Rehabilitation Psychologist and
Counselor
Bailey Bannon
Careers In Psychology, Rehabilitation Psychology Careers, Oct. 15, 2013, CORE, CRCC, Psychology Counseling, October 2, 2013, American
Board of Professional Psychology, Specialty Definition, October 15, 2013
Growing up I watched a lot of people around me be effected by drugs. I watched a lot of families
fall apart, friendships dissolved, relationships end, and as I saw these problems occur I learned that life is
fragile. I’ve seen people lose their loved ones from the effects of drug use first hand and I’ve heard
stories of people’s struggles. I knew growing up all I wanted to do was reach out and help those people
who had the option to turn their life around and give them a second chance.
A rehabilitation psychologist and a rehabilitation counselor have much in common. I had a hard
time choosing between the two of these due to their similarities in job description and the amount of
schooling put forth to achieve these titles. A rehabilitation psychologist helps people with a second
chance. A rehabilitation psychologist works with patients from a broad range of disabilities from chronic
illness to substance abuse. “Some of the problems that rehabilitation psychologists treat may be mental
or emotional, and they may include such things as depression, anxiety, developmental disabilities, and
learning disabilities. Other problems that rehabilitation psychologists treat might be physical, such as
addiction or chronic pain. Problems that rehabilitation psychologists treat might be chronic or acute,
and they might also be congenital or acquired.”
Achieving a degree in rehabilitation psychologist is broken down into Bachelors, Masters, and
Doctors. A Bachelor’s degree in psychology takes approximately four years. This would help me take
steps forward in continuing my education. In my Bachelor’s degree study I would also achieve a minor in
rehab psychology. This would require me to take classes on addiction, substance abuse, and other
classes on helping me understand the context of rehabilitation psychology. After a Bachelor’s degree I
would continue my education for an addition two years achieving my Master’s degree in psychology. I
would have the option of choosing my Master’s degree in Psychology of arts or science. I haven’t
determined which one I would lean towards yet. When in my Master’s program most places don’t
require a specific undergraduate major in psychology but they would expect me to take classes in
subjects as experimental psychology and statistic. It would also have a large focus on research, research
Careers In Psychology, Rehabilitation Psychology Careers, Oct. 15, 2013, CORE, CRCC, Psychology Counseling, October 2, 2013, American
Board of Professional Psychology, Specialty Definition, October 15, 2013
methods, and statistics. After achieving my Masters I would move forward an addition two to four years
to obtain my Doctors degree in Psychology. During my schooling of a Doctors degree in psychology I
would be expected to work a one year internship in the field I desired. During this Doctors degree, it will
prepare me for individual practice if I desire to branch out on my own. Additional to my schooling in
achieving my degree in rehabilitation psychology, a license is something I need to consider. Most places
don’t require a license to work as a psychologist in a rehab center but employers highly recommend a
license and say that someone with a license is more likely to be hired rather than someone without a
license. According to state and federal laws a license isn’t mandatory but it is mandatory for those who
want to work for state or federal vocational rehab systems. You can obtain this license when your
schooling and an examination is passed.
Working as a rehabilitation psychologist I have the option of working in substance abuse
facilities or in a physician’s office. “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics psychologist who work in
substance abuse facilities in 2010 earned a median annual salary of 69,150 a year and those who
worked in a physician’s office earned a median annual salary of 109,600 year." Before knowing these
salaries I thought I would be more interested in working in a substance abuse facility but for the same
practice in my degree I could work in a physician’s office and make a considerable amount more a year.
When becoming a rehabilitation psychologist, after finishing my education and internship, I will
be prepared to practice the following skills:

Individual and group counseling

Medication and psychosocial information

Problems and community engagement of special population

Evaluation and assessment

Research utilization
Careers In Psychology, Rehabilitation Psychology Careers, Oct. 15, 2013, CORE, CRCC, Psychology Counseling, October 2, 2013, American
Board of Professional Psychology, Specialty Definition, October 15, 2013

Employment and occupational choice

Case and case lead management

Job development and placement
Additional to this training I would achieve sixty hours of academic and field based clinical
training and six hundred hours of supervised internship experience. I could do these training
requirements in any community, state, federal, and private rehab programs.
After doing research on Rehabilitation Psychology I’ve realized that this would be a good career
choice for me. Before doing research on this career I was unclear on which direction I wanted to pursue
in the medical field. In high school I took a course to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. While
working as a CNA everyone’s next step is to attend school to become a nurse. That never sounded
appealing to me because I like knowing I’m helping people one on one. As a nurse your job is handing
out medications, ordering medications, and organize patient files. Being a Rehabilitation Psychologist to
me would be a really enjoyable job knowing I’m still helping people in their everyday life. After doing
this research paper I want to pursue a career in Rehabilitation Psychology.
Careers In Psychology, Rehabilitation Psychology Careers, Oct. 15, 2013, CORE, CRCC, Psychology Counseling, October 2, 2013, American
Board of Professional Psychology, Specialty Definition, October 15, 2013
Bibliography
"Exciting Careers in Psychology." Careers In Psychology. Careers in Psychology, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2013.
"***ABPP Online Application***." Specialty Definition. American Board of Professional Psychology, n.d.
Web. 15 Oct. 2013.
"Psychology Counseling." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2013.
Careers In Psychology, Rehabilitation Psychology Careers, Oct. 15, 2013, CORE, CRCC, Psychology Counseling, October 2, 2013, American
Board of Professional Psychology, Specialty Definition, October 15, 2013