Counselling psychology is a general practice and health service provider specialty in professional psychology. It’s a specialty that encompasses research and applied work in several domains: supervision training, career development and counselling, counselling process and outcome and prevention and health.
Counselling psychology focuses on how people function personally and in their relationships. The goal is to address the emotional, social, work and physical health concerns people may experience at different stages in their lives. Psychologists who work in this field aim to help people with physical, emotional and mental health issues improve their sense of well-being.
One of the most basic decisions every psychology student has to make is what type of psychology they want to specialise in. Although there is definitely overlap between the different branches of psychology, there are also differences, and the area you choose will certainly play a big role in your future career path. Although counselling and clinical psychologists share many functions, they also differ in many ways.
Clinical psychologists receive a lot of training in theoretical orientations, including psychoanalytic, behavioural and cognitive-behavioural theoretical foundations. They work in various different settings, such as universities, hospitals, mental health centres, academic medical centres, etc. While clinical psychologists work with a broad range of diagnoses, they receive extra extensive clinical training with serious psychopathology, including bipolar disorder, serious depressive disorders, schizophrenia and others.
Counselling psychologists on the other hand tend to be more often employed at universities and in human service settings, such as health centres and family services. These psychologists usually work with healthier patients who have less severe psychological problems. Their work focuses more on emotional, social and physical issues that arise from typical life stresses or more serious issues associated with work or family issues for example. Common issues patients might have when going to a counselling psychologist include relationship problems, substance abuse, career problems, etc.
Becoming a counselling psychologist won’t happen overnight and students who decide to pursue this career have to be aware of this. A bachelor's degree in psychology is usually the first step for most students, followed by a master’s. Master’s programs usually admit students with a counselling psychology or a general psychology degree. Depending on the university you choose, there might be extra entry requirements that you’ll have to check for yourself.
In some places counselling psychologists also need to have a doctorate degree. Depending on where you go, doctorates usually take 3-5 years to complete and include a doctoral thesis and an internship.
Although lessons won’t act as a substitute for a degree, they’re a great way to help your studies and learn more. TutorExtra offers a wide variety of online courses in over 1000 subjects, including Counselling Psychology. Browse through our website, find the perfect tutor for you and book your first lesson as soon as possible.