People often assume therapists mustearn a Ph.D. in psychologyto provide therapy to clients.
But these professionals can vary greatly in terms of what they do and even where they work.
For instance, aclinical psychologistandlicensed professional counselorcan both work with a variety of mental health concerns in various tweaks.
Verywell / Jo Zixuan Zhou
Some psychology career paths can also take you into a particular specialty.
Asubstance abuse therapistworks with people dealing with drug and alcohol misuse while amarriage and family therapistfocuses on relationship issues.
Likewise, a licensedschool psychologistworks with children in a school system.
Alicensed social workeroften works in the broader community, though this can have specialties as well.
Yet another career option is to become a therapist specializing inpsychosocial rehabilitation.
This helps people with mental health disorders get the most out of their lives.
Therapists can work in a wide range of controls and with diverse populations.
So, it’s helpful to start your planning process by considering where your interests lie.
Do you want to help people overcome substance abuse?
Maybe you have a desire to work with survivors ofsexual assaultorchildhood trauma.
Do you want towork with children?
Becoming a clinical psychologist or licensed social worker can help you reach this goal.
After earning your undergraduate degree, the next step is to earn an advanced degree in psychology.
An advanced degree can open up a wide variety of career options, with several program choices to consider.
The amount of time and training required to complete each one differs.
Sociology, education, and health sciences are good bachelor’s degree choices for students interested in becoming therapists.
Ph.D. or Psy.D.
in Psychology
Earning a Ph.D. orPsy.D.
in psychologyoffers perhaps the widest range of career options.
Earning a doctorate often takes between four and eight years of study beyond an undergraduate degree.
Master’s degree holders can also work in many different mental health care options.
This requires amaster’s degree in counseling.
The 60 credits required to complete the degree can take between two and three years to complete.
This is dependent on your schedule and the individual program in which you are enrolled.
It also often involves an internship and supervised experience directly in the field.
Advanced psychiatric nurses are required to have a master’s degree or higher in psychiatric-mental health nursing.
This can take anywhere from two to three years to complete beyond the bachelor’s degree.
Prepare a list of questions about the specific degree requirements and state licensing guidelines for therapists.
It’s also wise to learn demographic information about students who have graduated from the program.
With the right information and careful thought, you’ll be on your way to a therapy career.
