Ways to Make Money as a Clinical Psychologist

If you're looking on ways to have a profitable career in clinical psychology, this video is for you!
We'll chat about clinical and non-clinical routes :)
I noticed we don’t talk much about how to make money as a clinical psychologist. That’s not really why we get into this field in the first place, aaaand you most likely have to pay your bills.
It can feel a little shameful to talk about this out loud, but I’m here to chat because it’s important for the livelihood of psychologists and therapists. When you are financially healthy, it’s easier to provide the services that we’re trained in, in a way that’s helpful for you and the client. You are the most important person in your life, and if you’re not doing well it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to show up for your clients in the most effective way.
Most of us have given back during our doctorate programs, it’s unlikely that we were paid for clinical practium placements (I wasn’t paid for this, it was free labor and my supervisors/the company was paid for my services) and I made less than 30k a year for my clinical internship (yup, providing all the services that a clinical psychologist would under supervision). After that, many of us work in hospitals or community mental health centers to help out and increase accessibility to mental healthcare.
Whether you work in private practice, community mental health, inpatient units, or a hospital, you’ll find this video helpful if you’re looking to increase your financial limits and help spread helpful information about mental health.
One of my goals is to increase access to mental health wellness information (e.g., providing low-cost or free services, free mentorship, free videos like these) to give back and help psychologists and therapists without having to spend a ton of money.
Feel free to share this and subscribe - more videos coming soon!
this video is meant for educational purposes only and is not intended to be for professional or clinical advice. it is not a replacement for therapy or medical care. please see your provider regarding your individual healthcare needs

[@lyanetrepanier3502]

"See that's where i fk up and I would normally edit that shit out." 🤣🤣🤣 LOVE IT! That's authentic. thumbs up!

[@drkristencasey]

this comment is much appreciated🥳

[@Patz1232]

Hello, Can you talk more about your debt from psyd program. Also range of salary to expect in private practice? Thank you for all your help!

[@drkristencasey]

hey! looks like i missed this one, so sorry. i added that to my list! To quickly answer your question: salary range in PP varies widely depending on where you live, services you provide, specialities, whether you take insurance or not, and training/certifications. I wish I could give a basic range. For example, a therapist who provides a specific therapy service (e.g., EMDR only) in a big city (NYC) can charge way more than a clinical psychologist who does CBT-I in Missouri (granted they don't take insurance, because insurance will dictate your rate). The sessions for CBT-I are likely shorter (in frequency and duration, cbt-i is usually a 6-8 week program) and the client won't be in therapy nearly as long (depends on the client's needs, too!). And to throw in another twist, not all psychologists do therapy, some do assessments or evaluations only, or only consultation, and some of us do a combination of both. So if a psychologist does ADHD testing, they can charge a certain amount for that depending on the market rate. Here's a quick tip to find out psychologists' salaries near you: do a quick google search or go on psychologytoday to see their hourly rate. You might say, "okay, if I were this psychologist and I saw 15 therapy clients per week, how much would I make - gross income?" As for my debt, I took out loans for bachelors, masters, and doctorate program. My doctorate program was 35k a year + loans to live (which range anywhere from 20k to 30k, for food, rent, basic necessities, etc). It's helpful to ask the school if they have any paid assistantship experiences (e.g., helping with research). My practicum wasn't paid, so I didn't make a salary until my internship, which was 27k a year. It may be difficult to balance the financial aspect of a PsyD program for some without loans or supplemental income. I tried to continue working my first year to offset the costs, but it was almost impossible with how much work I had to do for school. I hope this helps!

[@MaryAttia]

Thank you for explaining a lot of this information! Usually, I would have to ask a lot of questions to a person just to get to important points like this because people are stingy with their information. I appreciate your transparency!!

[@ShadyMcGrady209]

As a former film student who switched majors and is now studying psychology, I have to say, the way you break down the nature of clinical psychology is extremely enlightening. Additionally, as someone else said, I love the unfiltered approach you've taken with these videos. Looking forward to seeing more of your content!

[@drkristencasey]

thank you so much, this means a lot!!

[@chimifying]

omg im a film student switching to psych :')

[@ShadyMcGrady209]

@@chimifying Legendary! Be prepared to have people approaching you and inquiring the reason as to why you switched. I think people are generally fascinated when they hear of someone making the transition from film to psychology-at least, I know my classmates were. Good luck in your future endeavors.

[@sierrabales362]

I’m glad you’re back! I like the raw, unedited Dr. Casey! I’m not sure if you remember speaking with me a year and a half ago, but I’m about to finish up my third semester as a PsyD student! Our conversation was really helpful and your videos have been, as well! 🙂

[@drkristencasey]

Sierra! So glad to see/hear from you!! Something to be proud of, so happy for you!!

[@RD-gd3iw]

I love your tattoo sleeve. Had no idea you had.

[@imsebastianie]

omg! I was just binging your videos and this one started playing. I love thissss. this was like a complete switch for me lol. I just graduated with a bs in psychology and I have no guidance on what to do next. I pray I find the answers within your videos.

[@drkristencasey]

So glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing. I think I made a video about where to get a job with a bachelors in psychology. Let me know what you think!

[@HipiLoveHop]

I’m in my second year of undergrad, but I plan on going all the way and getting my PsyD. These videos are extremely helpful! Thank you so much ! it’s a lot easier to plan having all this information !

[@drkristencasey]

mystique i'm so happy to hear this! thanks so much for the feedback and welcome to the field!

[@sandyhernandez4086]

My new favorite KZbin account. Thank you!!!!

[@drkristencasey]

thank you! more to come this year!

[@marinakalmykova4613]

Thank you for your video! It was very beneficial information.

[@drkristencasey]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ntebalengsefahamela5851]

Wow thank you for sharing dr

[@zelialadeira756]

Hello, thank you for sharing such wonderful tips and guidance, feeling very inspired ✨ 😀 😊

[@drkristencasey]

YES! I love hearing this! So glad you're feeling inspired. It definitely helps to have some resources

[@Mindraft_]

welcome back ☺️

[@drkristencasey]

thank you!

[@karlabarajas6129]

OMG, I love this.

[@meganp340]

any advice on how to study for the COMPS :)

[@Megan-vi5uu]

Thanks so much for your sharings. I am a second-year graduate student apply for PsyD programs, but I am a bit intimidated by the workload and stress in PsyD. I know that we have to lots of classes while doing practicum, research, and other tasks at the same time and usually people would burnout/just have NO LIFE, not to mention work-life balance. So I wanna ask you about how you navigated through the hectic lifestyle and meeting multiple obligations at the same time during PsyD. Thank so much!

[@drkristencasey]

hi megan, thanks for your comment! although it was very stressful, one thing to remember is to take care of yourself and attempt to continue to engage in hobbies. having a life outside of the program was one of my main goals. i did sacrifice a lot and saw my friends less, which is part of it. i also made some incredible friends in my program - you might find connection there too. burnout management looks different for everyone - that is what helped for me. welcome to the field!

[@birseniremseyyah7414]

May I ask you how did you specialise on insomnia and anxiety? Is it based on your interest and the sources you follow or do you have any training on those? Thank you in advance

[@Sky-qk2sp]

If we are not trained in grad school for evaluations or testing (I hope that's not even a factor), how do we attain the ability to do so?

[@bhavnagarimella4830]

I noticed you didn't mention anything related to research. Do you have any ideas on how we can earn money as a researcher?

[@lilggpartida5223]

How do you describe step by step, opening your private sessions

[@samweltz]

Hi there! Fellow clinical psychology here and first time watcher :) thank you for the video! Could you please provide the name of the CPA and financial planner you recommend?

[@drkristencasey]

I must have missed this one, so sorry sam! My financial planner is through Raymond James, send me an email and I can provide more info!

[@ntebalengsefahamela5851]

I am inspired dr

[@TTW_DB]

Hello. JUst starting out as a Holistic psychotherapist. Have you any useful tips for building a client base. I have worked as a wellbeing Practioner for awhile already. I gained my degree in psychology and my Masters in mental health. I have been an assistant Psychologist for awhile too but wanted to specialize holistically. I am lost as to where to start to make sure I have a steady few clients each day as I could not afford, at this point in my life, to not have at least 4 clients a day. Any support and help setting up would be so much appreciated as I have worked so hard to get to where I am. Thank you

[@andrepaul6448]

Hi Dr. Casey! I will be going into a master's program this coming fall which is a research based psychology program. I was wondering if this route can eventually lead me to a career path of a sport psychology/clinical psychology concentration?

[@drkristencasey]

hi andre! research can always help bolster your skills and knowledge - are you thinking about leaning on the more clinical side of things or staying with research?

[@andrepaul6448]

@@drkristencasey I’m definitely thinking of leaning towards the clinical side of things. I feel like joining the research based masters program is a great experience but it gave me clarity. I don’t see myself doing research after my masters program lol, I’d rather head into a Psy D for sure!

[@suhanikasinsinwar3690]

Hi ma’am Thank you for these KZbin videos I’m a psychology student from India and I want to know what are the chances of an international student getting into PsyD in the UK and if it competitive and difficult go get your licence?

[@drkristencasey]

Hey Suhanika! I must have missed this comment, so sorry. I know of one international student who had a visa for the US and was able to secure a clinical psychology internship here. The student was a part of a doctorate program in the US. I'm not sure how competitive it is for international students, but it's definitely achievable! I'd look at the schools' websites to see what the process entails for international students. Thanks for your question!

[@VladyslavKL]

🕊

[@erfanzahedi7472]

can a clinical psychologist make 100k per year in us?

[@drkristencasey]

great question - it truly depends on what you do and how many loans you have. i like to think about debt as part of the equation because you'll likely have to pay those loans back monthly, which will take away from your overall salary. you might work for a hospital and have a private practice on the side, which can increase your stream of income. i know plenty of psychologists who are able to make 100k per year in the US if they are creative with how they work. hope this helps!

[@erfanzahedi7472]

@@drkristencasey thank you but i have a master degree from another country that university is free. And i want to do a phd if us if i can and don't have financial problems