General psychologist vs specialized psychologist: how to train better?

Upon completion of the Psychology degree in the form of a Bachelor's or Degree, That feeling that there is a traced and pre-established route to become a psychologist disappears. And with this, the experience of being clear about what to do to become a psychologist with the resources to face the labor market also vanishes.

Until that moment, the 4 or 5 years of career offered the idea that after investing money, time and effort in it, at finish we would be where we need to be to pursue psychology, and we would have the kind of accreditation necessary to exercise. But from that moment on, the paths to becoming professional fork, and for some people it is hard to have to face that uncertainty.

And it is not just about knowing what to specialize in, but also the question of whether being a specialist in something is something we want or that suits us in the short or medium term. For this reason, in this article we will review the advantages and disadvantages of each option: be a general psychologist or a specialized psychologist.

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Is it better to specialize or stay with a general vision of Psychology?

As a general rule, in the long term, opting for the option of specializing in one or a few areas of psychology is usually the best option, and only in some types of specific situations is it advisable to maintain a psychologist profile with a generalist perspective of this science, as we shall see.

With that said, let's look at the pros and cons of each option.

Advantages and disadvantages of becoming a specialized psychologist

Among the advantages of continue studying through postgraduate and Master's degrees on specific fields of Psychology to specialize, the following stand out.

• It gives the possibility of being up-to-date: if you only learn from professionals in that specialty, it is very easy to take for good outdated educational content
• It allows applying the most effective models, techniques and strategies in each case: without specialized knowledge, you cannot be sure of that our tools for analyzing and interpreting behavior patterns and/or mental processes are the most appropriate in each case concrete
• Help to find clients and employment: from the point of view of the marketing in the job market, it is much easier for others to understand what we do and what to expect of us if we are specialized, and that is something very important in the selection processes and discard.
• It allows us to discover new areas of knowledge: coming into contact with specialized knowledge allows us to enjoy a new level of learning about a subject in depth, since it presents us with more and more unknowns that awaken our curiosity.

And what are the disadvantages of this option? Mainly, those that have to do with the need to be prepared to choose a specialization path and dedicate ourselves to it for a while. Of course, the simple fact of choosing a postgraduate or Master's degree is a job that they do not have to go through those who decide not to specialize for the moment, or in any case study general topics in a autodidact. And in addition, it implies having to pay for those training programs and make an effort to meet their requirements to graduate.

However, today, thanks to online training, continuing to study is a much more accessible possibility in terms of time compatibility, price and ability to choose between several alternatives without being limited by where we live.

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Advantages and disadvantages of becoming a general psychologist

The main disadvantages of this alternative are the reverse of the advantages of the previous one.

The key is that in such a broad discipline and with fields of research and intervention as broad and complex as Psychology, when we believe that we maintain a generalist perspective, In reality, we know little about most of the topics that have been addressed by Psychology..

And it is that to explain and try to predict as far as possible the mental processes and observable behavior patterns, first there is to know the models and theories that must be applied depending on the context in which they occur and the area of ​​life they affect.

In the same way that it is not reasonable to believe that by knowing an experiment carried out in a laboratory we understand the human mind, Knowing the main theories, concepts and methodologies of intervention and research usually leaves us with many gaps in knowledge that is a problem when applying psychology in most specific problems to be solved or research

And what is the advantage of this option? Above all, that being able to have a lot of freedom without committing ourselves minimally with a postgraduate or Master's degree is what suits us if we have no idea what to continue studying and we need some time to discover our concerns, perhaps spending a few months on our own reading scientific papers, popular books, etc.

In addition, some professional roles indirectly related to Psychology can be nourished by our experience as Graduates or Graduates, especially in the world of creativity. and artistic expression, or support for companies as consultants: as psychologists with a general perspective of the discipline, we may not be able to know what should be done in each case, but we are able to detect certain failures and errors in the strategies applied by those who have not been trained in Psychology (for example, organizations that focus all their system of incentives and welfare of employees in economic compensation, incorrect communication strategies based on bombarding the audience with data without appealing to the emotions etc)

• Related article: "6 tips to improve your job profile as a Psychologist"

Are you interested in continuing to train in the world of Psychology?

If you want to continue learning the theory and practice of any of the branches of this fascinating discipline, you may be interested in courses, postgraduate courses and Masters of Mediterranean School of Psychology.

This entity specialized in online training in Psychology offers specialization and professionalization programs in areas such as the Psychology of Sports, psychomotor and cognitive development in childhood, the Human Resources Department, Gender Equality, neuropsychological rehabilitation, and plus. All this offering access to periodic live masterclasses, constant technical assistance, and access to teaching material 24/7.