Family Psychology

If you find the field of psychology interesting and like social work, you may want to consider a career in family psychology. Your work may not be limited to only families as a whole; you could end up aiding young children or newlyweds, for example. For the most part, family psychologists are trained, licensed psychologists first. They may focus on family psychology through their work or by completing a fellowship. Every state has different requirements for family psychologists; it might be a good idea to thoroughly research your state’s board of licensing requirements. To work independently in this field, you are probably going to need to be a licensed psychologist after completing a fairly advanced degree.

Job Desciption

Depending on how far you proceed with your education, you might find yourself working with young children coping with the challenges of adolescence including behavioral concerns, helping families smooth transitions after a divorce or possibly dealing with serious familial issues. The need for confidentiality and professionalism is paramount, as there may be situations where crimes have occurred and you may have to help with a law enforcement or legal investigation.

As the population naturally grows, the United States Department of Labor expects there to be steady demand for psychologists. Career opportunities are probably better for those with more education, research experience and certifications.

How To Become A Family Psychologist

The career path for everyone who eventually becomes a family psychologist is going to be unique for their individual situation. In order to become an independent psychologist you are probably going to need to earn an advanced degree. This all starts with earning your undergraduate degree in psychology, or at least the required psychology credits to apply for graduate school.

Completing a degree is always challenging and students are always looking for ways to complete college credits in convenient ways and still learn the material. If you choose to work while in school or want to find some flexibility in your studies, say during your education towards a master’s degree, you might consider distance education. Earning college credits by taking online classes is becoming more popular and accessible because of the great improvements in online colleges and information technology. The top online colleges have credits relevant to your studies that transfer and are accredited.

You are probably going to want to add some research or internship experience to your resume and application package to graduate schools that are related to psychology and family psychology specifically. Some of these listings could be found through your college’s career center, on the department of psychology’s bulletin board or by talking with your instructors about them. A common exam to pass and do well on to be admitted to numerous graduate schools is the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Advanced degrees might be challenging but the reward should be worth it once completed. At some point you need to be licensed by your state to become a psychologist and they may have a fellowship or other requirement to complete for you to be involved with family psychology professionally.