8 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Being A Psychologist
All professions have their advantages and disadvantages, and Psychology is no exception. Dedicating yourself to this exciting discipline is a way to go through moments that make everything worthwhile thanks to the personal and professional satisfaction they produce. However, there are also specific moments that are frustrating or tedious.
It is important, before considering whether to undertake this training and professional path, whether our preferences, motivations and objectives fit well with what the profession offers us. That’s why, It is good to know the best and the worst of being a psychologist.
The advantages and disadvantages of dedicating yourself to Psychology
Clearly, The advantages and disadvantages of dedicating yourself to psychology They are something that depends on the personal opinions and subjectivity of each one, but broadly speaking they are the following.
The advantages of being a psychologist
Among the good things about dedicating yourself to psychology, several things stand out that have to do with both what happens in real time in therapy and counseling or training sessions as with others that occur outside the sessions.
1. It allows you to see the fruit of your own work in the improvement of others
Psychologists very often have great reasons to rejoice: the consequences of their work directly benefit someone, and result in lasting happiness and that oneself can see. This is something that happens with very few professions.
If you do not work in a company, psychologists can become having freedom of schedules that is appreciated. Furthermore, the possibility of doing therapy online means that sessions do not have to be canceled if a patient or client goes out of town or is traveling.
3. Always make excuses to continue learning
Psychology is a young field, so it develops very quickly. That is why those who work in this field are always in contact with very interesting sources of knowledge about human behavior: seminars, conferences, books, scientific articles… All of them can be relevant to the profession. addressing topics as different as biology, philosophy, neurology learning, etc.
4. It allows you to learn techniques that you can apply to yourself
Having a therapist to advise and direct us externally is never the same as not having one, but by knowing various principles, theories and techniques, psychologists have more ways to adapt to the circumstances that appear in their own lives on the one hand, and are less likely to fall into harmful beliefs about the mental processes, personal problems, and behavioral patterns that they themselves display from time to time.
The disadvantages of dedicating yourself to Psychology
We have already seen several of the advantages that the profession of psychology offers. Now let’s get to that not-so-friendly side of this job.
1. Doubts based on the criteria followed
The profession of psychologists usually goes hand in hand with significant and intense experiences, given that in most cases they constantly deal with people of all kinds. Furthermore, the type of relationship that is established between the psychology professional and those people with whom he or she interacts (whether they are patients, clients or subjects on whom psychological intervention is carried out) can have a strong emotional charge, for which be common in professional environments.
And, at the end of the day, psychologists never stop empathizing. That is why Sometimes you may have doubts about whether certain actions are carried out using professional criteria or from a personal one, based on emotion.
2. Find time to look for clients
If offering psychological intervention services already consumes enough time, money and effort, to that we must add the task of searching for clients.
This is aggravated considering that it is usually a task that is not foreseen by psychologists, who have been training for several years with the idea of having to invest all their abilities in therapeutic intervention and in education and awareness programs. Developing a marketing plan can be complicated and you have to find time for it.
3. Work intrusion
Unfortunately, both in Spain and in many other Spanish-speaking countries The profession of Psychology is not very well legally regulated, with which there is a lot of work intrusion. There are people who, having taken weekend coaching courses, believe they can give psychotherapy.
This has disastrous results for everyone: it harms clients by spending time and money on something that doesn’t work and can even cause them to skip truly effective treatments; It takes away a part of psychologists’ market, and false therapists end up receiving complaints.
4. Prejudices about psychologists
Many people believe that psychologists are always practicing as such, which means, on the one hand, that any friend, family member or friend of a friend can request free therapy from them, and on the other, that they are always trying to “read people’s minds.” Obviously none of this is true, but sometimes it can be quite annoying when people around you assume these erroneous beliefs.
