Child Psychologist

Who is a Child Psychologist?

• Child Psychologist is someone who evaluates and treats youngsters/teenagers and also assists children with adapting to stresses like death, divorce, and family or school advances.

• A Child Psychologist examines how a child behaves and interacts with themselves, their peers, and parents, to understand and evaluate the child's mental development.

What does a Child Psychologist do?

The treatment of issues and problems affecting the kids and their families is called child psychology.

• A Child Psychologist may work with both the children and their parents to evaluate, assess, and treat the social, mental and emotional problems.

• A Child psychologist will regularly work with a wide range of children ranging from normal children to children with severe mental, social and emotional problems.

What are the skills required to become a Child Psychologist?

Child psychologist must have certain important skills and abilities so that they may be able to conduct therapies and evaluate their patients accurately and thoroughly, some of which are –

• Communication skills

• Keen Observation

• Empathy

• Problem-solving ability

• Amiable personality

• Patience

• Trustworthy

• Motivation to help others

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What is the Career scope for child psychology in India?

• Child Psychology comes under the branch of developmental psychology which deals with the emotional, mental and physical development in infants and children.

• If you are good at dealing with children, to help and motivate them by dealing with their problems, aiming for Child Psychologist as your career will be appropriate.

• Completing NET / JRF and acquiring a PhD degree can enhance career opportunities for you as a child psychologist.

• To become a Child Psychologist, it is also important to have ample time to discuss with the parents of the children before monitoring them.

• After your degree course, you can apply for internships with NGOs and gain more experience in this field which will benefit you in the long run.

• You will also conduct scientific and psychological research on the child’s development. You will even get to choose from a wide range of scopes, ranging from public agencies to private agencies.

• The scope of Child Psychologist is very wide and has gained a lot of importance in the field of psychology. With a license for child psychology, you can work as a -

  • School Counsellor/Psychologist - You will be working with the students and help them overcome problems they’re facing which may pertain to different areas of functioning. You will also have to work with parents and teachers to bring out the best in the child.
  • Family Therapist - You will be dealing with children in cases of divorce, struggling with behavioural or emotional problems
  • Developmental Psychologist - You will be evaluating the growth changes and development in children, specifically relating to personality, language acquisition, cognitive skills, emotions, and moral development.
  • Art Therapist - You will be dealing with children struggling with psychological stress or mental disorders

How much does a Child Psychologist make?

The salary of a Child Psychologist depends on the experience, education and working area. The average salary of a child psychologist in India is Rs 24,381/mth according to Indeed.

Who are the Major recruiters?

• NGOs

• Educational institutions

• Child therapy centres

• Hospitals

Top institutes offering degree courses for Child Psychologist in India

• To become a Child psychologist you first need to have a deep understanding of how to deal with younger people.

• A graduate or postgraduate degree majoring in clinical psychology and child development studies will allow you to apply for open or community jobs, but to become a professional or advanced Child Psychologist, you will be required to undergo a doctorate course.

Provided below is a list of the top institutes for pursuing child psychology:

• National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, New Delhi

• Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi

• University of Delhi

• Ambedkar University, New Delhi

• Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

• Nalanda Open University, Bihar

After obtaining a professional certificate and licence from the state by undergoing internships or fieldworks, you can apply for a position in various organisations or open your own clinic. If you are looking to pursue this field as your career, this leading platform for higher education in India is the perfect place to offer you career counselling and career guidance.

What are the Books and study material available?

• Building emotional intelligence - Linda Lantieri and Daniel Goleman

• The Whole-Brain Child - Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

• The Psychology of the Child - Jean Piaget

• Far from the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity - Andrew Solomon

• How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk: Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

What are some interesting facts about child psychologists?

Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, is known as the Father of Developmental Psychology or in others, child psychology.