Psychologists are interested in the complex methods that individuals think, feel, behave, communicate, and view the environment around them. Some psychologists participate in clinical work with patients while others spend their time in researching the aspects of psychological behaviour. Psychology as a discipline is very broad. Hence it contains many career options to choose from. While most jobs in psychology require that students finish at least a bachelor’s degree, individuals can also be allowed to venture into the field if they have an associate degree. The associate degree can assist them in deciding if Psychology matches their objectives and abilities. The degree is designed to provide the students with basic psychology knowledge that is needed to further their education (Kuther, 2008) . Also, the level is utilised to fulfil essential educational needs prior o finishing a bachelor’s degree.
Students who finish psychology degrees at the graduate level have better job opportunities than those who do not finish. Acquiring a master’s degree may lead to occupations such as clinical and research assistants. A doctorate, however, is crucial for any person who desires to work with patients in a clinic or relocate into an academic or research level. Many degree programs enable students to concentrate on a particular field, including, the development of children, counselling, abnormal psychology, cognition and social psychology.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Psychologists are supposed to look at human behaviour to find out its underlying causes and utilise that kind of information to assist patients to work through their difficulties or issues. More often than not, it considered a delicate balancing action which needs psychologists to perform many tasks that complement each other (Davis, 2010) .
My career in psychology is an Applied Behavior Analysis Therapist (ABA). An ABA therapist is an individual who utilises analysis in applied behaviour as a kind of treatment. I enjoyed my classes in psychology when I was in college which made declare psychology as my major. I knew I wanted to help other individuals the further I got into my career. As a result, I got a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and later on pursued a career as an ABA therapist. I got interested in ABA therapy when I was interning at a facility that gave services in ABA. After realising how much I loved it, I moved up throughout the firm and finally pursued a BCBA. Since I left the company, I have many contract positions providing therapy in ABA in different capacities.
How I can practice my knowledge of this course regarding researching psychological literature is that I am now able to evaluate information thoroughly before I use it. Evaluating information is crucial as it provides me with suitable information that is appropriate for my research. Also in field work, I can easily observe the behaviour of students in the district school that am currently working by carefully evaluating the accuracy and relevance of different sources of information when it comes to problem-solving with the students. Also, can identify situations that require intuition to solve an issue and am open to dialogue and points of view that are opposing. Also, I can analyse different models of assessment, intervention, prevention and evaluation. For example, can apply many theoretical perspectives to improve the comprehension of the behaviour of clients.
To achieve my objective in becoming a psychologist, it is necessary for me to have the ability to communicate properly. Communication is not only essential in the career of a psychologist but also other careers as well. It is also crucial when studying the behaviour of humans. The ability to communicate with your clients is paramount for clinical psychologists to assist them while psychologists who are involved in research require being able to describe observations and explain their findings or outcomes well properly. Learning about the manner, you communicate with other people and the barriers you create can assist in your personal and professional life as a psychologist. Communication can help one to animate his or her voice and regulate its volume, make eye contact that is meaningful, learning to be concise and to make use of gestures correctly. Also, one can avoid sending messages that are mixed and making a first impression that is positive.
Numeracy is also important in the life of a psychologist. A person is seen as numerate if he has the skill and confidence to utilise mathematical approaches and numbers in all areas of life, be it work, home and other activities in the environment. Even though it may not seem intuitive, it is critical for psychologists to have a facility with numbers. Researchers, particularly those who take part in quantitative information, deal with large amounts of data that require interpretation. A good and competent psychologist comprehends how to adequately summarise these digits with the utilisation of mathematical equations and tests (Oskamp, 2008) . Without numeracy abilities, researchers could not start to understand what they are looking at and whether it is meaningful to the society as a whole. Also, clinical psychologists would not be able to comprehend the information and how to use it in their practice.
The Capella program and the requirements will also help me in achieving my objective as a psychologist. The credits in Capella University for psychology are quite high. The credits will motivate me to study hard to meet my goals. There is no room for failure. Moreover, there is the psychology club in Capella University that helps many members of the club. The club has also organised its first Virtual Psychology Research Conference that will provide the students with the necessary information that they require to know about the field of psychology. Also, Capella graduates will be representing the research that they have carried out on some topics during the conference that will provide members with vast information on psychology. The club also helps you network with faculty and peers. Also, the Capella faculty member will be speaking to the club about Understanding Psychology as a Construct for Psychology. Members will be able to learn how spirituality is understood as a psychology construct which will benefit many people including me in the career as a psychologist.
To succeed as a Psychologist, it is imperative for one to be able to do through research. The research will play an important part no matter what your role is in Psychology. Knowing where and how to get the information you require is critical whether one is carrying out his or her experiments and desires to see if they have been done before or attempting to assist a patient by looking at what other psychologists have gone through. Many journals are scientific out there including the internet. The journals contain information from many years of research. Having the ability to get the information you require and efficiently evaluating it is critical (Bennett-Levy, 2009) . Creating a comprehension of Psychology and how the mind functions rely on psychologists being able to provide evidence that what we talk about is true hence research is incredibly paramount.
Patience is also needed if you want to become a psychologist. Patience provides emotional freedom. It is the ability to hold on or to go on doing something in spite of the challenges. It is also suffering without being annoyed or without complaining. It can take many years for one to see the results in Psychology be it when working directly with patients or in pure research. If you desire to make genuine progress, patience is paramount. One must have the ability to keep himself motivated even when the consequences are not instantly seen.
A Psychologist must have the capacity to solve problems. Many things in Psychology do not always ago as planned just as in many other careers. It inevitable for difficulties to arise and they require solutions. Psychologists who are good at their work must have different plans available and have the ability to put them into action quickly. Research strategies that are well written usually account for common problems that may disrupt work. Things that are unexpected may sometimes occur, and one should have the ability to step in and make an alteration to save his or her work. One needs to have many approaches ready to ensure that his work continues despite the challenges one may come across in his career.
Assessment is a critical responsibility for achieving a career as a psychologist. It is a routine for psychologists to utilise evaluation and tests to assist in treating a mental health problem for a patient. Through these tests, the psychologist can get a basic comprehension of the connections between a person’s feelings and thoughts and the behaviours leading to the problem. Relying upon the reason a patient books an appointment, tests may be utilised to assess abilities in cognition, intelligence, qualities invocation, neuropsychological and personality functioning.
A psychologist should also have the responsibility of providing help that is short-term. Some individuals turn to psychologists for assistance in getting through life experiences that are traumatising. For instance, the demise of a close relative may push people to find counselling that is grief. As people go through the levels of sadness, psychologists can assist them in coping with this pain. Short-term challenges like acquiring a new job, relationship or moving struggles are some of the difficulties that can cause individuals to see clinical psychologists.
Another responsibility that it is crucial if I want to gain success as a psychologist is goal setting. When a psychologist has a new patient, it is fundamental for him to help the patient in setting objectives for treatment. A person dealing with drug abuse may have many goals. For example, remaining sober or clean for a given period, discontinuing relationships with individuals who are problematic and maintaining a steady job. Being informed on therapeutic practices and current research assists a psychologist in aiding patients to create goals that are manageable and working towards achieving them.
Critical thinking as a skill is crucial to psychologists. It is the process that is intellectually disciplined of skillfully and actively applying, examining, combining or evaluating information collected from experience, communication or reasoning. Psychologists should be careful in judging other people’s character and should also be cautious in interpreting other people’s behaviour. It is essential for psychologists to be accurate in appraising behaviour and critical interpreting the behaviour. This will enable them to understand their patients better and come up with useful solutions to their problems.
Effective decision making is also imperative. A psychologist who wants success should be able to make effective decisions. Coming up with decisions that produce good results help your patients in dealing with their problems and also assist you as a psychologist. It is important to make good decisions that will not bring harm in the future.
It is important for psychologists to examine ethics in their practice. Psychologists have the ability to change the lives of people and are always dealing with individuals who are vulnerable. To guarantee the well-being and safety of your patients, it is essential to have a strong ethical code (Barnes, 2010) . If one is a researcher, conducting experiments on a high moral code is important to make for the purpose of ensuring that one obtains unbiased and useful data without causing harm to anyone.
My skills in analysing data, critical thinking and communicating effectively will help me achieve my career as a psychologist. The skills have helped me in my psychology class and interacting with people. Therefore, am confident that I will be able to succeed as a psychologist. However, I do not have patience. I do not work well when I face challenges. I get annoyed very quickly. Nonetheless, I will learn to exercise and practice patience as it an important motivator in the field of psychology.
My action plan for achieving my goals is that am planning to study hard to finish my degree with good grades. I will utilise journal articles to conduct research that will provide me with the necessary knowledge in psychology and provide me with current information so that I remain updated. Moreover, am planning to participate actively in the psychology club in Capella University to gain knowledge from the club members. I will also attend any conferences that the club organises as they will help me in the future. On completion of my Capella program, am planning to volunteer in a clinic, so that can interact with patients and gain more experience in ABA Therapy and other fields in Psychology. I will also seek for more training to address the gaps in my skills and knowledge. I will also be actively involved in online discussions about psychology to gain additional experience and remember what I learnt in class so as not to forget.
In summary, Psychology is a fascinating field of study as it examines the behaviour of human beings. It is crucial for a psychologist to have the necessary skills that will help him succeed in his career. Communication is also essential to a psychologist as one can understand and pass the right information to the patients.
References
Barnes, T. A. (2010). Competencies needed by graduate respiratory therapists in 2015 and beyond. Respiratory Care 55.5 , 601-616.
Bennett-Levy, J. (2009). Therapist skills: A cognitive model of their acquisition and refinement. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy 34.01 , 57-78.
Davis, R. E. (2010). The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success.
Kuther, T. L. (2008). Your career in psychology : clinical and counseling psychology. Belmont: Australia ; Belmont, CA : Thomson/Wadsworth,.
Oskamp, S. (2008). Applying psychology to help save the world: Reflections on a career in psychology. alyses of Social Issues and Public Policy 7.1 , 121-136.
