People who love to listen to other people's stories and give meaningful advice may find a rewarding career as a psychologist.

Barbara Becker Holstein, who owns her own psychology practice, told the Asbury Park Press that she enjoys giving people "insight" into their lives to understand how they can make potential improvements.

"I love hearing people's stories and I love to help them see that they're living unbelievably interesting lives … and I love helping them get happy again," she remarked.

Ms Holstein recommended that prospective psychologists should network with others in the field, as well as developing a "niche", such as working with the geriatric community or with teenagers.

She also advised that people should continue their education to find the best employment opportunities.

According to the Department of Labor (DOL), employment of psychologists is predicted to increase at a faster rate than average, with those who have an applied specialty seeing the most opportunities. Those with doctoral degrees will also have an edge.

Within clinical psychology, areas of specialization include health psychology, neuropsychology and geropsychology. The latest DOL data indicates that the median yearly salary for clinical, counseling and school psychologists is $59,440 - though this figure may vary based on location, employer and experience.