Currently preparing for a master's degree in psychology, a student with three interdisciplinary backgrounds, how can one make a living through consulting?

Hello, child. I am confident that my answer will be of some help to you.

Psychological counseling is meaningful work. We must also consider our own survival, however. If you want to make a living from psychological counseling, you can. Keep learning and growing. Advance on the professional path. Many psychological counselors have achieved this.

I have learned a great deal, and I am confident that by combining this information with your specific situation, I can provide you with the best advice.

I will excel in my postgraduate studies. I will establish a robust theoretical foundation and gain insight into the industry's future trajectory, enabling me to chart my own course of development.

Psychology is a vast field that encompasses not only psychological counseling but also many other branches, such as educational psychology, management psychology, developmental psychology, and more. Psychological counseling is a specialized area within clinical psychology. As a professional psychological counselor, you must possess a robust theoretical foundation, practical experience, and personal growth. You also need to adhere to supervision when practicing. Therefore, it is essential to first establish a solid theoretical foundation, learn about the ethical norms and professional principles of helping others, and so on. This not only protects the public but also protects you as a practitioner.

Your major is your gateway to a successful future. If you want to work in psychological counseling, choose clinical psychology. If you want to work in education, choose educational psychology. Choose a major that suits you better according to your future development direction, lay a solid foundation in graduate school, learn the corresponding professional knowledge, and keep up with the latest scientific developments.

2. Becoming a psychological counselor is a process of accumulation. You must keep learning and practicing. It may be difficult to earn money in the early stages, but if you persevere, you will realize your value and be able to support yourself while helping others through counseling.

Professor Lin Chun from the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences made an impression on me when he said in class that it takes ten years for a psychological counselor to grow. The first three years are spent laying a theoretical foundation, especially learning the five books "General Psychology," "Developmental Psychology," "Social Psychology," "Abnormal Psychology," and "Personality Psychology." The next three to four years focus on practice, applying what we have learned to real life, whether it is on ourselves, our clients, or specific life events and work. In fact, it is mainly still some basic skills. We can already be considered very good if we are proficient in the skills in the book "Three-Level Skills for Psychological Counselors." The last three to four years are spent choosing one or two schools that match you and cultivating your growth.

I have been in the industry for almost seven years since 2017. I have followed Lin Chun's advice and first laid a solid theoretical foundation. I studied systematic courses in child education and developmental psychology at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and systematic courses for the second-level psychological counselor exam that year. These theoretical foundations have been very useful in my practice, allowing me to understand the principles and thus practice better. My practice is not consulting because my situation is quite special. I don't work in a professional psychological institution; I spend most of my time at home taking care of my children. However, I also have many opportunities to practice. First, I use psychology on myself, which has allowed me to grow a lot and resolve many internal conflicts. Second, I have become better at helping my family members who want to change themselves through psychology.

Those who come to me and trust me will become more and more harmonious internally and have better interpersonal relationships. This is because I have communicated psychological ideas with them over the past few years. This has made me more convinced than ever that psychology is very valuable. I use it in social practice, such as going into communities and schools to popularize psychology, holding psychological salons to help those in need, answering questions in our Q&A Hall, which is also a good practice, and writing psychological popular science.

I can tell you from experience that it may be challenging to make money in the beginning as a teacher specializing in psychological counseling. However, with perseverance, you will be able to establish your value and support yourself while helping others through counseling. I know many senior counselors who have been doing this for over ten years and have now recovered the costs of their studies through counseling. Furthermore, psychological counselors are highly sought after in today's society, and professional counselors are essential in providing support to those who need it.

3. Here are some career paths you can choose from.

Those who choose to pursue a career in psychology can engage in the following work and support themselves through it:

School psychologists are in high demand, and there's a good chance you'll find a job if you're interested. Take the exam after graduation and you could be working in this field in no time. Professional psychological institutions offer a great starting point. You'll get to work with a team, receive professional support, and have a salary guarantee. Psychological writing is a great way to popularize psychology and receive a corresponding writing fee. If you're a good writer, you can support yourself. Psychiatric or psychological hospitals are also a great option. You'll get more systematic training, practice, personal experience, and supervision. Education and training are another great choice. You can engage in some popularization of psychology, cooperate with schools, companies, and communities, and earn income through lectures. Psychological self-media is another option. You can popularize psychology online, provide psychological consultation, and earn a good income.

Set up your own psychological studio or psychological institution with relevant qualifications and engage in psychological consultation. Cooperate with government, hospitals, schools, companies, and other institutions to obtain visitors and provide them with the psychological help they need.

A professional and excellent counselor can absolutely make a living through counseling or other psychological work. The prerequisite is having excellent professional skills.

Study hard, and you will achieve your dreams!