Jobs for Psychology Majors
Why Psychology?
Psychology consists of the study of the human mental processing. In the world of psychology there are many different areas of psychology to go into and different job oppertunities for each area. For example, someone going into school psychology would most likely find a job working as a school psychologist.
Clinical Psychologists
One of the most well-known areas of psychology consists of clinical psychology. This includes preventions and treatments which are critical for some individuals. They help individuals, couples, and families by specializing in certain studies. These studies could be depression, mental disorders, marriage, family problems, job stress, addiction, PTSD, etc. There is an increase of growth for this area of clinical and counseling psychologists.
School Psychology
This area should have strong growth as well. There is still some research in child problems and treatment. Once more research is finished, there should be even more demand for school psychologists. They talk to students, assess problems that the child might have. Some of these problems could include depression, anxiety, family issues, behavior issues, learning disorders, etc.
Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
This is one of the smallest areas of psychology. However, this is probably the best well-payed area. If someone enjoys working in an office environment, this might be the area for them. They boost worker productivity in businesses. They deal with workplace issues such as diversity and anti-discrimination policies. The psychologists expertise might also be used in survey disign,
Child or Family Psychologists
Some children and teens have emotional problems. These psychologists help their patients with emotional problems that they do not understand. The children could be experimenting drugs, alcohol, depression, anxiety, sexuality, schoolwork, family problems, going through a divorce, ADD, ADHD, etc. Child therapists often go through these problems to assess how much they trouble the child and to help solve these problems.
A family therapist can talk about marriage issues. They are not only child therapist but for couples as well. It could be that a daughter and her mother are verbally fighting a lot. The family therapist would discuss and study the topics that they fight about and attempt for the two to use certain methods so they will not fight as much. They counsel their patients to fix relationship problems. They gather information that is difficult to pick up because it is never bluntly said.
Substance Abuse Counselor
This position aids individuals who have problems in relation to alcohol or other drugs. They provide counseling to addicts or those who might become addicts. Sometimes the client does not know they are addicts or how their addiction is affecting them which can prove to be difficult. At times, former addicts have difficulty keeping on track and need counseling as well. One important factor is that family members and friends of their clients must be counseled too. A method of changing addicts is that those around them should not let them be around their friends who used to encourage their addiction. Their family members as well should help them be accountable to get on track and away from alcohol or other drugs.
Substance abuse counselors are often supervised by doctors, psychologists, or social workers. These counselors do not give out medicine or give medical therapy. They also can help their clients find jobs if it is needed. There are sessions for addicts or those who abuse substances to talk about their problems with these substances. This is to help the clients to understand and work better around the substances. The sessions could be for a group of clients or just for a specific client.
Social Worker or Case Worker
There are two types of social workers: direct and clinical. Direct social workers help people solve and work with their problems each day. Clinical social workers can diagnose, and treat issues. These issues may be mental, behavioral, or emotional.
Direct service social workers tend to notice those who need help. They are good with goal orienting, and attempt to improve their client's well-being. They speak with their clients to help them get through difficult things in their life such as divorce, unemployment, etc. Referring or researching for their clients is also possible. For example, they might research food stamps, child care, or health care options. These social workers might go to a house for difficult situations such as reports of child abuse or health concerns. Sometimes they follow up with clients to make sure they are on the right road for their success.
Clinical social workers work with diagnosing and treating those who have mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders. For example, a woman could be diagnosed by a clinical social worker with depression and anxiety disorders. These social workers can offer therapy for individuals, groups, families, and couples. They sometimes work with the client and health care professionals to create a treatment plan. They encourage discussions so the client can better understand about their disorders, possible problems, in any part of their life including work, family, or about themselves. They also refer clients to other health professionals if necessary.
Human Resources
Psychology majors tend to do well in the area of Human Resources. They study methods of coaching, relationships, communication, learning techniques, etc. Sometimes they pick up on the little things that other individuals miss in observing a potential new employee. There are many positions in Human Resources: assistant, generalist, manager, director, recruiter, or specialist.
HR professionals have plenty of responsibilities. They deal with needs of employees and activities of the organization. They often hire new employees and can create new training programs. This area also is focused on the employees salaries and benefits programs. They communicate with many different areas in the organization, watch over and manage performance. Another issue they keep a close eye on consists of team building, employee relationships, and leadership programs.
Mental Health Counselor
Mental Health Counselors focus mostly on prevention. They attempt for their clients to achieve optimum mental health. They might deal with addictions or substance abuse, problems with self-esteem, and issues close to aging, mental, and emotional health. Counselors always maintain confidentiality of records for their clients. They guide clients to express their emotions, face their problems, and develop insight about their problems. They must prepare and keep all required records and reports. Information is often gathered through interviews, observation, and tests. They work with other staff members to create clinical assessments, develop treatment plans, and resolve emergency problems in crisis situations. They might meet with their client, family members, friends, other medical workers, or police officers in attempt to focus on helping the client. Those involved in mental health will also have to monitor medication, supervise, run workshops, etc. They plan, organize, and closely follow programs involved in counseling, work, study, recreation, health, and social activities for their clients.