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Christina
Student
Baltimore, Maryland
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What steps would you recommend taking to become a researcher in the field of clinical psychology?
I am currently a Junior in college on my way to earning my bachelor's degree in Sociology. I plan on earning my master's in psychology. My goal is to become a clinical psychologist and do research that specializes in the effects of childhood abuse on the adult mind. What steps would you recommend taking to become a researcher in the field of clinical psychology?
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Michelle M.
Actress
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Christina !
What a wonderful career interest you have and even though I'm going to redirect you for the path towards doing psychological research, it may be of help before you start college.
You will need to be a psychologist in order to do clinical research on the effects of childhood trauma in adults. Your Bachelors Degree should be in Psychology as well as your Masters Degree. These degrees will prepare you to be a Psychologist which is what you'll need to be in order to have the knowledge and credibility to do research. This is not to say that you'd never take a sociology class, by all means take some, but choose courses like gerontology, child development or specific sociology courses that focus on the population you'd be researching. There will be a lot of theory, technique and other things for clinical analysis and knowing how to test patients for cognitive disabilities and a degree path in Sociology will not prepare you for this career. It may not be too late to switch to majoring in Psychology but definitely talk this over with your academic counselor. So a Bachelors Degree in Psychology as well as a Masters in Psychology is the first step to becoming a well-rounded, knowledgeable psychologist who was able to get experience interning or volunteering at the Bachelors level.
Once you obtain these degrees and your Psychologist License, you can start working with patients full time at one or more than one place. It is usually very good pay, so you will want to offer your services to all populations and in all venues. You can do independent research or apply for any openings at an organization. The issue you're targeting is very much a hot topic and more research does need to be done, so this will be good research to do that can appear in the Psychology Journals. Start reading the trade journals now to get an idea of what's out there and as a way to gain knowledge of various findings for various subjects. Learn how the journals are constructed and how one's research is chosen to appear in which journals.
Start reading the Annual Review of Psychology, the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, the Journal of Applied Psychology, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, the Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, Qualitative Research in Psychology, and Personality and Social Psychology Review. Also, consider reading Psychology Today Magazine and assess whether or not you could write articles for their magazine or website.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best. This will be a wonderful career for you !
What a wonderful career interest you have and even though I'm going to redirect you for the path towards doing psychological research, it may be of help before you start college.
You will need to be a psychologist in order to do clinical research on the effects of childhood trauma in adults. Your Bachelors Degree should be in Psychology as well as your Masters Degree. These degrees will prepare you to be a Psychologist which is what you'll need to be in order to have the knowledge and credibility to do research. This is not to say that you'd never take a sociology class, by all means take some, but choose courses like gerontology, child development or specific sociology courses that focus on the population you'd be researching. There will be a lot of theory, technique and other things for clinical analysis and knowing how to test patients for cognitive disabilities and a degree path in Sociology will not prepare you for this career. It may not be too late to switch to majoring in Psychology but definitely talk this over with your academic counselor. So a Bachelors Degree in Psychology as well as a Masters in Psychology is the first step to becoming a well-rounded, knowledgeable psychologist who was able to get experience interning or volunteering at the Bachelors level.
Once you obtain these degrees and your Psychologist License, you can start working with patients full time at one or more than one place. It is usually very good pay, so you will want to offer your services to all populations and in all venues. You can do independent research or apply for any openings at an organization. The issue you're targeting is very much a hot topic and more research does need to be done, so this will be good research to do that can appear in the Psychology Journals. Start reading the trade journals now to get an idea of what's out there and as a way to gain knowledge of various findings for various subjects. Learn how the journals are constructed and how one's research is chosen to appear in which journals.
Start reading the Annual Review of Psychology, the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, the Journal of Applied Psychology, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, the Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, Qualitative Research in Psychology, and Personality and Social Psychology Review. Also, consider reading Psychology Today Magazine and assess whether or not you could write articles for their magazine or website.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best. This will be a wonderful career for you !
Thank you, Michelle! Your advice is so detailed and easy to follow. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question.
Christina
You are very welcome, Christina !
Michelle M.