When you think of a psychologist - a therapist sitting in a chair talking with a client about problems they’re having in their lives - the chances are good that the image you have in your mind is of a counselling psychologist.
These mental health professionals provide critical services to clients that are experiencing social, emotional, behavioural, or psychological difficulties (or a combination thereof). In many cases, the services provided include psychotherapy, couples and family therapy, and group therapy. There are many other modalities that counselling psychologists use as well.
The primary task of counselling psychologists is to work directly with their clients to identify problems, work through pain, and decide on a path forward toward better mental health. Likewise, counselling psychologists can diagnose and treat psychological illnesses like major depression, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders.
If you’re interested in becoming a counselling psychologist, read on to learn the basic requirements to do so.
Get an Undergraduate Degree
The first step in becoming a counselling psychologist is to get an undergraduate degree.
While majoring in psychology is likely the best option, there are other majors that will still prepare you well for future studies in this field. These options include:
- Human services
- Social work
- Child development
- Sociology
Regardless of the major you select, you can expect to study for about four years to complete an undergraduate degree, provided that you attend school full-time.
What Can I Expect in an Undergraduate Program?
Usually, undergraduate degree programs are about 120 semester credit hours in length. About half of those hours are general education courses like math, science, and humanities, that give you a well-rounded education. The other half of the required credits are in the major area of study.
So, for example, if you decide to get your undergraduate degree in psychology, it’s likely that you’ll need to complete around 60 hours of general education requirements and 60 hours of psychology courses to graduate. The courses you take might include:
- Introduction to Psychology
- History and Systems of Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Physiological Psychology
- Careers in Psychology
This is not a complete list, of course, but you get a basic idea of what your undergraduate studies might look like.
Next, Get a Master’s Degree
The second step in your journey to becoming a counselling psychologist is to get a graduate degree.
Graduate degree studies are much more detailed and intense than undergraduate studies. Rather than taking introductory-level courses like you do in undergraduate programs, you will take advanced coursework in psychology as you pursue your master’s degree.
At this level, it’s most common for future counselling psychologists to pursue a master’s degree in counselling psychology. However, other options might be available, like a master’s degree in psychology or clinical psychology.
What Can I Expect in a Graduate Program?
Usually, master’s degrees take anywhere from one to three years to complete. Since the graduation requirements for master’s degrees can vary so much from one school to the next, it’s important for you to examine the timeline for completion for each school in which you’re interested in attending.
As a graduate student, you will zero in on topics that are much more closely related to counselling psychology. For example, you will likely take courses in:
- Counselling Theory
- Psychopathology
- Assessment and Diagnosis
- Treatment Planning
- Clinical Techniques
In addition to more focused coursework, graduate programs in counselling psychology typically require students to complete an internship experience.
The purpose of an internship is to give you the opportunity to work in a real-world setting under the supervision of an experienced psychologist. You will see clients, offer diagnoses, develop treatment plans, and the like, all in the name of putting what you’ve learned in class into practice with actual clients.
Lastly, Get a Doctorate
To be a chartered psychologist, you’ll need to complete a doctoral program, which makes you eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council and chartered status with the British Psychological Society.
Studying at this level gives you highly specialized and advanced skills that will only improve your ability to provide competent services to your clients.
Doctoral programs are intensive and research-based and usually take three to five years to complete. You’ll spend less time in classroom settings and more time conducting research, developing your dissertation, and working with clients. This kind of experiential capstone to your education will prove invaluable to your growth as a counselling psychologist.
While it is a long educational journey, becoming a counselling psychologist is a worthy goal. It’s a career field that is in demand, offers many specialisation opportunities, and enables you to make a positive impact on others.
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