The following information varies by location and field of study. Having a Masters in Psychology does not always guarantee a graduate abilities to perform therapy. There is the additional layer of supervision, having a registered associate number, passing exams, and documenting one’s hours. What if you don’t want to do therapy? What else is there career-wise, if you have a Bachelors in Psychology or Social Work? I asked a few therapists, and here are their responses and recommendations:
Group home or youth care worker. The Boys and Girls Club offers such positions.
Research. Experimental, developmental, social, and I/O psychology. These all require advanced degrees, but they aren’t at all clinical (therapy).
HR, community development, education, and marketing fields. Clinical isn’t the only option. Sociology or psychology undergrad education offer ideal skills for working within groups and communicating with individuals. Depending of your personal interests and passions, they can be combined with a bachelors to be an excellent candidate for these fields.
Nonprofit world! “I worked for Head Start, a foster care agency, and the YMCA. I found jobs on indeed.com, social service.com, and craigslist.” (When using Craigslist, please use care and ensure work is safe and vetted in some way.)
Agencies: “Our agency hires group home staff and therapeutic behavioral coaches with BAs”
A lot of options: “With a BA in any of the social sciences you can work in the helping fields as a case manager, parent partner, Behavior interventionist, mentor, coordinator level for many city parks and rec and community service programs, in group homes, in juvenile detention in mental health or at a probation officer, coordinator for after school programs, social worker for DCFS. I did many of these for 10 years before returning to grad school for my MSW. Although I was able to really help a lot of people in these positions, the pay maxes out at about 45,000 annually (in LA) unless you’re willing to work for the county in Social Work (DCFS) or Probation…”
Treatment Centers: “I often speak to grad students about how to get into the ED (eating disorder) field - I share with them how to find entry level positions in treatment centers. I always encourage clients to take any job offered in the field, no job is beneath them because they will learn so much at every level of treatment, therapy, or business.”
