Career Research

Career Research

1. Overview

There are different careers embraced in the field of psychology, including counseling and therapy. To engage in a career in the field of therapy is an excellent calling since the career heavily deals with helping individuals, there are many challenges that human beings experience in their existence ranging from physical issues, mental issues, suffering, stress, relationships and other forms of pain. All these are human problems, which, with the help of psychologists, can be treated. Therapists are, therefore, skilled individuals who are trained through proper techniques that can help human beings work through their problems (Dickson, Tara, and Barrett 124). The therapists play a very vital role in ensuring that the human body and mind achieve the required healing. A career in therapy is, therefore, a career that directly influences the lives of individuals. A career in therapy/counseling involves the study of human minds as well as the functioning of the brain. It aids in different facets of human development, and to be a professional therapist, one has to have several skills. Among the prerequisites of becoming an expert in therapy is having to complete a graduate program in psychology from a recognized institution.  The work of a therapist is to provide therapeutic means to the patients, and professional therapists must have different degrees in clinical therapy. The therapist serves the purpose of providing comfort as well as solutions to different patients that are based on a form of understanding. The therapists may either operate in public facilities or in their private ventures where they attend to their patients by listening to their patients and providing the necessary help (Timmerberg, Jean F., et al., 134). They are different fields in therapy with different careers, such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychotherapy therapists, among many other forms of therapy, such as recreational therapy. For all these fields, the therapist must be having both scientific and theoretical background with a variety of clinical applications. In the different careers in the field of therapy, the research paper will detail the criteria necessary to become a physical therapist detailing the various prerequisites for the career, such as education and the other factors accrued to the profession, including the daily tasks and the job outlook..

1. History and Background

There are vital determinants to becoming a professional physical therapist, which range from having the necessary academic qualifications for the profession to having the required qualities to impact changes in human being lives. This is done by setting the patients into the right attitudes and helping them to overcome the different challenges that they experience in life. The physical therapist profession entails the diagnosis and treatment of people with physical injuries, which limits their movement or their daily routines (Rogers, Arielle, and Joseph 125). The physical therapists play a crucial role in treating physical injuries by developing treatment plans through the employment of medical strategies which are aimed at enhancing the ability of the patients to move, reducing the pain the patients are suffering from, restoring the normal functioning of the body parts as well as preventing the illness progressing to disabilities. Physical therapists work in different environments, such as private practices, outpatient clinics, hospitals, fitness facilities, sports facilities, home health agencies, as well as in schools (Dickson, Tara, and Barrett 145). The profession is very dynamic as it both theoretical and scientific background with different clinical applications.

Physical therapy is an exciting career field to venture in as t provides a person with the chance to impact the lives of other human beings. For one to venture in the field of physical therapy, there must exist a will to help people and provide them with comfort through their recovery process. A person is presented with an excellent opportunity to work with a patient to deal with physical injuries until they can improve on their conditions and gain back their movement abilities, which brings a source of satisfaction for the therapist (McGinnis, Patricia, Lee and Susan 1419). People are provided with an opportunity to become entrepreneurs in this field and are provided with the opportunity to acquire different skills and knowledge to help other people.

The history of the physical therapy career is rated back in the 20th century. Physical therapy had a relatively late start in the United States, and it commenced after the establishment of the therapeutic association, which happened in 1921. the profession started due to the tremendous repercussions caused by the polio epidemics, which necessitated muscle restoration so that the human body parts would continue functioning correctly. In 1917, when there was World War I, there was also a great need for the country to rehabilitate the soldiers who had incurred injuries during the battle. The career of physical therapy started to help in rehabilitating the patients and ensuring that they would recover and improve on their movements (McGinnis, Patricia, Lee and Susan 1418). Since the 1920’s the profession of physical therapy continued to gain popularity as it partnered with medical and surgical communities after which it gained validation after pubic recognition. The accrued benefits of physical therapists became evident after the recovery of different patients who had regained their movements after physical injuries made this field dealing with medial specialization necessary. Initially, the physical therapists were confined in hospital settings where they would help the doctors, but today, they are allowed to work in different settings.  The profession has evolved over the years, and it is now acknowledged as a career on its own where a person has to acquire specific certifications for him or her to practice physical therapy as a career. Physical therapist today plays a crucial role in providing rehabilitation services for surgery and injury patients.

1. Famous / Influential People

Physical therapists play a crucial role in helping people with physical injuries deal with their life problems by offering them comfort and helping them regain movement. For one to be a physical therapist, it is essential to be willing to help people, which includes having a good heart to interact with all individuals despite their backgrounds and ethnicities. There exist different physical therapists globally who have contributed to the community by using their expertise to help different injured persons. Among the most influential physical therapists who motivates individuals to join this field is Eric Robertson. The therapist is very connected, and he is as well an educator who advises individuals on the reason why the field of physical therapy is the best platform to serve humanity. Per Henrik Ling is globally known for inventing the concept of physical therapy in his establishment of the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics in 1813 for massage (Dickson, Tara, and Barrett 121). Through his invention, he helped different individuals relax and the injured to start achieving movement, which greatly aided to begin the concept of physical therapy.  Another therapist who is well known in the field of physical therapy is Mike Reynold. He is very influential as he is a leader in the field of sports medicine, sports performance, fitness, and rehabilitation. The therapist is renowned for the role that he plays in society, which includes improving the performance of individuals in the community. Such therapists are very influential and act as the reason why some individuals aspire to join this profession to help people in society.

1. Personal Interest in the Career

My interest in the career is the need that exists to help different individuals in society. The field provides a person with the opportunity to make significant differences in people’s lives. It provides one with the chance to work with patients until they recover and recover from their physical injuries. The patients can regain their physical movement through the help provided by the physical therapist hence my interests to venture into this field. The career paths also have massive opportunities globally, and one can choose the setting to work in, which they consider most favorable. It is also possible to become an entrepreneur when one is in this career path since one can open a private facility to provide physical therapy practices (Timmerberg, Jean F., et al., 134).

1. Schooling/Training Required

For one to be a professional physical therapist, various certifications need to be acquired. A minimum of a bachelors’ degree in physical therapy is required to be a physical therapist. To practice the profession, a person needs to take up science majors after they have completed high school. One needs to major in exercise science, biology, psychology, and kinesiology as they are critical for a career in physical therapy. After finishing college for healthcare or medical course, one should ensure that they gain a degree in physical therapy. There also exists a series of skills that are required for this specialized career. After college, it is essential to undertake internships and residencies to help in gaining proficiency in the profession. The residency can be a recreation facility while the internship needs to be done in a referral medical facility or a medical institution (Rogers, Arielle, and Joseph 123). To indulge in professional physical therapy, one needs to excel in a physical therapy board examination that is usually carried out by the health organization. Masters and a doctorate in physiotherapy or related field serve as an additional benefit.

1. Length of programs/projected end date

The time taken is not long to become a professional therapist. After having undertaken high school, one needs to join college and major in sciences. To attain a degree in physical therapy, It takes an individual a period of 4 years and three years at a doctorate of physical therapy (DPT) program totaling to seven years in school.

• Occupational Outlook

Being a physical therapist does not restrain one from working in a healthcare facility. A person can work in other areas such as sports facilities, pharmaceutical settings, as well as practice the profession privately. The various types of employment are thus employment in medical facilities and self-employment, which ranges from opening consultancy services in physiotherapy or starting larger entities of offering physical therapy (Rogers, Arielle, and Joseph 113). The work of a physical therapist is tasked with the responsibilities and duties of overseeing the recovery of patients, aiding in diagnosing, and recovering physical injuries as well as carrying out physiotherapy.

1. Average Salary

The wages that are attached to this profession are above the average wage bill. The profession is well paying since a therapist can earn $20 per hour, and the pay heavily depends on the number of customers that a therapist has and the period that the therapist is involved. The profession provides plenty of employment chances in different settings, such as hospitals. The profession will continue growing as it has already gained a status of its own as it has since been separated from the healthcare group.

1. Final Findings (Main topic)

The findings did not surprise me since I have always wanted to be a therapist. The profession is very lucrative even though it purposes for improving the lives of people in society by helping them deal with their problems. The career also has other accrued advantages such as flexibility since it is easy to work at different places such as the healthcare setting as well as practice the career privately. It will be a great profession as I will create a significant impact on society as it will significantly contribute to the well-being and health of the people in the community. Working as a therapist hence harbors benefits to both the organization and the individual.

Works Cited

Dickson, Tara, and Barrett J. Taylor. “Factors That Predict Institutional Adoption of Entry-Level Physical Therapist Education Programs.” Physical Therapy, (2019).

McGinnis, Patricia Quinn, Lee Ann Guenther, and Susan F. Wainwright. “Development and integration of professional core values among practicing clinicians.” Physical therapy 96.9 (2016): 1417-1429.

Rogers, Arielle P., and Joseph P. Caramagno. “Analysis of Practice for the Physical Therapy Profession: Report Memo 2019.” (2019).

Timmerberg, Jean F., et al. “Physical Therapist Student Readiness for Entrance Into the First Full-Time Clinical Experience: A Delphi Study.” Physical therapy 99.2 (2019): 131-146.