Who Should Go to Graduate School in Clinical Psychology?
There are several legitimate reasons to pursue graduate work in clinical psychology. Some people want to become practicing psychologists, to engage in psychotherapy and psychological testing. Others are interested in studying the causes and nature of psychopathology or in studying how psychotherapy works. Some people are interested in both research and clinical practice. Most careers in clinical psychology currently require a doctorate (either a PhD or a PsyD), which entails a substantial commitment in time and forgone earnings. No one should go to graduate school in clinical psychology without seriously considering a number of issues, some of which we raise here.
