What career is this, is it more specific than just child psychology?
I want to be someone who works with children who have been through traumatic events..like a child psychologist..but only for the special needs (not mentally challenged) but victims of rape, and other traumatic things.
is there a specific college major that this is called?
i’m in Pennsylvania, and almost every school i look at that offers psychology is just general so i have no idea how to go about finding the right school.
Titanic Swimmer said,
Wrote on March 18, 2010 @ 10:21 pm
I’ve never heard of a specific program to that, however, if you do a graduate degree you could do your thesis in that area. Also look in the literature for professors/researchers who are up your alley and try to get into their school and have them as advisors on your committee. Good luck.
senlin said,
Wrote on March 18, 2010 @ 10:43 pm
You would not be able to do this type of work with an undergraduate degree, so you should be focusing on getting into graduate school. You might consider a master’s degree in social work or a master’s degree in counselling – you could then specialize in the area you are interested in. To be a psychologist, you need a doctoral degree, unless you live in one of the few places that licenses psychologists at the master’s degree level (Pennsylvania is not one of them). So your best bet is to major in psychology and then focus on graduate training.
auntbee14maple said,
Wrote on March 18, 2010 @ 11:28 pm
Hello!
I don’t want to over-simplify the answer, but it sounds like you may be interested in following one of these two pathways:
First, you could go to a university that offers a doctorate (usually a Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in psychology. They offer different types of psychology programs (social psychology, clinical psychology, occupational psychology, etc.), but be aware that getting accepted into these doctorate programs is not easy. I am a school psychologist and based on your interests you wouldn’t want to go this route. The majority of what I do involves learning disabilities or intellectual deficits. Although we do have many children who have been through traumatic events or have emotional disorders, unfortunately, we do not have a lot of time to actually do counseling. If you do become a psychologist in private practice, you can specify what kinds of disorders you treat (e.g., ‘specialist in trauma victims’).
Second, you may want to become a licensed counselor or therapist. This requires at least a masters degree, but not necessarily a doctorate. Although it may vary from one university to the next, I know a university near my hometown offers a degree in ‘marriage and family counseling’. However, larger universities may offer more specific majors. It would be helpful to contact them directly in their social sciences/psychology department to inquire. Again, once you have completed your degree and start your own practice, you can specify the types of therapy/clients you wish to work with.
I wish you well in your pursuit of this occupation – the world needs good therapists to work with victims of these types of tragedy!