How do you become a psychologist?

Information for those who are thinking about becoming a psychologist or are already studying.

Usually, in order to understand themselves, people consult with friends, read psychological books and articles on the Internet, and go to trainings. The most motivated go to study at a psychology department. If you think that you are just fine, and that you want to become a psychologist in order to help “lost” souls, then the truth is that you yourself have great spiritual traumas, you just do not know about it yet. Psychologically well-to-do people don’t go to psychology school! Unresolved problems or underlying traumas push one to this decision.

Training, although it presents a lot of interesting acquaintances and general knowledge about the human psyche, will take a long time and cost a lot of money, to achieve the initial goal (to understand yourself) will not help, rather, more confuse. Only in the middle of training future psychologists learn that in order to help others, it is not enough to get higher education. Then they have to choose an approach, study for three years in it, undergo personal therapy for at least one year in the chosen approach, constantly go to supervisions (analysis of client cases), and constantly improve their qualification. All this is expensive and takes 5-7 years.

But even if you make it, it is difficult to get a job in your specialty (and it also requires experience in your specialty, which it is unclear how to get), and even if you are lucky, the salary is small and the work is hard.

Building your own private practice is also not for everyone, then you need to learn several other specialties: marketing, copywriting, photography, blogging, programming, PR, sharpen your diction and the ability to handle the camera, and much more. Building a private practice will take another 3-5 years, and during that time you need something to live on and pay for expensive training. Total of about 10 years to enter the profession. At the same time, you will still have to consult another psychologist in order to solve your own problems, because we cannot see our own “bugs”. And relatives and friends also need to be sent to other psychologists, because of “boundaries” and the code of ethics that prohibits working with acquaintances.

Be prepared for the fact that the activities you used to love, such as talking “about life” with friends, watching movies, reading books and theater productions will no longer bring you the pleasure you once had. Psychology used to be your hobby, but now it will become a job with all the consequences. So you will recover in solitude and silence. Be prepared for the fact that your loved ones will howl at your “analysis,” and when talking to people, you will not be able to “turn off the psychologist,” and this can become a problem for the relationship.

All in all, this is a really tough road, and you have to really, really, really want to do it. The job of a psychologist is emotionally hard, and definitely not about the money, it’s much easier and faster to make money in other fields related to people, if you like people so much: marketing, HR, sales, services, business, medicine, etc.

If you want to sort out your life and solve some difficulties, there is an easier way than becoming a psychologist yourself. You need to choose a psychologist who has already done all of the above and undergo personal psychotherapy with him.