讀後心得

With the increasing importance of mental healing and psychological counseling, many people are climbing the trend of becoming psychologists. However, misunderstandings about this profession still prevail, with many believing that the work of a psychologist is simple and only requires conversation. In fact, becoming a psychologist requires rigorous training and internships, as well as dealing with complex psychological issues. While learning psychological knowledge is certainly important, relying solely on theory is insufficient to qualify for this profession. Moreover, the role of a psychologist is not only to help others but also to engage in self-healing and adhere to professional ethics when facing cases. The application of psychology is broad, and those who love psychology can also choose other related professions rather than insisting on becoming a psychologist.

In recent years, "spiritual healing" and "psychological counseling" have become increasingly popular topics. With social changes, the number of people seeking psychological therapy continues to rise, and many are willing to spend money to seek psychological treatment and counseling. Recently, a video about "spiritual growth courses" has sparked heated discussions. I believe the reason for the popularity of these courses lies in the fact that many people see the "business opportunities" in the psychological industry and hold misconceptions about the profession of psychologist. They might mistakenly think that a psychologist's job is merely to talk and chat, or even believe that by learning a few psychology books, they can easily become teachers and coaches, overlooking the rigor of the psychological profession and the dangers of improper psychological treatment.

Whether in Taiwan or the United States, being a psychologist is a very popular career option, and many aspire to enroll in psychology graduate schools. However, the barriers to becoming a psychologist are high, the training period is long, and substantial financial investment is required, leading many to choose to become "spiritual coaches" instead of clinical psychologists or psychological counselors. According to reports, job banks list "mind-body-spirit healers" as one of the top ten emerging jobs for 2025. Additionally, there is data indicating that counseling graduate programs have become one of the "most difficult graduate programs" to enter today. In my view, there are three main reasons why the profession of psychologist is becoming increasingly popular.

• Job security upon graduation: In recent years, the number of applicants for psychology counseling programs has surged, making psychology counseling a highly competitive field in Taiwan and the United States. Each year, hundreds, even thousands of students apply, yet the admission quotas for each program are quite limited, often admitting only 10-20 students. According to current regulations, a psychologist's license can only be obtained after graduating from a graduate program; however, not every psychology major is able to successfully gain admission to graduate school and obtain a license. This has resulted in a significant demand for professionals in the market, yet a supply shortage remains, leading to a "few monks and plenty of porridge" phenomenon.
• Hope to achieve "self-healing" through psychology: In the field of psychological counseling, there is a common phenomenon—many people are motivated to become psychologists due to their own psychological trauma or emotional distress. With the rise of the concept of "self-care," people are increasingly attentive to their own psychological troubles and traumas, believing that learning psychology can help them manage their issues, and thus choose to enter this field with the hope of helping others who have had similar experiences in the future.
• Misconceptions about "psychologists": As the field of psychological counseling becomes more popular, many people have misconceptions about what a "psychologist" does, believing it simply involves "listening and chatting," and is a very easy way to make money. They think that having some knowledge of psychology is enough to play the role of a psychologist, neglecting the complexity of the work.

The issue of "mind-body-spirit growth courses" mentioned in the video is that many course founders are not psychologists or psychotherapists, yet they extensively use psychological techniques to manipulate people, causing harm. While there are comprehensive mind-body-spirit healing pathways, many teachers or coaches in these courses lack proper training and practical experience, and may actually treat their cases as practice subjects, leading to "medical harm."

In the field of psychological therapy, the techniques used by psychologists must adhere to "evidence-based treatment" to ensure clients receive safe and effective treatment. No psychologist is allowed to use unclinically validated techniques, as this can lead to ethical issues, and in severe cases, their licenses may be revoked. Every graduate psychologist must undergo one to two years of supervised internship training, working under the guidance of experienced supervisors. This ensures that clients receive psychological treatment safely and not merely "chit-chat."

Against this backdrop, when choosing a mind-body-spirit teacher or coach, one should ensure that the person has received comprehensive training and understands basic ethical guidelines to avoid exploitation or manipulation. Whether seeking healing or helping others, there should be a correct understanding and preparation, and it must be clear that the work of psychological therapy is not easy. Enjoying psychology does not mean one must become a psychologist; there are many other professions that can utilize psychological theories to help others, such as psychological researchers, human resource management, or market analysis, all of which are worthwhile options to explore.