How long will a career as a counseling psychologist be in demand?

Question

I'm interested in psychology. After I graduate I plan on attending a college to earn a bachelors degree then right after that I want to work towards a Phd. Now a Phd is very time consuming and I'm willing to spend almost ten years in school. I just want to make sure I'm making the right decision. I don't want to spend my whole life working towards something that I can't benefit from.

[QUESTION 1]
I'll graduate high school in 2014 and go straight to college from there, will there be a high demand for counseling psychologist once I graduate with a Phd?

[QUESTION 2]
Can I do counseling work with a Masters Degree? (For example:Counseling children at an office.)

[QUESTION 3]
Does a career in psychology pay good money? (Enough to raise a family and still have lots of free money just in case things happen.)

I really don't have many people outside my family and friends to talk to so I'd really appreciate the help. :)

Answer 1

The waiting list for the average person to see a counseling psychologist in a public office here in Canada is about 1 year. So, that means there are a whole lot of people looking for one.



You will always find a job because society will always have people in need of you. You will always have a demand if you work in a public hospital and if you open a private clinic or work in one you can potentially make more money but the demand may be lower because a public mental health professional is free (in Canada anyways due to medicare) but of course you are paid by the government. In the US a psychologist can charge ridiculous amounts and you kinda wonder if they really actually care when they charge people in need exorbitant amounts.



Yes you can counsel children but I believe you will have to do a minor in children studies such as early development or specifically child psychology. You will have to concentrate your masters to your field of interest. With a general training you can work as a school counselor.



And yes you can make good money. Again it depends where you live and if you have a private practice or you work for the government. About 5 years ago the general statistic in all of Canada was 12$ an hour minimum and up to 100,000$ a year on average.



Psych is a good degree to have. A bachelors and masters are relatively easy to get but a phd is serious hard work and dedication. You better love to do research and be a fast effective reader cause that is what you will spend your time doing. But the benefits are great and a psych degree can get you into many other fields such as business, advertising, fashion, sports and the list is endless. If you ever have a change of heart in your career choice, then your degree in psych can help you in almost any other field, even law.



Good Luck! And good choice.

Answer 2

Question 1:

Counselors and Psychologists will always be in demand! People will always need them :)

Question 2:

You can be what's called an associate psychologist with a masters degree. It means you cannot own your own practice but you can work with someone and do basic counseling! So yes, you can counsel but be prepared that you won't have as much 'say-so' in a patients therapy

Question 3:

It pays great money! But getting a PhD is EXPENSIVE! I've had friends with $90,000 loans.



My biggest advice is KEEP YOUR GRADES UP in high school and college. Rock your SAT and ACT. Get big scholarships and grants so your bachelors degree is paid for. Then if you decide to go on to graduate school (master or phd) you will be starting with no loans!

Also you might want to go talk to a college adviser. Even though you haven't graduated high school yet, it's great you are looking this far ahead. They'll be happy to answer questions and explain in more detail!

Answer 3

I'll never be licensed to treat patients since i'm majoring in industrial psychology but i think i can help with this one. Recent researches have shown that the rate of presence of the Narcissistic personality disorder has severely increased by the rate of 40% among university students. That disorder alone is causing other disorders for other people, such as OCD and MDD (Especially MDD). Not only that but also an estimation done by the World Health Organization, WHO (a part of the UN), shows that MDD will be the second most abundant leading killer in the world. In the USA every 90 seconds a teenager commits suicide due to a psychopathology. Is counseling psychology needed? very much so, will it be needed by the time you graduate? Even more. However if you want to teach at a university and not treat patients you could go for a PhD in Educational Psychology, that's better suited for teaching.

Answer 4

The Department of Labor maintains extensive information about careers regarding education, expected salary, and job outlook. You should read up on it there.