[Lychee]

I made a similar post to this but I've become increasingly concerned with my future. I'm seeking your advice once more. I appreciate any advice that people can give to a confused student.

In a nutshell: I'm a biology major who will graduate very soon. My original intent when I entered college was to go into medicine, but after taking all the courses and being introduced to psychology, my interest has changed from the physical to the mental. I've come to develop an aversion towards quantitative research and labs. I want to work with people and be some sort of psychologist or therapist.

The problem: Everyone is discouraging me from doing it and they have valid concerns and objections. They say (and I agree) that the market for psychologists and therapists is very limited. Obtaining a Master's does not guarantee me a job in psychology and the best thing for me to do if I do pursue a degree in psychology is to get a PhD and teach. I've also spoken to a lot of mother's and father's, whose sons and daugthers went into medicine, business, law, etc. before me and they all agree that it's not such a great field to go into. The reason they say so is because there is no demand for it, the salary isn't so high, and opportunities for advancement are slim. I've asked this question to a varied group of people and they all agree.

The thing is I don't want to be of those people who just follow the advice of everyone else. I want to do something out of my own accord, and make mistakes on my own if I do. I want to say proudly it was MY mistake, and not someone else's. But for the time that I've been in school, I just did what I wanted to do and look where I ended up. I don't know what to do because listening to myself has gotten me in an academic quandary, but I do believe that everything happens for a reason.

However, my resolve to follow what I want to do strengthens when I read articles that state that if you follow your heart, all the things you need and want will be met. When I see the passion with which my psychology professor teaches, it warms my heart and gives me hope about my future. I don't know if I'm being very idealistic about this or whether my head is in the clouds. I don't know if I fully appreciate or grasp the practical implications of my going into psychology. I'm always thinking that "things will work out" and not being able to support myself hasn't really been on my mind, but should it be? If I do decide to go into psychology, should I get a PhD? ...Master's? Should I forget psychology and do something like law, public health, or some other core science? If psychology isn't such a good idea, what should I do? Is there anything I can do on the side of my studies which can get me (considerable) extra income? I don't know what to do.