How long does a career of psychology

I've already answered what appeared to be a duplicate of this question. I interpreted it to mean how long does it take to get into a career of psychology. But I realize that it might also be "how long does a career in psychology last?" And I think that is also a valuable question. Bear in mind that "psychology" is a study of human behavior and how to affect it, and that is a very, very rich and complex topic that can only be enhanced by learning and experience. Also, once one has a deep concern for those aspects of humanity, they will usually tend to get better -- unless of course, one gets jaded for some reason -- with time. One may not be able to rush a QB or pole vault as well as one ages, but psychology will tend to get better with experience as one ages. So my personal opinion is that one may decide, for whatever reason, to retire as a professional psychologist or psychiatrist, but this decision would likely be voluntary. So I would not be surprised to see a psychologist, psychiatrist or other counselor be able to contribute well into their very late years.

I think you're asking how long it takes to get started in a career in psychology. First, remember you'll need at least a Bachelor's degree. Expect that to take around four years after high school. In practical terms, however, expect to get involved in some type of internship and then expect several years to get some practical experience in a professional setting. It would help tremendously if you could get support of a mentor to aid you in the initial pursuit of this career. This is great because it allows you to test if this career is truly for you. If it is, you'll enjoy this. You'll get professional connections and practice in the various forms of counseling. When I was in my undergraduate schooling, I took various psychology-related courses, including types of human psychology as well as experimental study design and interpretation. This gave me the tools to understand the mathematics of research in the field and to interpret data. Theories of psychology were fascinating as well. You might even find some aspects of your study you prefer even more. The learning is an adventure and an eye-opening experience.