Curiosity is an innate aspect of human nature. People are constantly trying to understand, assess, and learn. Every scientific discipline stems from this curiosity, and the field of psychology is no exception. However, psychology is less focused on understanding our external world as other sciences are and more focused on understanding ourselves and the people around us. Clinical psychology is a specific branch of psychology which centers around the diagnosis, assessment, evaluation, and treatment of individuals from a psychological and cognitive standpoint (Occupational). Many college students who choose to major in psychology with the goal of becoming a practicing licensed psychologist do so for its high potential pay, the increasing demand
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The first of which being the high potential pay for practicing licensed psychologists. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the median pay of psychologists in 2012 was approximately $69,000 per year, this isn’t necessarily an accurate indicator of pay throughout one’s career. A business savvy psychologist with ten or more years of experience working in a private practice that doesn’t accept insurance will make considerably more than a psychologist fresh out of graduate school working in a hospital or similar place (Hill). In 2009, the American Psychological Association found that the median salary for a doctorate level full-time position in psychology was $112,500 per year for those with 10-14 years of experience. The overall demand for psychologists in the area also has a great effect on one’s income, especially when taking insurance …show more content…
Many people in the field cite this as their sole motive for pursuing the career. In response to the question of why he decided to become a psychotherapist, Chad LeJeune, Ph.D, commented, “I was just fascinated that there was a discipline focused on understanding and alleviating human suffering. I couldn’t think of anything more important that I could study” (qtd. in Tartakovsky). Each day when you come home from work, you go to bed feeling like you’ve really done something worthwhile and good, says Karl Hill, Psy.D. The type of satisfaction one gets from intrinsic motivators in their career is central to living a fulfilling life and it keeps work from feeling like
The first of which being the high potential pay for practicing licensed psychologists. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the median pay of psychologists in 2012 was approximately $69,000 per year, this isn’t necessarily an accurate indicator of pay throughout one’s career. A business savvy psychologist with ten or more years of experience working in a private practice that doesn’t accept insurance will make considerably more than a psychologist fresh out of graduate school working in a hospital or similar place (Hill). In 2009, the American Psychological Association found that the median salary for a doctorate level full-time position in psychology was $112,500 per year for those with 10-14 years of experience. The overall demand for psychologists in the area also has a great effect on one’s income, especially when taking insurance …show more content…
Many people in the field cite this as their sole motive for pursuing the career. In response to the question of why he decided to become a psychotherapist, Chad LeJeune, Ph.D, commented, “I was just fascinated that there was a discipline focused on understanding and alleviating human suffering. I couldn’t think of anything more important that I could study” (qtd. in Tartakovsky). Each day when you come home from work, you go to bed feeling like you’ve really done something worthwhile and good, says Karl Hill, Psy.D. The type of satisfaction one gets from intrinsic motivators in their career is central to living a fulfilling life and it keeps work from feeling like