How can a 16 year old gain experience relevant to a career in psychology/counselling?
By volunteering or working at any facility in the psychology field. It is particularly difficult to gain relevant psychology experience for the purposes of applying to an undergraduate or graduate program because it is unethical, of course, to practice any kind of counseling or testing without the proper degrees or llicensures. Still, I did things like observe special education classes (I was able to do this because my mother teaches), volunteering at the Special Olympics, and getting a job at an Alzheimers specialty nursing home (cleaning up after patients mostly). You have to be kind of creative but opportunities are out there. If you want to go to graduate school someday, focus very heavily on GRADES and RESEARCH EXPERIENCE during your undergraduate education. Psychology is a great field- good luck and have fun!
