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What kind of job options are there that will help me gain (and count as) experience in the field of psychology between earning my bachelor's and working on my Master's ?
I want to become a therapist and will have to work full time to support myself. I'd like to streamline the process between earning my BS and working on my Master's.
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Simon !
It's great that you are thinking about the academic path for becoming a clinical psychologist who does psychotherapy. I do have some advice, perhaps not what you may be thinking of, but it would be the smoothest and most beneficial path for you. Academic paths and Careers in the mental health field are very involved, with lots to learn and they should not be "streamlined" or rushed. You'll need lots of time to learn everything to be a clinical therapist. Also, if you're thinking of doing therapy as a clinical psychologist, your state of Colorado requires you to have a Doctorate Degree. You could still do clinical psychotherapy if you go out for a path towards Social Work or Mental Health Counselor which require a Masters Degree.
Considering that you state that you need to work full time during the day, you can consider taking your college courses at night and on the weekends at a college that offers that option. As time goes on, you may see that you can apply for Federal Student Financial Aid and Scholarships and a Work Study job on campus and you can do the psychology program full time in the daytime. There's a lot to learn as a Psychology Major and lab work, possible Internships and projects. There should be no quick or short-cutting for this path.
You will need to know the basics of theory and technique before you can start working with patients/clients doing therapy. A psychology path will prepare you for this. Jobs available for high school level in the social service field are usually at Homeless Shelters, community service agencies, social service agencies but double check this by reading the current employment notices at employment websites for these jobs. In your state of Colorado, jobs you may be able to get if available are Social and Human Service Assistant, Community Health Worker, Case Worker which is different than a Case Manager in that a Case Worker doesn't have regular clients and assists people as they drop in with non-therapy issues.
At some point in your academics for psychology, you will have to put in a certain amount of hours doing therapy with patients/clients and you'd have to be available for that. Some colleges tell their students about job openings and places to do their hours, so you have to take it a step at a time and just find whatever job you'd like for now or until you can obtain financial aid and scholarships. The path for clinical social work and mental health counselor is to obtain a Masters Degree, so you can decide how long you'd want to attend college - the PhD to be a clinical Psychologist or the Masters Degree for Social Work or Mental Health Counselor.
Try not to worry too much about obtaining hands on employment for the therapy field just yet. You will get the experience through your academic years. If you apply for Federal Student Financial Aid, you can choose the Work Study option for which you can get a paid job working in your Psychology Department on campus. Speak with your financial aid office at the college you'll attend about this. Also, the more you associate with your Psychology Department on campus, you will hear of opportunities for students both on campus and off campus. Give it some time for right now and take it one step at a time. It's a process and you'll definitely get there.
I hope this helps for a start and I wish you all the best !
It's great that you are thinking about the academic path for becoming a clinical psychologist who does psychotherapy. I do have some advice, perhaps not what you may be thinking of, but it would be the smoothest and most beneficial path for you. Academic paths and Careers in the mental health field are very involved, with lots to learn and they should not be "streamlined" or rushed. You'll need lots of time to learn everything to be a clinical therapist. Also, if you're thinking of doing therapy as a clinical psychologist, your state of Colorado requires you to have a Doctorate Degree. You could still do clinical psychotherapy if you go out for a path towards Social Work or Mental Health Counselor which require a Masters Degree.
Considering that you state that you need to work full time during the day, you can consider taking your college courses at night and on the weekends at a college that offers that option. As time goes on, you may see that you can apply for Federal Student Financial Aid and Scholarships and a Work Study job on campus and you can do the psychology program full time in the daytime. There's a lot to learn as a Psychology Major and lab work, possible Internships and projects. There should be no quick or short-cutting for this path.
You will need to know the basics of theory and technique before you can start working with patients/clients doing therapy. A psychology path will prepare you for this. Jobs available for high school level in the social service field are usually at Homeless Shelters, community service agencies, social service agencies but double check this by reading the current employment notices at employment websites for these jobs. In your state of Colorado, jobs you may be able to get if available are Social and Human Service Assistant, Community Health Worker, Case Worker which is different than a Case Manager in that a Case Worker doesn't have regular clients and assists people as they drop in with non-therapy issues.
At some point in your academics for psychology, you will have to put in a certain amount of hours doing therapy with patients/clients and you'd have to be available for that. Some colleges tell their students about job openings and places to do their hours, so you have to take it a step at a time and just find whatever job you'd like for now or until you can obtain financial aid and scholarships. The path for clinical social work and mental health counselor is to obtain a Masters Degree, so you can decide how long you'd want to attend college - the PhD to be a clinical Psychologist or the Masters Degree for Social Work or Mental Health Counselor.
Try not to worry too much about obtaining hands on employment for the therapy field just yet. You will get the experience through your academic years. If you apply for Federal Student Financial Aid, you can choose the Work Study option for which you can get a paid job working in your Psychology Department on campus. Speak with your financial aid office at the college you'll attend about this. Also, the more you associate with your Psychology Department on campus, you will hear of opportunities for students both on campus and off campus. Give it some time for right now and take it one step at a time. It's a process and you'll definitely get there.
I hope this helps for a start and I wish you all the best !
Thank you so much for your thoughtful response! I am planning on moving to Oregon post-bachelors to be closer to family, but the doctorate requirement for private practice is still the same. Thank you for giving me food for thought.
Simon
You are very welcome for the advice, Simon !
Michelle M.
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
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Chinyere’s Answer
Hi Simon,
Good question! If you’re planning to bridge the gap between your bachelor’s and your master’s, the sweet spot is targeting roles that both pay the bills and rack up the kind of supervised behavioral-health experience graduate programs actually count. In most states, the highest–return-on-investment roles include behavioral health technician, psychiatric technician, case manager, residential counselor, crisis hotline specialist, youth program counselor, ABA technician, and peer support specialist.
These positions let you build core competencies, documentation, crisis response, treatment planning support, and rapport-building that directly map to clinical training standards. If you want to really streamline the pipeline, lock in two things early:
- a job in an agency that also hosts interns, so you can transition smoothly into practicum hours once you start your master’s, and
- supervisors with the appropriate credentials, because their signatures eventually matter.
With this approach, you’re not just working; you’re building a professional track record that puts you ahead of the curve the moment you enter your therapist training program.
Best wishes!
Good question! If you’re planning to bridge the gap between your bachelor’s and your master’s, the sweet spot is targeting roles that both pay the bills and rack up the kind of supervised behavioral-health experience graduate programs actually count. In most states, the highest–return-on-investment roles include behavioral health technician, psychiatric technician, case manager, residential counselor, crisis hotline specialist, youth program counselor, ABA technician, and peer support specialist.
These positions let you build core competencies, documentation, crisis response, treatment planning support, and rapport-building that directly map to clinical training standards. If you want to really streamline the pipeline, lock in two things early:
- a job in an agency that also hosts interns, so you can transition smoothly into practicum hours once you start your master’s, and
- supervisors with the appropriate credentials, because their signatures eventually matter.
With this approach, you’re not just working; you’re building a professional track record that puts you ahead of the curve the moment you enter your therapist training program.
Best wishes!