Considering a Career in Clinical Psychology? Reflections on the Path to Private Practice

If you’re an undergraduate psychology student and wondering what it might be like to become a clinical psychologist, you’re definitely not alone.

A lot of students I meet are curious about questions like: How do I know if this path is right for me? What should I be doing now? What does life as a psychologist actually look like?

I recently had the chance to talk about my own journey on the Enriched Mindset Podcast, and I thought it might be a helpful listen for students who are starting to think about their future in psychology.

You can listen to the episode below:

In the episode, I share how I found my way into clinical psychology, what the training path looked like, and how I eventually went on to open my own private practice, One Psychology Clinic.

We talk about things like:

• how I knew I wanted to work in clinical psychology

• what the path from undergrad to graduate school can look like

• ways to start exploring whether clinical work is a good fit

• what it’s like working with adolescents and adults in therapy

• how private practice became part of my career journey

I hope this conversation helps make the field feel a little less mysterious.

When you’re in undergrad, it can feel like everyone else has a clear plan, but the truth is that most people are still figuring things out. You do not need to have everything mapped out right now.

This is the time to stay curious, get involved in research or volunteer experiences, ask questions, and start noticing what areas of psychology genuinely interest you.

For me, the path unfolded step by step, and a lot of it became clearer through experience.

If you’re thinking about clinical psychology, I hope this episode gives you a more honest and relatable look at what that journey can look like.

Dr. Danielle Kofler, clinical psychologist

-- Dr. Danielle Kofler, C.Psych.