Choosing the Right Child Therapy Programs in Maine

In the beautiful state of Maine, no matter what city you live in, you will likely find lots of wonderful opportunities for pursuing a career in the field of child therapy. It doesn't matter whether you have your heart set on working in the practice of a respected professional, opening your own practice, working in the school system, working in child protective services, working in the legal system, or working in a hospital or rehabilitation center; if you want to work in child therapy in any aspect, you are going to have to have the right educational foundation in order to do so. Luckily for you, you won't have to look outside of the state to get started down the career path of your dreams.

Popular school choices in the state of Maine include Bates College in Lewiston, which offers bachelor's degrees in both general psychology and neuroscience; Bowdoin College in Brunswick, with bachelor's degrees in general psychology and neuroscience as well; Colby College in Waterville, with bachelor's degree programs in general psychology; Husson University in Bangor, with bachelor's degree and master's degree programs in general psychology, mental health counseling, pastoral counseling, and school psychology; St. Joseph's College in Maine, which has both traditional and online bachelor's degree programs in general psychology and human services; Thomas College in Waterville, with bachelor's degree programs in forensic psychology; the University of Maine in Orono with bachelor's degree programs, master's degree programs, and even master's degree programs in clinical psychology, counselor education and supervision, developmental psychology, general psychology, mental health counseling, and school psychology; the University of Maine at Farmington with bachelor's degree programs in business psychology and general psychology; the University of Maine at Presque Isle with a bachelor's degree program in general psychology; the University of New England with bachelor's degrees in children's behavior, general psychology, neuroscience, psychology, and social relations; and the University of Southern Maine, which has both traditional and online programs offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in applied behavioral analysis, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, general psychology, mental health counseling, rehabilitation counseling, and school psychology.

Obviously, as a Maine resident, you'll have no shortage of choices when it comes to choosing a degree and a program. However, it's important to choose the one that is the best fit for you. The easiest way to do this is to research the career field and to determine the job you most want to do, as there are many within the subject area. Then, you'll need to do further research on the educational path you will need to follow in order to make those career dreams a reality.

In general, you will need at least a bachelor's degree in order to have success in the field. Bachelor's degree programs take, on average, about four years to complete, and offer you a general overview of your area of interest. Alone or with specialized certifications, they offer you opportunities for entry level positions in the field.

Most working child therapists, however, will have, at the very least, a master's degree. These degrees can be earned in about one to three years after earning an undergraduate degree and qualify you to seek certification or licensure by the state, which are required to actually practice therapy in the true sense of the phrase.

In addition to pursuing your educational path, you'll also want to do some type of internship or experiential learning opportunity in order to build up your resume and to gain "real world" experience n the industry. These opportunities, if handled well, will often lead to job offers or important connections.