What to study

[cubbex]

I've just got to know that a little girl about 6 years was found death by inner bleeding caused by a brutal beating her father gave her on all of her body, and because of daily sexual abuse, her mother and aunt knew about this and didn't do anything to protect her. A girl on another place of about 1 year old killed by the pennis penetration of her grandfather and a baby killed by her step father because he used the baby to turn off his pots with the baby body, you could see all her little body with the marks of this cruel act, I can write a list but that's not my purpose.

This leads me to a decision to make. I wanted to study clinical psychology but as I see that understanding and observing people is not enough, you have to be warm -and I tend do be direct than anything else -, really know yourself to understand others, surely that's not my case I have work to do on myself and I am consantly having some emotional problems and as I know you have to be in balance. People are going more to psychologist to receive therapy, with the knowledge I got plus offering the EE would be a good idea to help others. But I really have a strong feel that forensic psychology would be the best for me based on reading about it and what others have told me about it.

so uhmm, what do the people need more in these times? here I can get lot of opinions and I know I won't change the world but I want to contribute in the way I can and reading opinions from you maybe would help me to chose one, I like the two options but I really want to get into something will help people most.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ScarletBegonias]

Perhaps trying to imagine yourself in these careers and thinking of how you would think, feel and act from being in such fields could help you determine this? I don't think I could've been a doctor (I'm too emotional), but I'm so thankful for those who can do it well!

 

[Masamune]

What do you like to do or have fun doing? What are you good at? How can you use those talents to help others? What type of job would involve those things?

Remember the quote from Mullah Nassr Eddin in Gurdjieff's Meetings with Remarkable Men: "Always and in everything strive to attain at the same time what is useful for others and what is pleasant for oneself"

 

[hurricane]

When I took introductory psychology in college, the professor told the class that most people take psychology because they are trying to figure out what is wrong with them. Most college students do have some pyschological issues that they need to work out, so I believe he was right. However, a few years later that professor committed suicide so I guess he wasn't able to help himself. This was years before they had developed SSRI's and other drugs to deal with psychological problems, so the only tools at the time available was talking therapy.
Actually to be a good psychologist I don't think you have to be particularly warm. You are supposed to remain detached and not be personally involved in your patient's problems. So what you see as a detriment might actually be a benefit in having a career as a therapist. I don't believe you have to know yourself and be in balance in order to understand others - because you have problems yourself, you will be more able to understand what they are going through. I think that focusing on other people's problems will actually be good therapy for yourself.
As far as being direct, I think that might be good as well. Some types of therapy involve just repeating what the patient says back to them so that they can arrive at their own conclusions. The therapist is just a sounding board, really no more helpful than a wall. Sometimes being direct might be exactly what these people need, if you use it right. Like in a nice way, you might be able to point out that they are being too self-centered. Some people really want to be told what to do. I know when I go to a medical doctor, they often mention several options, and then ask me which one I want to try, and I think they are the doctor, they should know which one is the best for me.
Your first paragraph talks about horrible events. Are you concerned that you will have to deal with horrific events like these? Depending on what your specialty is, your most common patient is going to have some depression or anxiety issues, nothing too disturbing. I would think that the worst thing about it is that it might get repetitive, plus as more and more drugs are developed for these conditions, the need for actual therapy has decreased.
Forensic psychology, if I'm not mistaken, is figuring out what went wrong after it is too late to do anything about it. That would leave me feeling useless, so I don't know what it would do for your self-esteem.
You need to decide how comfortable you feel in dealing with people one and one, and if you would get some self-satisfaction from knowing that you helped someone.
My daughter just volunteered for the CASA program in which they represent children in court. Perhaps there is some type of volunteer work that might help you decide which direction you want to take.
There are related careers like social workers. Maybe you might want to work for CPS so you can monitor potential child abusers and be able to prevent some of these tragedies from happening.

 

[Al Today]

Hi Brunauld,

In thinking about a career... Well, perhaps you could call hospitals, clinics, or wherever these type works and tell them you are considering a career in the field and would be interested into discussing the career with someone already doing this.

The reason I say this is within my field I have seen people work on 4-6 years of education and I have trained them. Only to hear them say I hate this job. They had read about the job, but did not know what really happens on the job. Each of us have our talents and potential skills. BUT, one must be happy in what they do, EVERY DAY.

Talk to them and see what you think...

edit: bad typing again...

 

[Buddy]

so uhmm, what do the people need more in these times?

If we turn the question around, we could ask "what do you need more in these times?", and what are you doing to get what you need? :)

Do you understand what "depth psychology" is? If not, think about how the Work is supposed to be implemented. "Understanding" is the arithmetical mean between knowledge and being, so for everyone - in this Work or not - gaining knowledge and testing and practicing the knowledge gained go hand in hand, otherwise one has not improved his situation; either as client/patient or facilitator, OSIT.

 

[cubbex]

That's true Bud, I didn't see it in that way, uhmm. Food for thought.