Author 06 Oct 2022

Top 10 reasons: Why do people choose psychology as a career?

The number of people looking to pursue the field of mental health is increasing exponentially in recent decades. Psychology is a popular choice among undergraduate students all over the world and the growth that India is witnessing is no less than a miracle. But what is the appeal to psychology? Let us find out the top 10 reasons why more and more people are tilting toward a career in psychology:

1. Growing need for mental health professionals: The world is moving at a pace our minds cannot possibly keep up with and we often find ourselves deprived of human connections and relationships. We require more professionals who can understand the functioning of the human mind. So, when adversities push us toward symptoms of depression, sleep loss, anxiety, or troubled relationships, we can turn to experts who can help us out of it. As opposed to the repulsiveness people had toward psychology in the past, we are now moving toward a more evolved population of beings who are not as skeptical to ask for help. With this, training and accreditation have also gained the spotlight and we have more and more people opting for psychology.

2. A Deeper understanding of human diversity and personality types: Not everyone thinks and feels the same way and there are numerous perspectives of of the world. While studying psychology you get to learn the diversity of human experience and the different personality types along with their advantages and challenges. This sort of knowledge will help you at multiple levels and inculcate an empathetic attitude towards others. You also learn how to not be judgmental and presumptuous of people and look at everyone with the same neutral tone. There is no better way to truly understand why people act, feel, and think differently although they are part of the same society.

3. Learning about stages of human development: One of the most pertinent topics covered in the field of psychology is the various developmental stages of individuals and their needs and challenges at each stage. You will be surprised to know how significant a child's early development is and how even a two-month-year-old baby exposed to negative behaviour can be influenced by it later in life. This sort of knowledge helps you evaluate a person and track if a traumatic event or maladaptation is hindering their usual course of development.

4. Exploring the unconscious and unknown: Our inner self does not always conform to the same rules as our external self. Therefore, there is a big part of psychology that is dedicated to understanding the unknown which is the unconscious mind that is typically responsible for a lot of our actions in stressful situations. What is the unconscious process that tends to overpower us when we least expect it? Or what are those thoughts and memories that influence us to take a decision that we may not have taken otherwise? Do our dreams mean something? While attempting to answer all these questions you understand how to help people more consciously and help them bring about meaningful change in their lives.

5. Stay on top of all discoveries and revelations: Although psychology has always been a part of humankind since its very inception, the revelations in this young science still evolving and discoveries are being made about the human mind and soul almost every day. Part of being a psychologist also means that you will have to be well acquainted with research methods and stay on top of all the latest developments in the field. No matter which career path you choose you will have to do a lot of research into the psychological conditions and behaviours to effectively help your future clients. Many interesting discoveries like how limiting time on social media can increase your mental health and wellbeing, the significance of emotional intelligence, etc are just some of the things that keep psychology aspirants on the edge of their seats.

6. Able to distinguish between levels of illnesses: The misconception and lack of understanding around mental illness are very rampant in India. While studying psychology you understand behaviours that are associated with a certain level of mental conditions that help you recognize the stage at which your patient is with respect to the illness. It is also very important to diagnose properly in order to determine the extent of help you can provide. The more you start understanding your clients' condition the better you can help them transform themselves in the right way.

7. You can study psychology anywhere in the world: Unlike subjects like law that are specific to every country, psychology is universal, and the world has plenty of English-taught psychology degrees both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. You do not have to worry about a lack of options when it comes to your dream of pursuing psychology abroad. Popular countries with the best psychology programs are namely, USA, UK Australia, Canada, Germany Switzerland, and Italy.

8. Lot of room for specialisation: As a psychologist, you have more than one option when it comes to specialization. Typically, the more you read and train on psychological theories the better you become at your work. There are mainly 5 categories of psychotherapy that are popularly used by psychologists today, these include cognitive therapy, humanistic therapy, integrative therapy, behaviour therapy, and psychoanalysis. While there is always an option to specialize in one of them, improving your knowledge and gaining another skill will only help you increase your client base and help people more diversely.

9 Learn more about yourself and others: Psychology is all about dissecting the human brain in a metaphorical sense that you try to figure out the working of the mind, its emotions, and actions. While you are at it you cannot help but also think about your own emotions and behaviours that influence your state of mind. Having a degree in psychology is a great way to get a deeper understanding of yourself and others around you. Also having a keen interest in human nature and having a solid understanding of people will be a marketable skill in a variety of job settings including marketing, advertising, education, healthcare, and even politics.

10. Make a difference in people’s life: Have you ever thought of wanting to change the world and make it a better place? If it has been your dream of making a difference real difference in people’s life, then earning a psychology degree is the most direct way to achieve that goal. While mental health is so utterly ignored by most even today therapists, psychologists, and community service workers are working relentlessly to help people overcome obstacles and live up to their full potential. It will be emotionally demanding and stressful at times, but it can also be very rewarding and fulfilling to see a real difference that you have made in someone else’s life.

If you are looking to become a psychologist, then be prepared to keep learning, and unlearning all your life. It is not possible to scale the lengths of our consciousness and mind but the journey to self-discovery teaches us a lot of life skills. Psychology is a great field if you truly believe it is your calling. Maybe these reasons are enough for you to take the next step or maybe you have your own reasons. Ultimately, you learn great truths about life and get to make a material difference in people’s lives.

Thinking of taking up psychology as a career? Stop your search at Counsel India, a leading psychology ed-tech that envisions a better future for psychology aspirants with practical based courses and pieces of training. Reach us at info@counselindia.com to know more about careers in psychology.