Book report career paths in psychology where your degree can take you
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Book Report
The main focus of this book report is to summarize three chapters; chapter Nine, Twelve, and
Fourteen of the book Career Paths in Psychology Where your degree can take you (Sternberg,
2017). All the concepts and the career options are elaborated briefly in this report.
Chapter Nine
Child clinical psychologists work with children, their parents, and sometimes their entire
families to address a wide range of developmental and emotional issues (Sternberg, 2017). The
majority of child clinical psychologists are also qualified in adult psychotherapy. Many adult
patients have issues that arise from their childhood, and child clinical training allows the
therapist to better comprehend the adult patient’s childhood. Many children clinical psychologists
specialize in certain demographics and the treatment of the specific populations. Admission to
Ph.D. programs in counseling psychology can be accomplished after obtaining an undergraduate
degree. The student can then apply for admission to a departmental program in counseling
psychology after two years of study and obtaining a master’s degree.
From the start of the graduate study until the awarding of the doctorate, graduate training
in counseling psychology often takes 5-6 years or more (Sternberg, 2017). The average credit
hours to complete a course is three hours. Surveys have resulted in a discovery that earning a
master’s degree allows students to get valuable research and counseling experience, increasing
their chances of being accepted into a Ph.D. program. Doctoral programs in psychology
departments, on average, admit more candidates just after they finish their bachelor’s degree
(Sternberg, 2017). A minimum of three years of formal graduate-level academic education is
required for child clinical psychology. Some clinical psychologists hold a degree in another
discipline of psychology before pursuing specialized studies in clinical psychology. In most
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states, having a Ph.D. or PsyD in psychology, most frequently clinical psychology, is crucial for
being entitled as a clinical psychologist. Child clinical psychologists are educated to use the most
up-to-date diagnostic tools for children’s problems. Diagnostic clinical examinations, such as
playroom interviews and formal psychological testing tools, are used to examine children
(Sternberg, 2017). Anxiety, phobias, melancholy, autism, and developmental delays are among
the most common issues that children bring to a child clinical psychologist.
Chapter Twelve
Counseling psychology is a type of professional psychology that focuses on primary care
and providing health services by examining how people of various ages behave whether
personally or in their relationships (Sternberg, 2017 pg.80). The admissions procedure for
counseling psychologists is discussed in this section. In counseling psychology, the application
procedure takes a long time and a lot of dedication. The application procedure for counseling
psychology graduate school might be helpful. Various counseling psychology programs have
different application deadlines. Many of the application deadlines are in early December;
students should start the process at least two years before they want to graduate (Sternberg, 2017
pg.86). The benefits of beginning the process in the junior year, as mentioned by Sternberg
(2017), include time and effort-saving, and availability of time to get useful training sessions
which can surely enhance the experience of the aspirant. The period of an undergraduate degree
in counseling psychology is of two and four years. Introduction to psychology, personality, and
research methodologies are just a few of the subjects that students of counseling psychology are
taught. Academic research is frequently conducted by research professors in undergraduate,
masters, and doctoral programs.
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A one-year internship is mandatory for all students. An online database of qualifying
internships is provided by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers.
Qualified internship locations, which vary from university counseling facilities to VA hospitals
and behavioral medicine clinics (Sternberg, 2017 pg.87). Detailed information on the process
and requirement of internships is present on the website of the Association of State and
Provincial Psychology Boards (Sternberg, 2017 pg.87). There are both good and bad sides to
counseling psychology but the benefits significantly outweigh the downsides of this career.
Teaching, research, and service are the three main areas of activity in academic jobs. Burnout is
an undesirable consequence of this profession, but it is possible to avoid it by following basic
self-care measures.
Jobs in psychology or education departments are common for academic counseling
psychologists. Typically, counseling psychologists work on a programmatic line of study on a
specific issue of interest. Counseling psychologists like teaching students and participating in
educational activities outside of the classroom. Whether in a clinic, educational institute, or
company, listening to and absorbing the anguish and suffering of the patients is an important part
of counseling psychology. Some counseling psychologists can have positions of authority in
academia, such as the chairperson of a psychology department in specific institutes. Employee
assistance programs (EAPs) aid in the early detection and treatment of workplace issues which
requires counseling psychologists to test and evaluate the well-being of the employees. Hightech, financial, and health organizations are among the businesses that use psychologists as
consultants (Sternberg, 2017 pg.82).
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Chapter Fourteen
Rehabilitation psychology is a branch of psychology concerned with the study and
application of psychological knowledge and skills on behalf of people with special needs and
chronic illnesses to improve their health and well-being, functional abilities, and social role
participation throughout their lives (Sternberg, 2017 pg.97). Psychologists that specialize in
rehabilitation psychology frequently speak with patients about their behavior. Rehabilitation
psychologists consider the effects of impairment in the context of a person’s life circumstances.
Interventions for rehabilitation psychologists are focused on providing therapeutic solutions to
assist people to cope with and adapt to the impacts of impairment. Rehabilitation psychologists
are trained in a wide range of psychotherapeutic techniques and treatment choices that are suited
for different phases of adaptation to physical damage or crippling disease. The rehabilitation
psychologist’s therapies in inpatient settings are frequently aimed at easing the psychological
transition to a new physical impairment, severe injury, or fatal sickness (Sternberg, 2017 pg.98).
The field of rehabilitation psychology encompasses a wide range of topics. It deals with a
wide spectrum of psychological issues. Some rehabilitation psychologists work with people
having a wide range of impairments and diseases, while others focus on a specific patient
population. Many rehabilitation psychologists focus on specific aspects of the discipline and
exclusively work with specific patients suffering from addictions, abuse, and severe
psychological distress. Rehabilitation psychologists practice in a wide range of contexts and
areas of expertise; assisted living and long-term care institutions, acute care hospitals and health
care centers, Veterans Administration hospitals, inpatient and outpatient physical rehabilitation
clinics.
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Choosing rehabilitation psychology as a career has quite similar procedures and
requirements as of Child clinical psychology and Counselling psychology. Individuals interested
in a career in rehabilitation psychology should first get a bachelor’s degree in psychology, either
general, clinical, or counseling psychology (Sternberg, 2017 pg.99). Minoring in rehabilitation
psychology or rehabilitation counseling is also a good idea for students. The courses that aspiring
rehabilitation psychologists should take are mostly determined by their chosen specialized area.
Graduate degrees are generally necessary to begin a career in rehabilitation psychology. Many
psychology colleges offer rehabilitative psychology graduate degrees. Graduate students in this
subject are frequently expected to undertake original research, defend that research, and
complete an internship.
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References
Sternberg, R. J. (2017). Career paths in psychology: Where your degree can take you. Third
Edition. American Psychological Association.
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