Counselling psychologist
Help people who have had difficult experiences or mental health issues change their feelings and behaviour for the better.
About the job
What it's like
Do you want to help people work through life’s challenges and improve their wellbeing? Counselling psychology could be the career for you.
In this role, you'll combine your understanding of psychological theory and research with therapeutic practice. You'll help patients make changes so they can deal with their issues and hopefully become less distressed.
Counselling psychologists support people through very difficult experiences, from problems in relationships to serious mental health conditions. One day you could be helping someone cope with bereavement, and the next you might work with someone living with schizophrenia.
You may work with adults or children, either individually or in families and groups. You could be based in:
hospitals, including psychiatric hospitals
GP surgeries
private hospitals
prisons
community healthcare services
education support services.
Remember, you'll deal with people who may be very upset or confused. They could show challenging behaviour and be difficult to work with. You'll need to be calm, patient and have a high level of self-awareness.
Some counselling psychologists are self-employed consultants.
Your tasks might include:
talking with a person to find out what has happened to them
finding out how a person feels about their current situation and exploring other issues which may be responsible for their feelings or responses
assessing someone's mental health to identify a psychological explanation for the issues they're facing
planning therapy sessions to help people understand their behaviour
creating treatment plans and coping strategies to help people manage their difficulties and change unhelpful patterns of behaviour
reviewing counselling sessions to assess how successful they were
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
British Psychological Society (BPS) – learn more about what counselling psychologists do and how to become one
Disclosure Scotland – find out more about the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) – explore the organisation which regulates people working in health, psychological and social work
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- motivating others
- developing a plan
- empathising
- questioning
- observation
- verbal communication
- listening
- supporting
- building relationships
- reflecting
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Biology
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Care
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Childcare and Development
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English and Communication
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Human Biology
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Psychology
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Religious Moral and Philosophical Studies - RMPS
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services Children and Young People
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
There are four steps you must take to become a counselling psychologist.
1. A degree in Psychology. You'll need to study a BPS-accredited undergraduate degree in Psychology. You could also earn a degree in another subject, then do a one-year BPS-accredited conversion course. Either of these routes gives you Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS). Use the My World of Work course search to find Psychology degrees.
2. Postgraduate training. You'll do real-life client work. For example, this could include a role within mental health support services or working with counselling and charity organisations.
3. Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. You’ll need to complete a BPS-accredited Doctorate in Counselling Psychology. This usually lasts three years if studied full-time.
4. Register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a counselling psychologist. You can then legally use the job title and start practicing independently.
Paid or voluntary work experience is beneficial. Volunteering in a relevant role can help you build the skills and experience you’ll need to become a counselling psychologist. Search for opportunities on Volunteer Scotland.
Once qualified, it may be helpful to become a Chartered member of British Psychological Society (BPS). This can strengthen your professional profile.
All counselling psychologists must be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, run by Disclosure Scotland.
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