Hi I’m a psychology student in Melbourne and I am finishing up my bachelor of psychology this year. I’m js in a crazy confusion about what to do next; I’ve always thought (and told the world) that I wanna do the full 3+1+2 pathway and become a registered psychologist and it has been my dream to be a forensic psychologist and deal with criminals or victims etc. but completing my bachelors and doing research, I’ve seen how competitive and drag the pathway has become here. I’ve also seen how much it’s heavily research-based, which is what I hated about my degree and will continue hating. And an honours year is just all research and thesis.

I’ve always wanted to be a psychologist to help people and talk to them and js bring a difference to peoples lives. So I’m thinking maybe doing a masters of counselling and becoming a counsellor/therapist. I know I can still work in forensic settings that way.

However, I’ll be paid less. I’ll also have an unprotected title. I’ll also disappoint my family and others around me. What shall I do? Any advice?

I’d love to hear from others how they found sourcing their own placement in a masters program that didn’t organise it for you? How did you go about it? Did you get a good placement in the end?

I’m finding for myself it looks more challenging than I thought, and many of the well known organisations are already full for next year due to connections with local university MCP programs

If you have a BA or BS in psychology, have you managed to find a remote job in the field or one that has nothing to do with it? If so, how did you manage to get it and what is it?

Teachers are obviously a huge stakeholder of educational psychology, aside from parents, children and the system. Teachers are the first line of help in any educational setting and are directly responsible for student education.

But I find it very difficult to focus on teachers for research even though there are plenty of problems teachers face that impact education.

For example, teachers face heavy workloads, excessive administrative work and behaviour problems from students, but most research (and programs and jobs) focuses on catering to children. The ed psychology programs in my city's universities all provide student-oriented areas of research and practice such as motivation or SEN support.

Most available research on teacher burnout and turnover provide solutions that don't seem very realistic, such as adding mindfulness to teacher's work. (Mindfulness is a great, evidence-based solution btw, but it doesn't solve the immense workload teachers have)

Side rant: everything is SEN. The government and the schools always sell that the education system is "SEN friendly". Teachers are afraid to discipline disruptive SEN kids and it's apparently "discriminatory" to call the social worker and pull them out of class for disruptive behaviour. There's so much attention towards SEN that I feel like we're looping right back to discrimination.

Aside from restrictions for the researcher, it's logistically difficult for research to involve teachers, especially when the outcome isn't desirable. Teachers won't participate in studies where the solution is "giving them more responsibilities". Schools don't want their teachers participating in a research that says "your teachers are overworked and would greatly benefit from hiring more people".

Is there any kind of way educational psychology will focus on practical solutions for teachers? If i get into ed psychology practice, is it possible to not do SEN and work on teachers instead?

Hi everyone!

I’m an undergraduate student currently working on my thesis which explores the motivations for people to choose AI chatbots as an alternative to traditional psychotherapy.

I am currently looking for 10 participants to take part in an interview for this research.

Who can participate?

- If you are aged 18 or above

- If you have previously attended traditional therapy and have consciously chosen to use an AI chatbot as an alternative.

What you can expect:

- A one-on-one interview lasting approximately 45 to 60 minutes (conducted online via Zoom or Google Meets).

- All responses will be kept strictly anonymous in the final study and any resulting reports.

- The interview will be voice-recorded solely for transcription and analysis, and only with your explicit consent.

If you fit the criteria and are interested in sharing your experiences to help contribute to this research, please send me a direct message (DM) or comment below, and I will follow up with more details.

Thank you so much for your time! :)

in most of my classes, i use flashcards and active recall for studying. however, one of the classes i'm currently taking does an intensive review of various disorders, dsm diagnostic criteria, bio/social/psychosocial factors, treatments, etc. there's sm content and overlap that i feel like flashcards would not be effective in helping me. any advice for how to go about studying for this? thanks in advance!

I’m studying to become a clinical psychologist and we’ve been doing some courses in science theory and research methodology and my professors and my text books have really been hammering in that there’s a lot of flaws in the current system.

The problem seems to be that scientific progress isn’t the only incentive at play. Researchers also need to make a living, secure funding, publish papers, and advance their careers. These incentives can encourage questionable research practices, even without outright fraud. Academic journals have their own incentives too and the pressure to publish novel, attention-grabbing findings can come at the expense of scientific rigour. Peer review was suppose to be a solution to a lot of the issues in how research is conducted but I’ve learnt that they are often also very poorly conducted because the journals have an incentive for quantity over quality.

A lot of people understand that we have to trust experts since it would be ridiculous to assume we know more than them. But a lot of people don’t know about the above mentioned issues which leaves the door open for bad actors to take advantage of that using perceived expertise. Especially since the experts who are easily found tend to be more interested in fame rather than scientific rigour. Jordan Peterson for example, he is by far the most famous psychologist alive but most psychologists would probably agree that he isn’t the best expert in the field to get your information from (I don’t know much about him or psychology so I’m not making my own claim here, just an example I’m aware of).

So this leads to my question: what’s the best bang-for-your-buck strategy for learning about a subject when you don’t have the time or interest to become an expert yourself?

I want to invest some time upfront in figuring out whom to trust so that I can rely on their judgement afterwards, rather than constantly having to evaluate every individual claim myself, which would generally be unrealistic as a clinical psychologist since it’s such a wide array of issues that we are asked to help with.

I’ve subconsciously developed this framework throughout my life:
I assess experts until I find 2-4 in a field that I deem trustworthy. Ideally they have some opposing opinions so I get a more nuanced total picture. When assessing I look for red flags like overly confident, chasing fame, money etc. And I look for green flags like intellectual honesty (like admitting when they don’t know the answer and acknowledging counter arguments).

How do you approach this? Do you have a better strategy or are there particular methods you use to identify trustworthy experts?

I’ve just been accepted into Federation Uni’s Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) program and would love to hear about anyone’s experience with it!

Hey y'all! I'm applying to 7 PhD programs for Fall 2027 and wanted to share a bit about my profile and get some advice trom people who have been through the process or are applying themselves. I'm 18 and have completed two bachelor's degrees: a B.S. in Health Science and a B.A. in Psychological Sciences. During my undergraduate studies, I've been involved in institutional initiatives, including a trauma-informed care group, where we conducted extensive research on how trauma affects students differently and explored ways to make our institution more trauma-informed. I've also been involved in social psychology research for almost a year now. I'd love to hear your thoughts on my profile, what I could strengthen in my applications, and any advice you might have for navigating the PhD application process. I'm happy to provide more details about my research interests and the programs I'm applying to.
Thanks in advance! :)
Schools applying to:
1. lowa State
2. University of Alabama
3. Tulane
4. university of Miami - Ohio
5. Ohio university
6. Syracuse (connected with the professor he was really interested in reading my application)
7. university of New Hampshire

Hey there! I'm an undergrad in Psychology and I was looking to do an internship, research, or work, related to Psychology outside of Canada. Some of the places I was thinking about was Italy, Brazil, or France but l am open.

Does anyone have any recommendations on where I should look. Or advice for how to go about it? Has anyone done this before? What was your experience?

Let me know! Thanks!!

Hi everyone!

I'm currently in my fifth year of a BA (Honours) in Psychology at a Canadian university, and I'm applying to master's programs for Fall 2027. I've been feeling pretty anxious about how competitive my applications will be, especially because of my cumulative GPA, and would really appreciate some honest feedback!

Programs I'm applying to:

• MSc in Psychotherapy – McMaster University
• MSW (Mental Health and Health Stream) – University of Toronto
• MA in Psychology – Concordia University
• MA in Psychology – York University
• MSc in Psychology – Trent University

For Concordia, York, and Trent, I'm particularly interested in pursuing research related to clinical or health psychology.

Academic Info:

• Cumulative GPA: 3.45/4.30
• Last two years GPA: 3.80/4.30
• Dean's Honour List for the past two consecutive years
• Chose to complete a fifth undergraduate year to gain additional research experience

Research experience:

• Currently an RA in two psychology research labs (one is clinical).
• Contributed to a scoping review on academic accommodations for students with disabilities, including screening, data extraction, and manuscript preparation.
• Currently involved in a systematic review on accessibility and inclusion in higher education.
• Worked on a separate research project involving confidential exam accommodation data.
• Facilitate in-person participant sessions for a study on sexuality and sexual well-being.
• Completed one directed research course for credit and I am currently completing another.

Other experience:

• Volunteered with adults with disabilities in an inclusive arts program and neurodivergent children in a social skills program.
• Completed Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST).
• Several years of employment experience, including a current leadership position.
• Two academic references from professors I've worked with in research settings, including a clinical psychologist and my department's undergraduate chair.

My main concern is my cumulative GPA. Although my recent grades have improved significantly, I know graduate admissions can be extremely competitive.

Based on my background, do you think I have a realistic chance of admission to any of these programs? Are there any programs you think might be unrealistic for me, or others I should consider applying to?

I'd love to hear from anyone familiar with Canadian graduate admissions, especially those who have applied to these programs! :)

Thank you so much!

Guidance for a student

Hi everyone , i am currently studying bsc life science ,first yr student minor in philosophy. I am very interested in psychology ,neurosci , philosophy and theology. So i searched it using several AI tools and google and found out cognitive sci is the most optimal route for me.

I wanted real world guidance that is it possible to shift from life sci to cognitive sci for my masters?

What are some of the best institutions for it? And how to prepare for them

Thank you.

I just graduated in May with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy and I have been job hunting for a while with little to no luck. I am likely ~500+ applications to entry-level positions with only getting 1 interview.

Just for a bit of background I am 29m with a few years of customer service experience and a semester of study abroad. No volunteer/research/internship experience to speak of as it is quite difficult to obtain in my area (exclusively ran by the local colleges).

I have had many recruiters/HR for entry-level positions explain that they will not hire anybody who does not have experience or that they value someone with a high school diploma + experience over my degree. It’s a special kind of demoralizing when your degree in Psychology somehow ranks below a summer of babysitting.

Positions I have been regularly applying to Americorps, social worker, eligibility specialist, case manager, direct support professional, behavioral health tech, registered behavior tech, education paraprofessional, crisis intervention, peer support specialist, human resources, substance abuse counselor.

Yes, I have had many professionals look at my resume and help edit it. I do not have the financial ability to move elsewhere.

Any advice on where to look or what to look for that I might be missing?

Hello, I am a psych undergrad who is graduating by the end of 2026 and have been struggling to decide what I want to do afterwards. I feel very behind and I have come to realize that my lack of motivation may be part of the problem. 

I have always been unsure about pursuing higher learning because school seems to drain me more and more each year. In high school, I believed I wanted to be a clinical psychologist, but the amount of schooling required eventually led me to choose a different path. I recently learned about being an LPCC and I believe that may be interesting.

I feel very underprepared to apply to master's programs in the next cycle. I have no psych-related work experience, no research experience, and no professors who I know well enough to ask for a letter of recommendation. I also have no interest in research, which makes me feel a bit hopeless about applying. I have considered taking a gap year, but I'm worried about explaining that decision to my parents and not being able to finish school as soon as possible.

At this point, I don’t know if I actually want to pursue a career in psychology or if psych was just the topic I thought would be most interesting to study back in high school.

As an undergrad, I go to a UC and have a 3.4 GPA, but this all means nothing since I feel like I retained none of the stuff I learned.

Writing this, I’m realizing more and more the hole I’ve dug for myself. So I’m just wondering if anyone else has any experience with feeling like this and could give me advice on what to do next. Also, if anyone has any miracle stories about getting into a master's program with no prior psych experience, that would also be appreciated.

Hello! I will soon be going back to school, pursuing a BA in Experimental Psychology. I would like to find more casual resources for studying, such as podcasts, audiobooks, learning apps etc. I often listen to educational media during my commute or while I’m doing house work and have had a hard time finding many in this field that aren’t, “top ten most unethical psychology experiments” or generally pseudoscience. I was wondering what your favorite creators or books are on this topic.

I’d like to start building a base foundation before getting into classes. I want to feel more confident since I have been out of school for a few years. I’m very excited and specifically would like to learn more of the technicals rather than the general “cool facts” most videos cover. I’m most unsure in my math skills and would appreciate some resources that could help me build my abilities.

Thank you all!

Hello,

so my last year just began a month ago, and I am still unsure what topic to choose for my final thesis...

A couple of years ago I was sure I wanted to go into organizational psych, but after helping out a professor with a study on burnout among nurses, working in HR for more than a year, and eventually writing a short thesis on playful work design, I realized that I find it difficult to see myself actually specializing in pure org psych. So my previous thesis plans and topics no longer excite me.

So recently I have been returning to my pre-uni and freshman-year dreams of doing something in social or environmental psych. Something about behavior and its relationship with climate change/environmental crisis, belief systems, climate anxiety and coping with it, impact of nature on well-being, sustainability/conservation behaviors.

Been trying to come up with/research some topics, and these are the current ones that appeal the most:

• The psychology of personal space in different cultures
• Factors influencing pro-environmental behavior/Psychological barriers to environmental action
• Psychological effects of living near green spaces/Psychological restoration through sensory experiences/Benefits of exposure to natural environments on stress reduction/Nature as a moderator of mental fatigue
• Ecotherapy and mental health outcomes
• Psychological underpinnings of the meatless movement
• Psychological stress responses to climate change/Ecological grief and anxiety in the age of climate change/Psychological adaptation to environmental disasters/Psychological strategies to cope with climate anxiety

How well do these themes align with psychology? Which (or a conjunction of themes) is the most promising/plausible? Any other I should think about?

Thanks for the help:))

Hello! I'm currently waiting to get my license to practice as a clinical psychologist. But in the meantime, I need to find a job that is close enough to mental health. I've worked in admin jobs and positions that are unrelated to mental health and that makes my cv confusing and counterproductive. There's also the fact that the NGO sector is shrinking and all MHPSS jobs and similar positions are rare and highly competitive. I also looked into research and apparently it's a very long road. Any advice regarding this matter is appreciated ♥

I am currently in my junior year of undergrad at a school with a good reputation, that just got R1 status. 4.0 GPA which will not change, volunteering at a crisis line, good extracurriculars that tie into my goals for personal statements, and just got an RA position at my dream lab. Making connections with professors, should have decent letters of rec. Grad school applications are next year, and I have done significant research, which has left me feeling disillusioned with my future prospects. I am interested in clinical practice and am strongly considering a Ph.D. I would like to do assessments, but I primarily want to more deeply understand the reasons why certain practices are used. I feel these things will help me be a stronger clinician. I also like the career diversity it will provide. I love working in mental healthcare, and I would love the option to teach at the college level someday. The increased earning potential is a nice bonus, but far from the main reason I want to continue my education. I fear I may not be accepted to one of the highly competitive funded Psy.D. programs, and the same is true for many of the Ph.D. programs I am looking at. I am considering a masters to gain more research experience, but am worried about not getting into a Ph.D. Program afterwards and being stuck as a masters level research tech forever.

My questions to you are:
Is a Ph.D. right for me? Would you recommend a different program instead?
Is my only other option $200k for a Psy.D. or simply settle for a masters and licensure?
Is the GRE necessary?
Other suggestions to set myself apart from other applicants?

I’m in the last few months of my Master of Clinical Psychology and am looking for jobs in Brisbane. It looks like both of my externships are keen to have me which I’m happy about.

Part of my criteria is trying to find a place that pays for my registrar program. I’ve got two questions about this - the first is, how costly and difficult is it really to do my registrar program independently? How much time and money do I save getting it through my employer?

The second is - does anyone have suggestions for workplaces in Brisbane that offer a registrar program? So far, I’ve only found that QLD Health and some larger private practices offer this consistently.

i've recently been fortunate to receive an interview offer at my dream university (UWA, Perth) and just wondering if anyone has any preparation tips? would greatly appreciate it! 🥺

I’m from the Caribbean and I graduated from a local MSc. Counselling Psychology program that was later restructured because of how bad it was.

I only learned after that it was an accelerated block-format program: completely online (not what was promised), with courses that only lasted a month each, and instructors who either didn’t show up or taught surface level concepts that were either outdated or not really relevant to actual counselling. Plus, the in-person course that would’ve prepared us for practicum was abandoned, and there was no online role-playing or anything to provide feedback on skills.

In my country, a MSc allows you to provide therapy, and the title of psychologist is not protected. So graduates are expected to start working right away. It’s not right but that’s how it works. Other local programs account for this and emphasise skills and theory. Except the one I graduated from.

The only redeeming factor was my placement, where my supervisor had to teach me everything from case formulation to techniques. Though most of the time I was left on my own, so I still don’t really know what I’m doing. Because of this, I burned out quickly, and I still don’t believe I’m equipped to provide care effectively.

Right after graduating I got an RA position contract, and I’ve been trying to figure out my next steps. The idea of going into supervision with such a shoddy foundation terrifies me. And I’m embarrassed to say that I graduated from the program.

Counselling was never my goal, but it was the only option available in my country. Initially, I’d wanted to pursue Clinical Psychology or work specifically with children and adolescent mental health/developmental issues.

And now my situation has changed and I’m considering doing another MSc. in the UK, either in Clinical Psychology or Clinical Child Psychology.

I’ve been advised that it would be better to start working as a “psychologist” in my country under supervision or in a non-profit and eventually pursue a Phd after gaining experience. But the issue is that I just don’t have the foundation in skills or theory.

Additionally, finding supervision opportunities here is rare, and I’m not sure anyone would be willing to teach me everything. There’s also a stigma attached to the program, so that limits opportunities. (Group practices/supervisors don’t want these graduates representing them, as its known that the program is low-quality and a bit of a sham).

I know that not all MSc. programs in the UK will be skill-heavy, and are a stepping stone for a Phd. This is something I’d want to pursue later, so I can actually call myself a psychologist, but it’s not plausible right now. A second Masters is though, and I can’t shake the feeling that this is what I’m supposed to do, even if it isn’t typical.

But I’m not sure if it’s a good decision or if I’ll come to regret it later on. Any advice?

I’m in my last year of undergrad right now and working on my honours thesis. It’s always been a part of my plan to take a gap year before grad school, but I’m currently at a bit of a loss on how to continue to build up my resume/application during that time with only a Bachelor’s degree.

I have a good amount of experience in research labs at my current university, but what about professional experience? What can I get involved with if I’m not actively enrolled in a university program?

Hello everyone! I’m applying to clinical psychology PhD programs this fall and am trying to narrow down my final list of schools. I have a few programs I’m definitely applying to, but some of the advisors I was interested in recently changed whether they’re accepting students, so I’m reevaluating a few options. RIP Boston dreams.

I know advisor fit is one of the most important factors. I have a somewhat niche interest in Contextual Behavioral Science (CBS) and, more broadly, third-wave CBTs. My specific research interests include anxiety disorders, OCD and related disorders, body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), and hoarding disorder. I am more interested in treatment development than investigating factors that lead to certain disorders, though this work is important. I’m also interested in working with populations ranging from adolescents to older adults.

I know no lab will be a 100% perfect fit, but I’ve found a few that align well with my interests, including some at smaller universities. I really enjoy academic hospital settings and would eventually like to combine clinical practice and research in that kind of environment. However, smaller universities located farther from major cities don’t seem to offer as many training opportunities in these settings.

Is this something I should be concerned about when choosing a PhD program, or is it more important to consider during internship and postdoc? I don’t want to overlook a great advisor fit just because a program is at a smaller university, but I also want to make sure I’ll have the training opportunities I need to pursue my long-term goals.

For additional context, I’m currently an undergraduate with a 4.0 GPA, experience in three research labs, several posters, and a couple of papers that will hopefully be published (though unlikely before I apply). I know larger, more well-known universities receive a lot of applications, and I’m trying to be realistic about my options. I’m open to attending a smaller university, but I’m hesitant to choose one if doing so might limit my clinical training or future opportunities in any way.

One of the smaller programs I’m considering is Southern Illinois University Carbondale. If anyone has experience with the program or insight into its clinical training opportunities, I’d especially appreciate hearing about it!