Expert: Stephanie R - 6/9/2006

Question
i am interested in becoming a child psychologist but i dont have the grades to do what i want. because i am the eldest my parents tend to have high expectations for me. im not take good when it comes to school but i still get over the average. but i asked a teacher about bcoming a child psychologist and she says that the best thing to do is to go to tech to get a HND in early childhood studies then go to uni and get a degree in it. after that do my PGCE in early child hood and start teaching and after 5 years of teacher go and do child psychology.

i want to do this but is there an easier option something that doesnt cost a lot of wont waste most of my life because i really want to be a child psychologist . what should i do

thanks for listening  

Answer
Hey there.. thanks for the question. First off, make sure you are doing this because you want to and not because your parents expect you to. I too was the eldest and my parents were proud of whatever I did. YOU need to be happy... your parents will approve and be happy if they see that you are.

As for the degree, well it is difficult to become a child psych, AND very costly because it's right up there with med school. But some VERY rewarding alternatives are to become a school psych, a school social worker or a guidance counselor. All three positions average about 40k per year, and only take a Bachelor's degree. The three positions also give you a lot of flexibility because you can work in a public, private or alternative school. WIth these degrees you can also get into a field called Child Life Therapy. This job is a therapy type job working with children and the families of children who are currently in a hospital dealing with the treatment of terminal or chronic illnesses. These therapists play with the kids, talk to them, explain to them what they are going through and make the families feel very comfortable and at ease during the process. It is a very rewarding job... I know a few people who were teachers and decided to get the psych. credits and now they are child life therapists.

Hope this helps!
Steph