Is it crazy to want to move to Australia and become a psychologist?
I am a designer currently living in the west coast of US. I have a bachelor and a master degree, and have been working for 7+ years. I have been trying to break into a different field since I haven’t found joy in what I do in a while. Upon months of reflections I realized that what I want for my next chapter of life is to involve in work that can contribute to the common good of the society, preferably helping individuals to move through trauma and life crisis. I understand that there are all kinds of if opportunities in design that might allow me to contribute to the community, but I really believe that what I need is a bigger change, a more radical shift.
Upon researching the masters and doctoral programs in clinical psychology in the U.S. and in Australia and asking myself where I would like to work in the long term. And given that the education in the U.S. is mostly not transferable to Australia psychology systems, I think the path to clinical psychology registration in Australia suits me better. The problem is, since I have no background in Psychology. The first step is to get a graduate diploma in psychology in Australia. Most of these programs do not offer student visa because they are designed for domestic students, so I’m basically stuck.
If you are a psychologist or know a psychologist who works in Australia, could you share some advice or maybe possible pathways for someone with my background to transition into the psychology field? Thank y’all in advance!! I appreciate your perspectives!