Psychology Career Info

TYPES OF PSYCHOLOGY CAREER PATHS + DEGREES

  1. Doctorate Degrees

    1. Psychology Professor / Researcher: Education + Research - PhD

    2. Psychologist: PsyD + Licensure 

  2. Master’s Degrees

    1. Therapist: MS / MA + Licensure

      1. Doctorate therapy degree: DMFT, etc.

    2. Social Worker: MS / MA + Licensure 

      1. Doctorate SW degrees: DSW 

    3. Master’s Level Counselor: MS / MA + Licensure 

  3. Bachelor’s Degrees

    1. Behavioral Counselor: BS / BA or no degree required (training or certification) 

  4. Medical / Nursing Degree: 

    1. Psychiatrist: Medical Degree / med school 

    2. Psychiatric NP / Psychiatric PA: NP / PA school 

  5. Associate psychology degrees also available: AS / AA 

  6. No Degree: 

    1. Coaching: no degree required, certification programs are available, anyone can call themselves a coach with no training 

    2. Peer Support Counselor: have experience with mental health issues or family member experiencing mental health issues 

    3. Behavioral Health Specialist

    4. Case Managers 

    5. Etc. 

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW

  1. To become a practicing therapist, you must complete at least a Master’s Degree and complete 3000 supervised hours, which usually is completed 3-5 years after graduating Master’s program. 

  2. You can work within the psychology field without a degree as a: 

    1. Behavioral health specialist 

    2. Behavioral Counselor 

    3. Peer Support Counselor

    4. Etc.

  3. Therapists do not prescribe medications. Only medical degree’d professionals do: Psychiatrists, Psych NP’s, Psych PA’s 

  4. There are different licensing requirements for each State. You must complete specific licensure requirements in the State that you wish to practice. 

PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE FOCUSES

  1. Clinical Psychology

  2. Counseling Psychology 

  3. Forensic Psychology

  4. Developmental Psychology 

  5. School Psychology 

  6. Industrial / Organizational Psychology

  7. Etc. 

  8. https://www.onlinepsychologydegrees.com/psychology-careers/

PSYCHOLOGY SALARY

  1. Psy.D / Ph.D – Psychologist pay: https://www.zippia.com/salaries/psychologist/

  2. MS / MA – Therapist pay: https://www.zippia.com/salaries/psychotherapist/ 

  3. BS / BA – Counselor pay: https://www.zippia.com/salaries/counselor/

  4. Highly depends on city and state 

  5. Can make more: 

    1. in private practice 

    2. higher degree 

    3. diversifying skills for additional income streams

    4. higher level supervisory positions 

THE PATH TO LICENSURE

  1. HS Degree / GED 

  2. Bachelor’s Degree (4 years) 

  3. Master’s Degree (2 years)

    1. If Psy.D License = Doctorate Degree 

  4. Complete 3000 Supervised Clinical Hours (typically 3-5 years)

  5. Background Check

  6. Pass both Board Exams: 

    1. Law and Ethics

    2. Clinical Exam 

HOW TO FIND A THERAPIST 

  1. Outline the type of therapist that would be helpful for you: 

    1. Specialties

      1. Mental Health Issues (anxiety, depression, ptsd, etc.)

      2. Populations (AAPI, BIPOC, Neurodivergent, etc.)

    2. Personality 

      1. Do you feel comfortable with them? 

      2. Do you vibe with them? 

    3. Cultural Background

      1. Ethnicity 

      2. Gender

      3. Religion

    4. Therapy Approach 

      1. Trauma lens

      2. Person Centered

      3. Liberation centered

      4. Etc. 

  2. Consider how you are going to pay for therapy: 

    1. Insurance? 

      1. You can ask your insurance for referrals based on your needs. 

    2. Self-Pay

    3. Low-Fee 

    4. You can ask if a therapist provides a Superbill for you to submit receipts to your insurance to see if they will help cover some of the costs. 

  3. Shop Around: 

    1. Find 3 - 5 or more therapists that you resonate with 

  4. Schedule free consultations or email them questions 

  5. When you find the right one, schedule your first appointment. 

  6. Reassure yourself that therapy is a scary process, and it’s normal to feel anxious about getting started. I’m so proud of you for taking the next step in your healing and growth! 

  7. If you don’t like your therapist, it’s completely acceptable to end therapy with them and find a better fit. This is normal and totally okay! 

THERAPIST LISTING WEBSITES

  1. www.Psychologytoday.com

  2. www.TherapyDen.com

  3. www.inclusivetherapists.com

  4. https://secure.helloalma.com/providers-landing/

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

Asian Mental Health Collective: https://www.asianmhc.org/ 

National Alliance on Mental Illness: https://www.nami.org/ 

  • Local support groups and educational groups 

Suicide Hotline: Call 988 – https://988lifeline.org/ 

  • If in mental health crisis and/or experiencing suicidality / homicidality / self harm 

Warm Lines: Need someone to talk to in emotional distress 

DV Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/

  • Support for domestic violence

Katrina Niere