If you’re interested in how the brain works, but you don’t want to go to medical school for psychiatry, a career in psychology may work for you. For many people, a psychology degree ultimately manifests itself in a career in counseling. There are many paths for counselors, and it can get overwhelming. One popular and meaningful path is to work with juveniles and children, and one way to do this is to pursue an online master’s in school counseling. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, consider the following article..
Psychiatry versus Psychology
You’d be surprised how often people misunderstand the different pathways to becoming a psychiatrist versus a psychologist. However, aside from the salary disparity and treatment options, the two professional roles share a number of overlapping responsibilities. Psychologists and psychiatrists frequently collaborate and treat patients together, therefore achieving more holistic outcomes.
Counseling options
Exploring counseling as a career path makes a lot of sense for someone studying psychology. Kendra Cherry at Very Well Mind covers a handful of relevant careers that involve working with kids. You’ll probably find her overview most informative, because it clearly explains the differences between some commonly confused professional distinctions. For instance, some individuals might consider school counselors and school psychologists to be entirely synonymous with one another. That would be an oversimplification at best, since there are specific boundaries applied to each role.
One nuance that might be difficult to comprehend is that both school counselors and school psychologists can sometimes rely on similar academic foundations. Staff at Capella University published a succinct comparison that you might find insightful. Key to your quest for knowledge is the fact that becoming a school counselor will afford you more direct interaction with children and their immediate support network. School psychologists interact regularly with children but are more limited in their collaboration with other stakeholders because they instead develop and implement specialized behavioral interventions.
You should begin to think carefully about which scenario sounds most appealing. Reflect on your ideal outcome. Is it interacting almost exclusively with children on a daily basis while having a direct hand in their behavioral development? If so, then a school psychologist might be the right avenue. On the other hand, collaborating with other professionals toward better outcomes for children might also sound rewarding. If that’s the case, then a school counselor could be the career for you.
Advanced degrees
Another thing to ponder is graduate school. Editors at Counselor License have already outlined the steps required to become a school psychologist/counselor. Earning your master’s degree, accumulating supervised work experience, and passing any appropriate state exams, are all on the horizon regardless of which path you choose. The sooner you figure out the degree requirements for school counselors, the sooner you can align any educational plans.
“You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.” — Rosa Parks
