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Is Neuropsychology For You?

It is not every day that one wakes up and decides to be a neuropsychologist. Many an aspiring student has approached me asking about neuropsychology and wondering whether they have what it takes to enter the field.

Therefore, I decided to put together this infographic. It basically consists of what I feel are important attributes to have if you are considering neuropsychology as a potential career pathway. And I use “neuropsychology/ist” and “clinical neuropsychology/ist” interchangeably.

For starters, I feel people underestimate how long it can take to complete their studies and to be able to practise clinically (i.e. see patients). Most countries require a postgraduate-level qualification (i.e. Master or Doctorate) with accompanying clinical hours obtained during clinical internships under supervision of a qualified/certified clinical neuropsychologist. So remember to tack on 2 years for a Master-level qualification, and 4-5 years for Doctorate-level credentials.

Secondly, another important point I really wish to highlight is the misconception that clinical neuropsychologists ONLY do cognitive assessments. This may be true of some neuropsychologists, but I believe this is due to design – that is they actively choose to focus more on the analytical and investigative aspects of the discipline. We are psychologists to begin with, so I believe a holistic approach that takes emotions into consideration is important. Many of the patients we come across are in distress, and good neuropsychology training programmes teach basic counselling skills and even CBT know-how. Therefore, neuropsychologists DO offer supportive counselling, and to be able to self-regulate and self-care is an important part of our journey.

I reserve my final word for the remuneration. As a clinical neuropsychologist, you will earn a comfortable income, and the rest of it will really be just passion that fuels you. If you are hoping to rake in big bucks, this profession is not for you. Unless of course you are also an entrepreneur who can monetise your skills!

Hope this has been of benefit. Enjoy the infographic!

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