It is not unusual for people to associate psychology with highly paid individuals who listen to the problems of mentally unstable people. In fact, psychology is a fascinating study of the mind and behavior and is present in our daily lives.

Here are some of the most common myths about psychology:

1. They earn a lot of money by listening to people talk
   There is a misconception that many psychologists earn far more than they are worth, as they just sit back and passively listen to their clients’ issues.

This is not true, because the relationship between therapist and client is not negative at all. In these sessions, therapists have to actively listen to the client, delve into problems, suggest solutions, show understanding, as well as provide comfort in some cases.

2. Low self-esteem is the root of psychological problems
   Many believe that low self-esteem is one of the main problems in developing unhealthy behaviors; Such as violence, depression, and anxiety. Step into any self-help book aisle, and you’ll find the idea that there is no psychological problem unrelated to low self-esteem, rehashed in one way or another.

In fact, studies by Baumeister, Campbell, and Krueger discovered that “low self-esteem is neither necessary nor sufficient for depression.” Allowing us to understand that lack of self-esteem cannot be the only cause of poor mental health.

3. Psychology is about fixing crazy people
   Ask someone what they think about therapy, and many people will answer that only crazy people with mental problems lie down to talk about their dreams and feelings and have someone write this information down in a notebook.

Attending therapy is in no way an admission that something is wrong with you, but rather provides an appreciation for a full range of thoughts. It allows for an understanding of how a certain type of thinking or habit pattern can impact our mental health in terms of how we perceive others and ourselves.

4. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors are all interchangeable
   Simplifying their roles, they are all qualified individuals who aim to help people solve their problems, although there is significant overlap in their fields.

It’s confusing when it comes to distinguishing between a psychiatrist, a psychiatrist, and a counselor. Many believe that anyone with a degree in psychology can provide counseling.

Psychiatry is the study, diagnosis, management and prevention of mental disorders. Psychology is the study of people and all types of behavior, thoughts, and feelings that motivate the behavior of people with disorders.

Counselors provide advice and assistance with short-term goal-setting therapy, where issues causing emotional pain and negative thoughts can be discussed in a confidential and safe environment.

5. Psychology is not just common sense
   You will meet some people who claim that psychology is just common sense after reading the results of certain studies, but it is actually more complicated than it seems.

Psychology professionals spend endless amounts of time achieving these results and go through countless attempts to analyze the tests they have just conducted. Much effort is put into research studying the mind and our behavior patterns.

6. Psychology is not just about therapy
   Psychology is usually associated with therapy, where someone writes down a client’s problems – most likely to have something to do with their childhood. While therapy is a great aspect of psychology, there are other parts to being a psychologist.

In fact, there are many psychologists working in other fields such as teaching, counseling and research, and not just in the field of mental health.

7. Psychology is not for everyone
   Psychology is not limited to those who need treatment or the study of mental health; In fact, psychology can be found all around us in our daily lives. We see the impact of our advertising, as psychology is used to develop marketing strategies.

It is used to identify people’s needs and how to encourage them to buy products. In fact, even your favorite websites are optimized using psychology.

8. Psychologists are not mind readers
   If you are under the impression that by studying psychology, you will become an expert at mind reading, think again. While the goal is to understand human behavior and provide an explanation behind it, you cannot suddenly become telepathic or hypnotize people.

Through depictions in the media, psychology has been used in many ‘magic shows’ – magician Derren Brown uses body language and human psychology to guess which painting you have painted.

9. All dreams have a hidden meaning
   A study conducted across three different cultures in India, South Korea, and the USA found that 56% to 74% of people have a belief that dreams have hidden meanings.

If someone dreams of a plane crashing before flying the next day, they may consciously decide to avoid flying. They rely on their dreams as more accurate than waking thinking. The Internet is full of dream diaries, which interpret certain symbols to predict the future.

Our brains produce dreams during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep that can sometimes be illogical and influenced by our emotions that day, as well as our thoughts. So it would be wise not to let your dreams influence your life decisions and engage in some mindful logical thinking instead.