How Do I Become a Child Psychologist?
There isn’t a direct training route to becoming a Child Psychologist. You would either train as a clinical or counselling psychologist and specialise in working with children once you have completed your training or train as an educational psychologist and work with children in an educational setting. Please see the Types of Psychologist section of our website for more information on these areas.
A child psychologist is a professional who works with children and their families using therapy methods that are centered on the needs of children; for example, drawings, play, and reenactments. Child psychologists may have their own practice, they may be part of a group practice, or they may work in a hospital or for the government, such as working with Social Services or Child Protective Services. Those who wish to become a child psychologist will find that the work can be very rewarding, but it is also a job full of heartbreak and challenges. To become a child psychologist, you must first have a bachelor’s degree in psychology. When you are looking at potential colleges, try to pick one that is both affordable and that has a great child psychology graduate program. While you don’t need to choose this school for your graduate degree, it will give you an opportunity to interact with graduate students and professors teaching upper-level classes. Take as many courses as you can that rel
There are different types of counselors out there. If you want to be a psychologist, you need your Ph.D. However, other types of counselors that only require a Masters degree are Mental Health Counselor, Marriage and Family Counselor, or School Counselor. Do you have a bachelor’s degree? If you don’t, get a bachelor’s degree in psychology, or possibly sociology. If you already have your BA in another field, that’s okay too. After you get your BA, apply to a Master’s program for one of the types of counselors I mentioned. They are listed under most school’s Department of Education, not Psychology. If you want to be a psychologist, then look at the pscyhology. department. If you want to work with children, then when you do your internships chose a site where you work with children.
