CNBC, a leading news portal, mentions that “mental health could be the new pandemic.” Statista projects that the global mental health market will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.2% to 4.8% annually. By 2029, experts predict that the market will reach a value of $500 billion. Hence, psychology degree holders have a high scope for growth. The demand for professionals in the global market is bound to increase. 

We created a list of career paths you can follow with a preliminary degree in psychology. This will help you sort your options.

Mental Health Counselor

Let’s begin with the primary confusion between a psychiatrist and a psychologist. 

Psychiatrist:

A doctor with a medical degree (MBBS, MD in India). A psychiatrist treats a patient by understanding clinical signs and symptoms. They can run some tests and prescribe medications.

Psychologists:

Professionals who work with human emotions as their specialization. They provide psychological assessment and talk therapy.

So, most times, counselors are psychologists. Hospitals, educational institutions, corporate offices, and NGOs are some of their working places. Various roles a mental health counselor can take are as follows: 

Clinical Psychologists: 

They diagnose mental health conditions like anxiety, trauma, and other conditions. Following diagnosis, they devise treatment plans. You should hold a doctorate for practicing as a clinical psychologist.

Occupational Therapists: 

It is the branch of psychology that helps people experiencing some form of disability, illness, or injury impacting their ability to perform daily tasks. OT aims to help their patients learn to do these daily activities to live independently. They focus on enhancing patients’ quality of life with arthritis, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis.

Education Psychologists: 

We are living in an era of distractions. It is important to emphasize the learning habits of kids in schools. Educational institutes hire education psychologists to organize faculty training programs. They examine patterns between students and teachers to help create conducive learning environments. They also help kids with issues like autism and cerebral palsy.

Consumer Psychologists: 

In the current world of quick commerce, marketing is the new weapon. Psychology degree holders working as consumer psychologists help companies improve customer relationships. Many companies can enhance their conversion rates by using psychologist’s expertise.

Psychotherapists:

These are mental health professionals who support patients to negotiate with life. They undergo training to listen to people and ease them via talk therapy. Married couples, individuals, and families are their usual clients. They help people manage intimacy issues, terminal illness, and family and personal struggles.

Forensic Psychology

This branch brings psychology and law side by side. Forensic psychologists analyze criminals, victims, and their aides. They help police officials understand the motive and outcome of the crime. Forensic psychologists played a significant role in infamous criminal cases like the O.J. Simpson case.

As a forensic psychologist, you may have to work in prisons, asylums, and community hospitals. You may also have to appear in court for legal proceedings.

To become one, you can do a bachelor’s in forensic psychology or pursue it as a major in master’s or doctoral degrees.

Psychology Educator

Psychology educators are highly paid individuals. You can be a psychology teacher at the senior school level or a psychology professor in a college or university. For both roles, you must have clear concepts and a deep understanding of the subject, with the appropriate credentials to teach others.

As a teacher, you will be mentoring students at the school level. But, as a professor, you will guide master’s students in their theses. There is also a historical precedent for psychology professors being part of national task forces on mental health.

Industrial Organizational Psychologist

IO psychologists work to create a workplace environment that is relaxing, safe, and productive. They aim to ease the work stress of employees to support organizations in meeting their goals.

This field focuses on hiring, placement, training, and performance evaluation issues. As an IO psychologist, you will interact with employees and bosses to understand their work-life balance. You will customize programs and develop general ones for employee training and onboarding.

IO psychologists work with private enterprises, consulting firms, corporate hospitals, and NGOs.

Experimental Psychology

If you have a curious mindset, then experimental psychology can be your niche. It is all about filling the gaps in the existing knowledge of psychology. It includes extensive research, data analysis, and patient sampling. Reporting the results in journals will help you showcase your work.

This field centers on developing innovative solutions for mental health issues. It involves creating protocols and collaborating with researchers globally. If their institutions are well-equipped, psychology professors can actively practice experimental psychology.

Sports Psychologist

Athletes need mental training to sustain themselves in the long run. Sports psychologists help them stay consistent and improve their mental and physical fitness. They prepare tailored programs to reduce performance anxiety and ensure a speedy recovery.

Another subspecialty of sports psychology is rehabilitation psychology. It deals with refining the recovery process after a player’s injury or illness. These specialties focus on building a healthy atmosphere to enhance the performance of the player on the ground. These two professionals, along with a physiotherapist, monitor a sportsperson’s wellness.

Alternative Career

Psychology is a tricky field – holding a psychology degree does not necessarily mean you’ll find yourself working as a psychologist. However, you don’t need to worry – your psychology degree also opens up these alternative career options:

• Social Worker: Like psychology, social work needs empathy and connection. It is a great fit for people looking to contribute to the community.
• Advertising and PR: It involves understanding the customer’s mindset. They use these insights to create engaging content. This helps brands build a positive image in the market, boasting sales.
• Life Coach: It is one of the most emerging career options nowadays. It involves understanding human feelings and advising what is best for individuals to accomplish their goals and live a fulfilling life.
• Data Analytics: If you want to pivot your career in IT, then data science can be a great choice. Courses from well-ranking institutes can help you understand the inner workings of this high-demand program.

Concluding Remarks

Psychology is an exceptional field, building a better understanding of what makes humans tick and creating numerous opportunities to help people through difficult life circumstances. If you are a psychology degree holder and planning for higher studies, look deeply to understand your goals. As individuals and organizations become more and more aware of the complexities of the human mind and the importance of mental health in personal and professional life, the demand for psychologists continues to rise. Not only does this promise a great career path, it also offers you the chance to make a positive difference to society.