Personal Statement: A Career In Psychology

Careers in Psychology
Name
Date
School
Class Two careers in Psychology that interest me the most are substance abuse counselor and organizational psychologist. These careers interest me because I feel that there is a strong need for professionals in both the substance abuse field and in the workplace. The substance abuse field lacks many qualified personnel and the constantly changing workplace continues to present many new stressors and challenges to the employee and employer. My main focus in psychology would be in the area of substance abuse. I would like to work in a clinic as a counselor because this is one area of substance abuse treatment that lacks qualified personnel. The substance abuse problem in the United States has
grown to encompass 23.9 million Americans. Many of these individuals will never receive treatment (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2014). The population of addicts is overwhelming. As time progresses, the shortage of clinicians continuously increases. I believe that the growth of addiction will provide many career opportunities in psychology. There are many obstacles that present themselves in the substance abuse field.
Frustration and burnout are a major problem in addiction counseling. The nature of addiction lends itself to dealing with clients that rationalize, lie, and continuously relapse. Many counselors who are unprepared for these dealings with patients quickly fold under the pressure. Despite these issues, psychology holds the greatest hope for addiction sufferers. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse “Scientific research since the mid–1970s shows that treatment can help patients addicted to drugs stop using, avoid relapse, and successfully recover their lives.” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2009) I have learned during this course that there exist many theories that are invaluable to the treatment of clients. I believe that I have learned that there is no one area of thought that is all encompassing or perfect in treatment. For instance, there are elements of psychotherapy that must be combined with cognitive therapy in order to achieve goals in addiction treatment (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2009). The National Institute on Drug Abuse states
that
Medication and behavioral therapy, especially when combined, are important elements of an overall therapeutic process that often begins with detoxification, followed by treatment and relapse prevention (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2009).

As counselor for substance patients, I would be able to work for private practice, state and federal agencies, as well as private industry. The education for becoming a drug counselor is short involving 2-4 years of college and certification at the state level. Because substance abuse cuts across all demographics and social classes there are many organizations and groups impacted by the social issue. This fact allows for a wide range of career choice. My other career choice would be an organizational or industrial psychologist.
Organizational psychology focuses on group-type settings, most commonly offices and workplace psychology (Wuang, 2007). The organizational psychologist is a professional who can focus on both individual needs and group’s dynamics and communication styles (Wuang, 2007). This area of psychology takes theories, research, and intervention and communication strategies and applies them to groups in both work and non-work settings. Professionals in this field focus on helping people understand their interactions with one another so that everyone can work together to accomplish important tasks (Wuang, 2007). Within a workplace the organizational psychologist works with employees and management in order to ensure that the workplace is as productive as
possible. To work as an organizational psychologist one must have a large amount of education. The obtainment of a masters or higher is needed to work in this capacity (Wuang, 2007). The field is competitive and many work psychologist in this field work on a consultant basis working with companies only on a temporary basis or a few times per year. For example, industrial psychologists might work on projects including organizational development, performance management, or training development. Organizational psychologists are often used in situations where companies must reorganize and changes are impacting employee behavior. These psychologists would identify change issues and how to manage the change in a way that does not incite employee resistance (Wuang, 2007). Both the addictions field and industrial psychology provide many career choices and career challenges. I would choose to work in either field due to the career possibilities and because I would desire to help people. I believe that both areas would be rewarding in this way.
References
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2009, September). DrugFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction. Retrieved from National Institute on Drug Abuse: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2014, January). Illicit Drug Use. Retrieved from National Institute on Drug Abuse: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/nationwide-trends
Wuang, M. (2007). Industrial/Organizational Psychology. In Discovering Psychology (4 ed.). New York.: Worth Publishers.