So You Want to Be a Shrink?

Navigating careers in psychology.

by Laura Stephens

The New Reality of Student Loans

A couple of weeks ago, I made arrangements for payment of my fall semester costs. I was able to get some federal financial aid to cover these costs. Other costs of living are going to be addressed through work and scholarships. What caught my eye on the college aid website was that the icon and link for private loans were completely grayed-out, meaning that private loans were unavailable for anyone searching for funding. Across the country, students are making similar arrangements for the financial needs of the coming academic year. Yet at many schools, undergraduate and graduate students are running into difficulties finding the necessary funding to pay the basic costs of college attendance. We're not talking about financing a night of hanging out. We're talking about paying for things such as books and lab fees. Usually, there are a number of ways to deal with these costs but recently, those avenues have become fewer and more difficult to navigate. Read More

Oh Great, Who Left You in Charge: Teaching Fellowships

Sometimes I wonder the same thing. As I proceeded to pack up my things after class, a few of my students stopped to speak about their projects. At first, a smile slowly crossed my face as I responded to their inquiries. That smile led to a low chuckle as I finished with them. Considering the scene, my thoughts drifted to the last few days as a research and grant assistant at my undergraduate institution. While cleaning my office in preparation of my return to New York for graduate school, my former boss and mentor stopped in and passed on these inspirational words..... Read More

The Exodus: Student Retention and Finance

That sound you heard is the other shoe dropping in the economic crisis and promptly bouncing up to hit college students in the head. One of the consequences is that an undergraduate student at my school will NOT be returning next year. The financial picture of his family has taken such a downturn that they now are not in a position to provide some assistance. In turn, he alone is unable to make up the difference through his own efforts. He's already working long hours while carrying a full course load. This is one student that we know about. How many more will just quietly slip off the collegiate radar screen? Which hallowed halls will have a more resonant echo due this loss? Read More

Who will answer the call?

A quiet storm has appeared on the horizon for therapists and psychologists in clinical practice. Military veterans have been returning in need of a variety of psychological services to ease their minds and transition back into their "normal" lives. Yet there is one specialty in psychological practice that this country is not fully prepared to supply for the returning troops. Those services are the necessary therapeutic treatment for the survivors of sexual assault. Read More

The End of Diversity?

Are we looking at the death knell for diversity in graduate education? Graduate programs of all kinds have worked to become more diversified in their student and faculty populations. Yet considering the effect of the current economic collapse on the decision making processes regarding access to higher education, we may be looking at a very different landscape in academic populations in the future. Read More

Mentoring

Over the past few months, the subject of mentoring has crossed my mind quite a few times. As I begin to work with the students in my courses, I remember the people who were (and still are) so influential in my life as well as those who have more recently entered. Each has been as an amazing guide as I move along this path to a career in psychology. Read More

Post-Doctoral Training and Fellowships

When considering the future of your psychology career, one's thoughts may quickly turn to a fulltime academic position, a research job with a university or private research center or a nonacademic job with a nonprofit/nongovernmental organization. Read More

A Balancing Act

In the hectic life of graduate students, our priorities require us to focus on those areas which are par and parcel of graduate study. Between classes, work, teaching and research, your personal life can get jammed down to the bottom of the priority list. It can be difficult to set aside time to take care of the "normal" aspects of life, especially personal time. Read More

Social Networking

Oftentimes, the term "social networking" evokes images of those inimitable internet sites that link up like-minded people. In connecting with those friends, one develops certain social skills to navigate the online world of friendships. Yet other types of social networking skills are going to be required to navigate another domain - that one known as the world of job hunting! Read More

Financing Your Psychology Education II

Since my last post, the volatile economic changes of the past few weeks present some serious implications regarding some areas for funding undergraduate and graduate education. As community members, we are not immune to the vicissitudes of the American economy. Read More

Financing Your Psychology Education

For most students, paying for your college education can prove to be a daunting task. Graduate educational costs can demonstrate to be an even more frighteningly expensive prospect. Within colleges and universities, there is an aid process that as a student progresses through higher levels of graduate education, the financial burden is somewhat alleviated by greater institutional support. Read More

Cultural Consciousness

The effect of culture on the field of psychology has become a main consideration for researchers and clinicians. In the delivery of appropriate and comprehensive treatment, some may feel that if everyone is treated the same that you are addressing the issue of cultural differences by acting for the larger concept of global humanity. Read More

Race & Society

Of late, there has been a flurry of discourse, public and private, about the role of race in American society. Some have spoken to the progress that has been made while others have expressed deep concern for the work that still needs to be done. A fascinating aspect of the entire phenomenon is how race may influence individuals' thoughts and decisions. Read More

Hidden in Plain Sight

An earlier post on this blog centered on finding your path to a career in psychology. In response, a reader asked about defining her path given that she would be working in a remote community. Would she truly be serving the community if she specialized in one area of clinical psychology? Read More

Finding Your Path

Sometimes, the first few steps can be the most difficult to finding a career. This can be especially true for psychology given the wide variety of opportunities that exist. As noted in a previous post, one of the most important decisions is the selection of a pathway for a psychological career. Maybe some remarkable stories of beginnings can be inspirational. Read More

Who Me? A Shrink? Maybe.....

Well, maybe not a shrink but you want a career in psychology. Traditionally, the term "psychologist" evokes images of therapists who provide mental health treatment in settings such as a private practice or mental health clinic. Though therapy is one possibility, it is by no means the only type of livelihood in the field of psychology. Read More