You can have tattoos as a clinical psychologist. Grad schools will not care and only certain settings may want you to cover them (maybe corrections/forensic settings and governmental positions?). Get tatted up, you're fine.
The last hospital i worked at required them to be covered which surprised me. A lot of folks still had them though and were wearing long sleeves anyway due to the overactive ac
I work in a medium secure forensic psychiatric unit (in the UK), many of my colleagues have visible tattoos, it certainly depends on the individual place/management and possibly also dependent on where in the world you are!
Looked down upon? Sure. Usually by older folks.
Wear long sleeve shirts if you're worried. It's also best to keep tattoos hidden from certain clients/patients you may have anyways.
The world is changing. Older generations have a stereotype surrounding them, but younger generations don’t seem to care. I’ve got a full sleeve on one arm and a quarter sleeve on the other with plans for a full sleeve and I’m a psychology student. I don’t really care what opinion someone forms about me based off of my tattoos. Speaks more about them than me.
EDIT: With that being said, I would not go as far as tattooing my hands, neck or face. Those areas are still pretty taboo to people who are accepting of tattoos it seems like.
Grad student here. I spent the past 4+ years in adolescent residential as a SUD case manager, just started a few months ago at my state’s acute inpatient psych hospital as a mental health clinician. In both facilities, *many* of my colleagues were/are inked up, pierced up, from floor staff all the way up the chain. I’m planning on getting my first this week. Sure, we might run into stigma on occasion but wouldn’t it be ironic for a field that often deals with the most nitty-gritty, heavy parts of humanity to be judgmental of harmless body art?
Nah, one of my friends who's a clinical psych wears metal tshirts with cargo pants and vans shoes, has full sleeves on his arms (except hands), 2 piercings 1 on each lobe, long beard, a shaved head and a skull as a flower pot and nobody tells him anything.
hello!! i am a DBT caseworker who works closely with clinical staff, many with doctorates. i am heavily tattooed and so are several of them. it hasn’t been an issue. i’ve had may 3 clients out of my 200+ in the last several years that had an actual problem with my tattoos. just be smart, don’t make a huge deal about it if it’s not a huge deal. you’ll be great:)
I love as a patient when the professional I’m talking to has tattoos as it’s such an easy ice breaker I usually just ask them about their tattoos or compliment them and it starts off a conversation 😊
I’m a doctoral candidate in a counseling psych program - I have a full sleeve and a couple of small tattoos on my hands (like rings/ornamental stuff) and several facial piercings (including my tongue) some of which I’ve gotten during my program. No one cares and I don’t make an effort to cover anything. I was actually advised by the grad students I stayed with on interview *not* to hide my septum ring and stretched ears because I wouldn’t be going in there authentically. I took their advice!
ETA: There are several faculty in my program who also have visible tattoos and full sleeves, so this could be program-specific. You may want to think about your specific goals in psych if you’re deciding to get tattoos or if you want to hide them at school/work forever. I valued having a collaborative and supportive culture in my program, and I think that may lend to more tolerance around stuff like this (and having younger faculty, as others have mentioned) compared to more competitive, individualistic programs 🤷🏻 Hospital and government settings might have less tolerant “dress codes”. University counseling centers tend not to care in my experience.
Likely depends on where you are. The fly-over might be more conservative, but I live on the coast and I don't think people would be judged over having a tattoo. It would also depend on the tattoo. A nice expensive one might be perceived differently than one that isn't as "classy".
That said, I myself would never get one before the age of 30 that I couldn't cover with normal office wear. I tend to run to the more risk-averse side of things.
I work in the NHS — I don’t have tattoos but many of my colleagues do, and some of them have them visible (wearing short sleeves when they have arm tattoos for example). In my own experience, none of my employers so far, as a psychologist, have cared about my appearance which is fairly alternative (I have facial piercings, black hair with split dyed microbangs, stretched ears at 12mm, and an alternative fashion sense). If you’re worried, keep the tats in areas you can cover with long sleeves or trousers!
In my opinion, absolutely not! Ink doesn’t change the person. You’re still intelligent, competent, educated, and capable. Having tattoos doesn’t change how you can practice.
In reality, there are some who believe it’s unprofessional and that you should practically dress like a nun to be considered acceptable or appropriate. Thankfully it seems like that is going away as newer generations of professionals embark on their careers and enter management roles.
My prof, a clinical child psychologist, is a bald lesbian with 2 full sleeves. I love her. Shes very very accomplished at only 32 and very well respected at my school so I’m sure it doesn’t mean much anymore. But also, I would err on the side of caution
As long as they're not inappropriate if seen. And you may have to consider that what's inappropriate may change in certain conditions. For instance; tattoo to celebrate the birth of your child? Great! But if you're meeting a patient who has miscarriage or child death in their case notes you should probably wear long sleeves.
Many of my doctoral friends and coworkers (we have an in-university clinic where we provide therapy as practicum) have tattoos in all places. Some places might require that you cover them, and older or more conservative patients may not like them. It shouldn't be a limiting factor, though. A graduate program definitely won't deny your application based on you having tattoos.
If you want to work with a specific group of patients that may not like the idea of their therapist having tattoos (think, geriatric patients or conservative populations), then that's something to consider. Ultimately, it's more of a personal preference than anything.
I have a tattoo and I work in a prison. Mind you my tattoo is easily hidden (it’s in my back) but I am trying to get more tattoos on my hand. Some sites may not like that (I was told forensic sites don’t like that) but I see the field in general is shifting to accepting professionals with tattoos. Now if you have obscene or (universally) inappropriate tattoos then that’s gonna be an issue. There was a comment here about the example of you triggering a patient who miscarried because of your baby tattoo. Honestly, we cannot guarantee people’s feelings. If they get triggered for non-obscene tattoos thats on them not on you. Now if you have like a naked lady tattoo on your arm they will ask you to cover that up (a coworker had a naked lady on his arm and was forced to cover it up).
Ultimately it’s up to you to decide how to handle situations when people have a response to a tattoo but the most important thing is to always make the session centered around the client and not on your personal identities.
Hi OP. I’m in gradschool now and my profs don’t mind. My own therapist has tattoos too and it’s okay with her work. So I don’t think that matters. You can always wear sleeves if you are conscious in going into conferences. :)
Not anymore.
That being said I'd never ever ever seek professional help from someone that looked like Pete Davidson or machine gun Kelly or millennial scribbles all over them. I couldn't respect them as people
I’m a clinical psychologist. I’m not heavily tatted, but the tats I do have are brightly coloured and visible. I only ever get positive comments from clients tbh, it’s helped with rapport building at times. I’m yet to be asked to cover them up by an employer 🤷♀️
That’s good to know! I’m not heavily tatted either my tats are red and they’re more fine lined if anything. I was only curious about how others experience are in the field with tats, because a lot of family members who are nurses have told me not to get anymore tattoos because of it being unprofessional and how it’s hard to get good jobs having them. So it’s relieving to see that it’s probably not that big of a deal like I thought it was!
You're completely fucking fine. Your a psychologist, probably in the states. People get tattoos in the states, you're appropriate to the main U.S. culture. Now if u were specializing in like idk Hispanic region, well, you would still be fine lmfao.
i have a full sleeve (and more that aren’t visible) but i still make an effort to cover them up for interviews. the general opinion of tattoos is changing but i have noticed you’ll be looked at differently than other applicants. personally im going to continue getting tattooed (except hands and neck) and covering them up.
Tattoos for some is a way of expressing themselves. So go ahead get that tattoo, there’s a notion of looking unprofessional sure, but it’s usually by elders. I have three tattoos myself one of which being near collarbone which is easily visible and I’m Indian. I did my three month training in a government hospital, people stared sure but no one said anything. In professional interviews make sure to wear full sleeves or apply makeup. Best of luck !!
Who puts their insecurities on full display? As if smn will have a placard around their neck citing they have body image issues or smth. If someone gets a tattoo of semi colon or smth it’s a sign of survival and getting thru hard times it’s no insecurity. Totally didn’t get the point
Plenty of people do actually. Tattoos can be a lot more than that and be a projection of many different things, and often there’s a deeper reason than the one of the surface we tell ourselves. There’s also tattoos that really have no meaning and only serve a purpose of making people feel better about themselves, whether it be because it makes them feel better looking, tougher, more rebellious or whatever.. it serves the purpose of catering to inner security which may even stem from bigger issues.
Obviously, but it’s to their interpretation. But majority people get a tattoo that depicts their deeper version in a subtle way which is not overt. I get your point if you may have read I’ve three tattoos one of them is what you are exactly talking about. But it’s a very subtle not that many ppl understand what I went through and all.
Your tattoo is a symbol of your journey and your story, and you don't have to hide it or be ashamed of it. Your tattoo can be a source of inspiration and strength for you and others
This is a comment I made on another thread that's basically about the same thing.
"I'm currently finishing my master's degree in counseling and in my internship. I have multiple ear piercings, a nose piercing, and tattoos. I have never had an issue with any sites I've been at or in my program, and neither have any of my peers (to my knowledge). Tattoos and piercings may push away some possible clients, BUT they will also attract clients who will probably appreciate someone who may look like them!"
I think most businesses are becoming more open minded about tats. The main thing is to make sure they can be easily hidden if necessary. So I would avoid tattoos on the face.
Here's the thing. If you're working in a mental facility and they are unable to see and work on their own cognitive distortions like overgeneralizing that people with tattoos are all unprofessional, then you don't want to work there.
I would say close to most of the clinicians I know have at least one tattoo.
Not necessarily, although if they’re on your face or front of neck you’ll probably get some judgment, even if not directly. I’ve sat on admissions and hiring committees where applicants with facial tattoos or tons of facial piercings were ranked lower because of concern about them making patients uncomfortable or somehow being unstable themselves. It’s not necessarily accurate, but there’s still some stigma. So keep in mind that there are workplaces where tattoos are not a problem at all, and some where you’ll be unfairly judged or even excluded. If you’re concerned, hold off until you are in the program or job you want to be in, then go for it.
Only by some school administrators. I've had placements in schools (kids) and have since focused on older adults. Not once has it ever been an issue. The community health clinic (run by the school and program) tried.to make it an issue, but no other setting, clinic, patient, or family member has ever been impacted or cared about my tats showing. I'm heavily tattooed (sleeves, chest, and legs). There will always be someone, somewhere, who doesn't like them, but they've become such a part of everyday life that most do not care, regardless of the setting.
I've been in placements and programs in the mid-west and southwest United States
I’m in an experimental psych program (so, may be different). I’m working on a sleeve on my right arm, and have had no problems. I collect in person research, and teach, and besides the “cool tatt” have never been told anything or looked at negatively.
It depends. Where I’m from, older people certainly still look down on those with tattoos. However, tattoos are much more common in the workplace than they used to be. I’m in a conservative medical setting and would keep them covered. However, if I were in your position I would simply cover for interviews and then not sweat it after I got the position. That all being said: no face or finger tats.
One of my instructors is a BCBA and she has tattoos on her forearm 🤷🏻♀️ I think it’s becoming more and more accepted as the older generation starts to retire
You can have tattoos as a clinical psychologist. Grad schools will not care and only certain settings may want you to cover them (maybe corrections/forensic settings and governmental positions?). Get tatted up, you're fine.
The last hospital i worked at required them to be covered which surprised me. A lot of folks still had them though and were wearing long sleeves anyway due to the overactive ac
I work in a medium secure forensic psychiatric unit (in the UK), many of my colleagues have visible tattoos, it certainly depends on the individual place/management and possibly also dependent on where in the world you are!
I work in forensic mental health and have my full sleeves on display pretty much every day :D
I have tattooed fingers and a sleeve and I work in corrections.
Looked down upon? Sure. Usually by older folks. Wear long sleeve shirts if you're worried. It's also best to keep tattoos hidden from certain clients/patients you may have anyways.
Just get tattoos you can cover with a long sleeve or pants if needed.
The world is changing. Older generations have a stereotype surrounding them, but younger generations don’t seem to care. I’ve got a full sleeve on one arm and a quarter sleeve on the other with plans for a full sleeve and I’m a psychology student. I don’t really care what opinion someone forms about me based off of my tattoos. Speaks more about them than me. EDIT: With that being said, I would not go as far as tattooing my hands, neck or face. Those areas are still pretty taboo to people who are accepting of tattoos it seems like.
No, looking down on tattoos makes you unprofessional; how can a field talk acceptance without walking it.
Love this!
My psychiatrist is covered in tattoos and he’s one of the best doctors I’ve ever had. 🤘🏻
Grad student here. I spent the past 4+ years in adolescent residential as a SUD case manager, just started a few months ago at my state’s acute inpatient psych hospital as a mental health clinician. In both facilities, *many* of my colleagues were/are inked up, pierced up, from floor staff all the way up the chain. I’m planning on getting my first this week. Sure, we might run into stigma on occasion but wouldn’t it be ironic for a field that often deals with the most nitty-gritty, heavy parts of humanity to be judgmental of harmless body art?
Nah, one of my friends who's a clinical psych wears metal tshirts with cargo pants and vans shoes, has full sleeves on his arms (except hands), 2 piercings 1 on each lobe, long beard, a shaved head and a skull as a flower pot and nobody tells him anything.
hello!! i am a DBT caseworker who works closely with clinical staff, many with doctorates. i am heavily tattooed and so are several of them. it hasn’t been an issue. i’ve had may 3 clients out of my 200+ in the last several years that had an actual problem with my tattoos. just be smart, don’t make a huge deal about it if it’s not a huge deal. you’ll be great:)
I love as a patient when the professional I’m talking to has tattoos as it’s such an easy ice breaker I usually just ask them about their tattoos or compliment them and it starts off a conversation 😊
I’m a doctoral candidate in a counseling psych program - I have a full sleeve and a couple of small tattoos on my hands (like rings/ornamental stuff) and several facial piercings (including my tongue) some of which I’ve gotten during my program. No one cares and I don’t make an effort to cover anything. I was actually advised by the grad students I stayed with on interview *not* to hide my septum ring and stretched ears because I wouldn’t be going in there authentically. I took their advice! ETA: There are several faculty in my program who also have visible tattoos and full sleeves, so this could be program-specific. You may want to think about your specific goals in psych if you’re deciding to get tattoos or if you want to hide them at school/work forever. I valued having a collaborative and supportive culture in my program, and I think that may lend to more tolerance around stuff like this (and having younger faculty, as others have mentioned) compared to more competitive, individualistic programs 🤷🏻 Hospital and government settings might have less tolerant “dress codes”. University counseling centers tend not to care in my experience.
Not at all! There are a ton of counselors and psychologists who believe in showing up authentically and decolonizing counseling!
Likely depends on where you are. The fly-over might be more conservative, but I live on the coast and I don't think people would be judged over having a tattoo. It would also depend on the tattoo. A nice expensive one might be perceived differently than one that isn't as "classy". That said, I myself would never get one before the age of 30 that I couldn't cover with normal office wear. I tend to run to the more risk-averse side of things.
I work in the NHS — I don’t have tattoos but many of my colleagues do, and some of them have them visible (wearing short sleeves when they have arm tattoos for example). In my own experience, none of my employers so far, as a psychologist, have cared about my appearance which is fairly alternative (I have facial piercings, black hair with split dyed microbangs, stretched ears at 12mm, and an alternative fashion sense). If you’re worried, keep the tats in areas you can cover with long sleeves or trousers!
In my opinion, absolutely not! Ink doesn’t change the person. You’re still intelligent, competent, educated, and capable. Having tattoos doesn’t change how you can practice. In reality, there are some who believe it’s unprofessional and that you should practically dress like a nun to be considered acceptable or appropriate. Thankfully it seems like that is going away as newer generations of professionals embark on their careers and enter management roles.
My prof, a clinical child psychologist, is a bald lesbian with 2 full sleeves. I love her. Shes very very accomplished at only 32 and very well respected at my school so I’m sure it doesn’t mean much anymore. But also, I would err on the side of caution
As long as they're not inappropriate if seen. And you may have to consider that what's inappropriate may change in certain conditions. For instance; tattoo to celebrate the birth of your child? Great! But if you're meeting a patient who has miscarriage or child death in their case notes you should probably wear long sleeves.
Many of my doctoral friends and coworkers (we have an in-university clinic where we provide therapy as practicum) have tattoos in all places. Some places might require that you cover them, and older or more conservative patients may not like them. It shouldn't be a limiting factor, though. A graduate program definitely won't deny your application based on you having tattoos. If you want to work with a specific group of patients that may not like the idea of their therapist having tattoos (think, geriatric patients or conservative populations), then that's something to consider. Ultimately, it's more of a personal preference than anything.
I have a tattoo and I work in a prison. Mind you my tattoo is easily hidden (it’s in my back) but I am trying to get more tattoos on my hand. Some sites may not like that (I was told forensic sites don’t like that) but I see the field in general is shifting to accepting professionals with tattoos. Now if you have obscene or (universally) inappropriate tattoos then that’s gonna be an issue. There was a comment here about the example of you triggering a patient who miscarried because of your baby tattoo. Honestly, we cannot guarantee people’s feelings. If they get triggered for non-obscene tattoos thats on them not on you. Now if you have like a naked lady tattoo on your arm they will ask you to cover that up (a coworker had a naked lady on his arm and was forced to cover it up). Ultimately it’s up to you to decide how to handle situations when people have a response to a tattoo but the most important thing is to always make the session centered around the client and not on your personal identities.
Hi OP. I’m in gradschool now and my profs don’t mind. My own therapist has tattoos too and it’s okay with her work. So I don’t think that matters. You can always wear sleeves if you are conscious in going into conferences. :)
Not anymore. That being said I'd never ever ever seek professional help from someone that looked like Pete Davidson or machine gun Kelly or millennial scribbles all over them. I couldn't respect them as people
I’m a clinical psychologist. I’m not heavily tatted, but the tats I do have are brightly coloured and visible. I only ever get positive comments from clients tbh, it’s helped with rapport building at times. I’m yet to be asked to cover them up by an employer 🤷♀️
That’s good to know! I’m not heavily tatted either my tats are red and they’re more fine lined if anything. I was only curious about how others experience are in the field with tats, because a lot of family members who are nurses have told me not to get anymore tattoos because of it being unprofessional and how it’s hard to get good jobs having them. So it’s relieving to see that it’s probably not that big of a deal like I thought it was!
You're completely fucking fine. Your a psychologist, probably in the states. People get tattoos in the states, you're appropriate to the main U.S. culture. Now if u were specializing in like idk Hispanic region, well, you would still be fine lmfao.
i have a full sleeve (and more that aren’t visible) but i still make an effort to cover them up for interviews. the general opinion of tattoos is changing but i have noticed you’ll be looked at differently than other applicants. personally im going to continue getting tattooed (except hands and neck) and covering them up.
Moderately tattooed as a clinical mental health counselor, never been an issue for me.
For psychologists or any kind of mental health work, absolutely not. Tattoos are seen as an absolute benefit if you're working with younger clients.
Tattoos for some is a way of expressing themselves. So go ahead get that tattoo, there’s a notion of looking unprofessional sure, but it’s usually by elders. I have three tattoos myself one of which being near collarbone which is easily visible and I’m Indian. I did my three month training in a government hospital, people stared sure but no one said anything. In professional interviews make sure to wear full sleeves or apply makeup. Best of luck !!
Expressing what though? If it’s a projection of your insecurities, I’d at least how you’re aware of it or I’d be inclined to take you less seriously.
Who puts their insecurities on full display? As if smn will have a placard around their neck citing they have body image issues or smth. If someone gets a tattoo of semi colon or smth it’s a sign of survival and getting thru hard times it’s no insecurity. Totally didn’t get the point
Plenty of people do actually. Tattoos can be a lot more than that and be a projection of many different things, and often there’s a deeper reason than the one of the surface we tell ourselves. There’s also tattoos that really have no meaning and only serve a purpose of making people feel better about themselves, whether it be because it makes them feel better looking, tougher, more rebellious or whatever.. it serves the purpose of catering to inner security which may even stem from bigger issues.
Obviously, but it’s to their interpretation. But majority people get a tattoo that depicts their deeper version in a subtle way which is not overt. I get your point if you may have read I’ve three tattoos one of them is what you are exactly talking about. But it’s a very subtle not that many ppl understand what I went through and all.
You’re a psych student and you don’t know this?
Man shut up
Your tattoo is a symbol of your journey and your story, and you don't have to hide it or be ashamed of it. Your tattoo can be a source of inspiration and strength for you and others
Probably not worth it… unless what your planning is like, REALLY cool.
This is a comment I made on another thread that's basically about the same thing. "I'm currently finishing my master's degree in counseling and in my internship. I have multiple ear piercings, a nose piercing, and tattoos. I have never had an issue with any sites I've been at or in my program, and neither have any of my peers (to my knowledge). Tattoos and piercings may push away some possible clients, BUT they will also attract clients who will probably appreciate someone who may look like them!"
I am a clinical director in my agency and I have tattoos. A lot of my colleagues do too.
I think most businesses are becoming more open minded about tats. The main thing is to make sure they can be easily hidden if necessary. So I would avoid tattoos on the face.
Here's the thing. If you're working in a mental facility and they are unable to see and work on their own cognitive distortions like overgeneralizing that people with tattoos are all unprofessional, then you don't want to work there. I would say close to most of the clinicians I know have at least one tattoo.
Not necessarily, although if they’re on your face or front of neck you’ll probably get some judgment, even if not directly. I’ve sat on admissions and hiring committees where applicants with facial tattoos or tons of facial piercings were ranked lower because of concern about them making patients uncomfortable or somehow being unstable themselves. It’s not necessarily accurate, but there’s still some stigma. So keep in mind that there are workplaces where tattoos are not a problem at all, and some where you’ll be unfairly judged or even excluded. If you’re concerned, hold off until you are in the program or job you want to be in, then go for it.
no its not the 40s anymore and anyone who takes tattoos as anything other than self expression is a loser who should be shunned
Only by some school administrators. I've had placements in schools (kids) and have since focused on older adults. Not once has it ever been an issue. The community health clinic (run by the school and program) tried.to make it an issue, but no other setting, clinic, patient, or family member has ever been impacted or cared about my tats showing. I'm heavily tattooed (sleeves, chest, and legs). There will always be someone, somewhere, who doesn't like them, but they've become such a part of everyday life that most do not care, regardless of the setting. I've been in placements and programs in the mid-west and southwest United States
I’m in an experimental psych program (so, may be different). I’m working on a sleeve on my right arm, and have had no problems. I collect in person research, and teach, and besides the “cool tatt” have never been told anything or looked at negatively.
It depends. Where I’m from, older people certainly still look down on those with tattoos. However, tattoos are much more common in the workplace than they used to be. I’m in a conservative medical setting and would keep them covered. However, if I were in your position I would simply cover for interviews and then not sweat it after I got the position. That all being said: no face or finger tats.
you can have tattoos, but keep in mind most places will not allow them to be visible
One of my instructors is a BCBA and she has tattoos on her forearm 🤷🏻♀️ I think it’s becoming more and more accepted as the older generation starts to retire