How to become a psychologist
Many people would like to become a psychologist, but the training process is very long. Here's what you'll need to study and the exams you'll need to pass.A career in psychology has long been a popular choice of profession. The work of psychologists does not involve performing operations and “getting one’s hands dirty”, but rather talking, analysing the behaviour and concerns of patients, and trying to resolve their problems.
It is a matter of offering care and support, including helping people to deal with difficult personal situations. It can also help to overcome critical times or events in your life. But how can you become a psychologist? Here are the things you should know if you want to take up this career.
What to do to become a psychologist
Clearly, the first thing to do is to take a three-year degree in psychology. There are various faculties throughout UK which offer this course.
When you have completed your undergraduate degree, you may decide to continue with a specialist master’s course. Alternatively you can start working, not as a psychologist, but in the care sector. Or else you can take an Italian state exam to qualify you as a Doctor in Psychological Techniques. If you do this, you can get involved in the more “organisational” side of the job, or work in communities to carry out training programmes or prevention schemes, or even collaborate with a psychologist on various projects.
If you complete your three-year undergraduate degree and want to continue your studies to become a fully qualified psychologist, you will need to do a specialist master’s course. You will have to do another two years at university, and once you have completed your specialist degree you still have a long way to go.
You will have to sit a state exam to qualify, and then, to practise psychotherapy and so really work with patients, you will have to study at a post-graduate specialist school for another four years.
Alternatively, you can do a master’s degree or a research doctorate: it all depends on your final objective and what type of career path you want to follow.
