
• Doctorate Degree
• Licensing and Practicing

Get your License in Clinical Psychology in Four Steps

Although every career’s journey is unique, the usual steps you must complete to become a clinical psychologist guided by APA are listed below.

• First Milestone | Bachelor’s in Psychology

It is a pivotal point for anyone who intended to be a clinical psychologist. They begin their way up with a psychology bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree in psychology is required for some graduate programs, however other bachelor’s degrees from other programs could be accepted.

When you enroll in a psychology program, you have access to a wider range of master’s degree options than if you choose to major in any other subject.

Check the criteria for entrance to your graduate school before starting your bachelor’s degree program. This will guarantee that the requirements for admission to a psychology Ph.D. program are included in your four-year degree. You must also keep your grade point average (GPA) constant throughout your undergraduate degree program because many colleges need a minimum GPA to get admitted.

• Second Milestone | Master’s in Clinical Psychology

You’ll be able to focus on the field in which you want to pursue clinical psychology as a career during your master’s program. The practice will need you to take in-depth courses in subjects like clinical health, psychoanalysis, rehabilitation, and much more. During your master’s degree, you could also pick up useful experience in the lab or conducting research. You might be eligible to practice psychology after receiving your Master’s degree, depending on the criteria in your state.

• Third Milestone | Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

Clinical psychologists must hold either a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (Ph.D. in Psychology) as their doctoral degree. Both doctoral degrees have slight differences.

Both programs are demanding, but the Ph.D. in Psychology offers a tougher curriculum and a higher bar for entrance. You will likely concentrate on one or more of the areas of specialty recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA) during your Ph.D. degree.

Depending on the program and its requirements, Ph.D. degree programs often take 5 to 7 years to finish. Dissertation writing and defense preparation are required. Most programs complete a thorough test that you must pass to receive your degree. Additionally, a one-year internship program is typical for Ph.D. programs in clinical psychology.

• Fourth Milestone | Practicing & Licensing

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), clinical psychologists must hold a license in the majority of states. Depending on your state and the sort of position, license requirements may vary. The following conditions must be satisfied by a clinical psychologist in the majority of states:

• Hold a Ph.D. in psychology
• Finish your internship
• Possess supervised professional experience of at least one to two years.
• Pass the Professional Practice in Psychology Exam

Throughout your career, you’ll probably need to attend further education classes to keep your license current. Information on state licensure requirements is also available from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards.

Sample Courses of Clinical Psychology

Look at the list of an example of clinical psychology courses with descriptions that may be included in undergraduate or graduate programs.

• Advanced Cognition Course

The core focus of this course is to grasp the familiarity with nerve impulse and their functioning. A clinical psychologist learns about the brain working and responding abilities to different things from the perception to memorization of an event.

They study the decision-making power of the brain. Major theories and results from cognitive research are included in its curriculum. Students usually do laboratories and research projects on it. As an outcome, they will learn advanced cognition in this course, preparing them to evaluate and treat individuals with cognitive problems.

• Adult Psychopathology Course

This course covers both historical and contemporary theories, as well as adult psychopathy research and treatments. It also analyzes psychosis, personality abnormalities, and mental disease. The psychology student will be able to examine, identify, and treat a variety of mental diseases after taking this course.

• Clinical Interviewing & Assessment Course

Using semi-structured interviews, mental status exams, and standardized interviews, such as the MINI and CPRS, students gain clinical interviewing and diagnostic abilities. Clinical interviews throughout the course expose students to psychopathology symptoms.

• Social Psychology Course

Understanding how the social environment affects human behavior and psychology is what this is about. Examining concepts like gender roles, group dynamics, compassion, and stereotyping are all part of the social psychology curriculum. The clinical psychologist who completes this social psychology course will be more equipped to comprehend and deal with patients.

• Psychodynamic Approach

The psychodynamic approach encompasses all psychological theories that hold that human functioning is dependent on the interaction of drives and forces both inside the individual, particularly the unconscious, and between the various components of the personality.

Career Opportunities for that Studying Clinical Psychology

For a psychologist spending many years and countless efforts in getting their practice license, the first option is a private practice startup. It gives them multiple benefits unlike those operating in associations with groups/organizations/ hospitals.

They have personal liberty during their clinical practice period which is itself priceless for them. This liberty sets them free for choosing their hours, practice location, and service type. In short, being in command of your practice comes with a lot of pride and is a liberating experience for the mind.

The American Psychological Association (APA) have provided professional clinical psychologists with different varieties in their practice.

• Some may choose to seek treatment for concerns including chronic illnesses, stress, and anxiety. 
• Some may decide to start their own private clinics, while others may enter appropriate contexts such as clinical psychologists instructing the military, courts, etc. 
• Some may have the choice to start working with specific populations including trauma survivors, veterans, and children.

This has eventually increased the job opportunities for them. Some career options for a professional psychologist are:

Endnote

A career in clinical psychology offers a wide range of alternatives, such as opening your private practice or applying for positions at certain institutions. If you as a clinical psychology student are interested in the human mind and behavior, you must be aware of your thoughts and pursue them. There are several possibilities available to you in psychology. There are several options, so you may finally modify it if you become confused in the middle.