Get into the mind: How to become a psychologist

Are you inquisitive about how our human mind works?

Are you interested in knowing a person's cognitive, emotional & mental state?

Well, psychologists have the answer to these questions, and if you want to become one, then we have the answers. 

The study of the human mind and how it affects a person's behavior is what psychology is all about.

As a psychologist, you will perform a wide range of activities, from assisting patients with various issues to testifying against suspects in court.

In reality, treating people with behavioral disorders using approaches like observation, assessment, and experimentation is the most important part of their work.

But, how does one become a psychologist?

What to take in School?

The best part about wanting to become a psychologist is that you can choose any stream in your 12th grade.

While there are schools that offer you Psychology as a subject in your 11th and 12th, you don’t need to take it.

So, even if you have taken Commerce, and would now want to become a psychologist, then it is more than possible. 

If you are yet to pick your stream and you have set your heart to become a psychologist after 12th, then try and pick psychology as your fifth subject.

However, this isn’t mandatory. 

Graduation (B.A. or B.Sc)

Once you have passed your class 12th boards in whichever stream, you now need to follow a particular study route to become a psychologist in India.

You need to get a bachelor’s degree in psychology from a university recognized by UGC.

his degree will help you create a foundation in psychology.

As a part of your bachelor’s, you will learn subjects like Clinical psychology, Social psychology, developmental psychology, and others.

This will also help you understand which type of psychology you like and in which field of psychology would you like to go. 

A bachelor’s degree (B.A/B.Sc) in Psychology will help you explore the many aspects that psychology has to offer.

However, you cannot become a psychologist right after your graduation. You need to study further for that.

Post Graduation

After your graduation, you can go for post-graduation. Once again the beauty of psychology is that you can pursue a PG in psychology after doing bachelors in any field.

While most universities will prefer students who have done their undergraduate in psychology, it is not mandatory.

You can become a psychologist even after doing engineering!

Most colleges will require you to pass an entrance exam.

Your graduation marks will also come into consideration when you apply for Masters in any reputed university.

Once into your post-graduation, you can choose any area of specialisation. 

You might wonder, if you could become a psychologist right after graduation from your bachelor's course, the simple answer is no.

You have to do your post-graduation in the field of psychology to become a psychologist. 

As part of your post-graduation course in psychology, you will study your chosen subject in proper depth.

You will also have to write a dissertation in an area of your interest.

You will also have to research under the supervision of an expert who is from the college. 

In your post-graduation course, you will also finish an internship that lasts up to two to three months.

The internship is extremely important if you wish to become a psychologist.

You will be working under an expert and learn how to apply all the theoretical knowledge and concepts.

It is extremely exciting to watch all the textbook learning come to life.

Work Experience

Becoming a psychologist is not something that you can do right after your bachelors or 12th.

You need to have a considerable amount of experience to know more.

Psychology is a subject that you need to understand through hands-on experience.

Try working with professors with their researchers. Intern with an NGO if you are looking to do child psychology or experimental psychology. 

You can also volunteer in a mental hospital if you want to become a developmental psychologist. 

All of this will help you get a job and help you become a successful journalist. 

Doctorate 

If you want to dig a little deeper and get more understanding into psychology then a doctorate is the way forward.

It is advisable to have a doctorate in psychology.

Most institutions will look for a good score in GRE, a GPA of 3.3 or higher and volunteer experience in the field of psychology. 

Internships 

Your journey to become a psychologist has one last step to go through.

You need to finish a two-year internship before you can become a great psychologist.

This will give you well on the job training.

You will also get a wonderful sense of satisfaction as you start helping more people with their lives. 

You can also start your internships in specific fields like- clinical psychology or business psychology or even sports psychology. 

Start Practising 

After you are done with all of these steps, pass a national exam and submit a case study to a panel of psychologists, then you can finally be ready to become a psychologist. 

Other Skills You Need

To become a psychologist in India you need to have other skills that go beyond your education.

Some of the requirements to become a psychologist involve: 

You need to be able to open people up and expect them to communicate with you.

You also have to make sure that your patient understands what you are saying and can follow that. 

There can be some challenging cases where the patient might not be opening up to you.

In such cases, you need to be patient and give them that time. 

You also need to go beyond words.

You need to observe and look at people’s body language and gestures. 

In the end, you need to be passionate and need to have the drive to become a great psychologist.

The field of psychology is vast, and India needs good psychologists as well.

So, if you have all of these above skills, then there is nothing to stop you from becoming a good psychologist in India.