Psychology

On my quest for what interests me, the question often comes up, "Well, what would you want to do if you weren't doing this?" Well that's not a new question. I've been on a lifelong quest for my ideal career and have taken all kinds of tests and met with career counselors, yada, yada. I'm not looking for a new career--I think writing suits me better than anything I've done in the past--but I do still like engaging in the question of what else interests me.

One of the things that frequently surfaces is my interest in psychology. A number of people have suggested I go into counselling. And on one level that does appeal to me. I enjoy in-depth one-on-one "therapy sessions" with friends (both when I'm the counselor and when I'm the counsellee). But my introverted nature (read "needs time alone" not "socially awkward") would keep me from setting up more than 1-2 sessions a day if I were a professional counselor and, well, you can't make a living that way.

And then there's the whole "back to school" thing. While I have interest in learning more on a number of topics, I have no interest in obtaining another degree for the purpose of changing careers. (It's funny to me how many people suggest this. Why do I have to get a graduate degree to pursue personal interests? It's not about career. It's about engaging in things that interest me. Do I have to get a master's in gardening to learn more about gardening?) (Speaking of gardening, I went to a fall planting seminar yesterday and it's time to dig up the old and put in the new!! Hooray for roots and leafy greens!)

Ok, where was I? Psychology. My interest in psychology extends beyond therapy sessions to the study of neuroplasticity (remapping the brain) as it relates to treating depression, and a whole host of other depression-related treatments including positive psychology, the role of gratitude and optimism, biofeedback, ect (electroconvulsion therapy), mindfulness, the concept of "flow," light therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and, yes, spiritual warfare.

Wow, I'm kind of impressed with myself just as I list all of that. For someone with no formal psychology education, I've read quite a bit. And that leads to another question I have that I should ask my counselor friends sometime. If you go to school for psychology, does the school zero in on one or two fields of treatment, or do they cover the full spectrum? My guess is that you'd pick your interest and then choose a school based on that. And if I'm correct, that's another reason I'd be hesitant to go back to school. Every single angle I've listed above has merit (and I didn't even mention prescription medication), and if I were to give advice to a person who is depressed, I'd tell them to look into everything. When I was struggling with severe depression, I wish I'd had professionals who were in a position to counsel me on all of these options, rather than the one or two they handed me.

Yeah, there's something here. I just have to figure out what to do with it.