Psychology is no doubt a super fascinating field. The reason why humans act, behave, react, and interact a certain is indeed very intriguing. 

Especially to those who, even just a little, love to study psychology as well as the human brain. 

But your love for the human brain isn’t just a hobby is it? You wish to know how to make a career in psychology. Are there are good psychology courses in India?  

In other words, you are curious to know how to become a psychologist in India. 

Well before we dive into the steps you can take, let’s take a look at psychology as a career 

Psychology is already lucrative and high in-demand profession. According to payscale, psychologists in India start at an average salary of INR 4 lakhs per annum. 

Moreover, the demand for psychologists is going to get a huge boost globally in the coming years. 

 

Why?

Well, let’s say that the world is starting to realize that not only physical but also mental health is required for optimal human functioning. Psychologists in cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi are already doing very good for themselves. 

Now let’s dive into the steps that will answer, “how to become a psychologist in India as well as get licensed. 

 

How to become a psychologist in India

The first step in making a career in psychology is pretty obvious… build a foundation. 

No, we don’t want you to start studying topics relating to neurosurgery

If you are yet to finish your 10+2 then try finishing it with psychology as one of the subjects. It will give you an idea of the basic concepts that psychology covers. Moreover, you’ll get more clarity in choosing psychology as a career. 

You can even build a foundation by taking up psychology courses in India like MyCaptain’s LIVE psychology workshop. They will help you get a comprehensive idea about the field. 

Steps to create a career in psychology

Once you have a basic idea of what psychology is all about, you can take these steps to turn your curiosity into a career

  • Step 1: Gain a Bachelor’s in psychology – either a BA or BS
  • Step 2: Become a specialist on a postgraduate level. Try enrolling in M.A. or M.sc. in either psychology, Social Work, or Counselling. A Post Graduate degree is a minimum in getting a psychology job anywhere. 
  • Step 3: Getting a further specialization at the Doctoral level (Ph.D. or M.Phil) is optional but is much appreciated and rewarding. 

In addition to the above steps, to become a clinical psychologist, you will need to get licensed. 

The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) is the only Indian regulatory authority that can grant a license to any psychologist or any other mental professional. 

 

So how do you get licensed?

Well, there are two ways of going at it:

  1. You can study in an RCI recognized university or institution. Upon completion of your studies, you will automatically get registered with RCI. 
  2. The second way is to apply to RCI after completion of the appropriate education.

 

To be eligible to practice as a clinical psychologist in India, you will have to complete a two-year-long course like M.Phil from an RCI recognized institution. 

On the contrary, if you are someone who studies abroad and wishes to practice in India, you can do so by passing an examination set by the RCI. 

RCI recognized colleges 

Here’s a list of top RCI recognized college that can be your choice to study psychology and become licensed at the same time:

 

You can even click here to see the full list of RCI approved colleges in India till March 6th, 2020

Advantages and disadvantages of a career in psychology

Now that you know how to become a psychologist in India, let’s rationalize over the advantages and disadvantages of choosing psychology as a career: 

Advantages:

  • You get the reward of genuine happiness from helping people overcome their challenges
  • Have the option to become your own boss by setting up your own practice. 
  • We have already mentioned the incredible potential of having a lucrative income. But read it again, you can get paid a lot… Like a lot, a lot!
  • As a result of setting up your own practice, you get to be flexible with your working hours. Moreover, you get to set your own rates. 
  • You have the amazing opportunity to work with and help various people. You meet new people on almost a daily basis and get to know various cultures, backgrounds, as well as life stories. 

 

Disadvantages 

  • Your schedule can become hectic sometimes. Because of a client not being free during a certain period of time, you might have to spend your nights in sessions instead of a family dinner. 
  • You can get very stressed and drain yourself. You will have to wrap around your problems and at the same time not let them affect the way you help your clients overcome their issues. 
  • If you choose to set up your own clinic, which most psychologists do, you will need to gain your clients. Moreover, you will have to find a place, set it up, and if you are not making enough money – it will be all on you. 
  • You will need to work with a lot of paperwork and billing issues. Let’s just say that collecting payments from insurance companies isn’t exactly a fun task.