Most businesses are starting a counseling department. Considering taking up a psychology and counselling course? Check out Aventis’s management courses here. When people think “psychology,” most assume it’s related to reading someone’s mind or laying on a couch and sharing your feelings. Psychology isn’t just the study of behaviour; it is also the study of mental functions. Those employed in this field consider it science, philosophy, and even art. The main goal of psychology is to explain, predict, and control behavior and mental processes.
Before you fully decide to become a psychology major, you need to decide if it is truly a discipline you want to devote time to. If you enjoy helping individuals or families go through personal problems, listening to them, interviewing, testing, analyzing and collecting data, being social and creative, and researching human behavior, then psychology is a career path for you.
Here are three rewarding career pathways in the field of psychology that you can pursue and make the most of your calling.
1. Therapist
As a therapist, you will be helping people lead a more productive, functional, and happier life by applying psychological techniques and methods that help to gradually improve one’s condition. Therapists work in specialised areas involving the physical, sensory, and/or cognitive impairment of people of all ages. There are different types of areas where therapists are needed, some of them being in occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, and physiotherapy.
2. Counsellors
Unlike therapists, counselors help others deal with immediate and practical issues. Counselling will be the right path for you if you enjoy helping others through active engagement and interaction. Counselors encourage people to discuss, process, and identify their problems or simply explore their thoughts and feelings in a safe, confidential environment. They help individuals through the many challenges of life, be it from dealing with societal pressures or working through mental issues that are preventing someone from realizing their full potential.
Counsellors work with diverse groups, ranging from marriage and family counselling, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, or career and guidance. They may work in various environments like mental health clinics, children’s and aged centres, youth welfare or marriage guidance services. With a solid foundation in psychology, it will help you to understand and offer effective guidance to individuals as well as groups who are dealing with issues that affect their mental health and well-being.
3. Psychologist
Though the duties of a psychologist seem similar to those of a therapist and a counselor, psychologists work with more serious conditions and do in-depth research in various areas of psychology. Psychologists can be viewed as behavioral scientists. Hence, a higher level of education is required to ensure that you are equipped with the necessary research skills to practice as a psychologist.
Besides these 3, there are also employment opportunities in the non-psychology field, such as media and advertising, human resources, and business management careers. Employment opportunities in psychology can be quite diverse. Some careers only require a bachelor’s degree in psychology, while others require more advanced degrees such as a master’s or doctorate degree.
Spend some time researching different options and learning more about what’s required to enter into those fields. Ask yourself if you have the commitment and drive needed to pursue the necessary educational training. Finding the right career in psychology takes some careful planning. It is important to start thinking about what you might want to do early on. This way, you can start planning your educational path in order to achieve your vocational goals.
To find out more about the accredited psychology and counselling programme here in Aventis, please contact our respective programme leaders here.
Sources:
https://www.verywellmind.com/a-list-of-psychology-careers-2794917
https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/beyond-the-psychology-major/201606/14-career-options-psychology-majors
https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/careers-advice/what-can-you-do-psychology-degree#:~:text=With%20a%20psychology%20degree%2C%20you,social%20work%2C%20therapy%20and%20counseling.