What Is the Best Way To Find Out If a Career In Psychology is Right For You?

DIRTY69

What Is the Best Way To Find Out If a Career In Psychology is Right For You?

Well, I am 22 and have been out of school a number of years, I am trying to come to a decision on a career that will really be worth while and most of all rewarding. Money obviously is important too, but I don't give it too much importance.

I am, and have always been interested in the bigger questions, and while I don't always understand people, I certainly do try and I think peoples well-being is very important. If we want to live in a better world it doesn't mean stopping the bomb, to me it can be helping people just live their lives better and happier.

I have been weighing it up. I have started and completed some courses in the past and it has been a case of always seeing if i am right for it, or trying and failing to get a job in that area too (I am a qualified sound engineer, any chance of a job?! :-p ) ....I am just trying to find the answer, if psychology is right for me.

I am considering doing a course online rather than giving up my full time job to study. I have looked at courses in Open University and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons)/Diploma in Arts in the DCU perhaps someone reading this has done one of these and may have an interesting opinion on it?

I aspire to be a creative person, music and writing and philosophy are of great interest to me too, but perhaps I am seeking a little bit of guidance on what my options will be from people who have been there.

Valmont

I'm only a final year psych student but I know that a career in psychology is a long road indeed. To become a practicing psychologist you usually need to have postgraduate work experience and a masters qualification before you will even be accepted onto a programme. Psychology is also very scientific, there is a lot of methodology and statistics at undergraduate level and these subjects form the core of modern psychology. I'm sure others will have more information for you. The British Psychological Society is also a great source of information.

JuliusCaesar

The OU course has been running a long time and is well-known and recognised. It is a long road, but you get a lot of support from tutors online and in person. I think - didn't do it myself, but know people who did it.
You'll end up with solid knowledge and a solid foundation to build on.

It might be a long road, but you wouldn't want to see a doctor who'd done a years course in medicine would you?

*Simone*

accesshyp wrote: »

Eventually last year, I decided to do something withmy life, and like you, I considered psychology...
So I came across the ICHP (The Institute of Clinical Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy). They have a course where you could qualify a lot quicker - I will be qualified in just over two months time and will be starting my own business in Cork

So basically from just over a years study, you're qualified to practice psychotherapy? ... Absolutely no disrespect to you or your capabilities, but I'm not so sure if that's very responsible/ethical. Like the previous post said, would you want to see a doctor who studied for just a year?

adagio

Hey Op,

I started studying Psych w/the open university a few years ago and the same question arose in my mind 'is this right for me?'
After studying for two years and meeting with an English Psych prof I decided to change to studying Biochemistry because I was not prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to achieve my goal at that time.
The Open University materials are excellent and the tutors are, in general, very good. What area of Psychology do you want to work in? This is the most important question as the answer will dictate how long you study and what you study.
Have you tried volunteer work yet and if not you should consider it as you will have to gain as much practical experience as possible.
Best of luck and I hope you achieve your goal.

*Simone*

Ok, but irrespective of all that, did you still do it all within a year, or there abouts? I mean maybe there's good reason why all the PSI & BPS recognised courses take longer than that, because it's a discipline where you'll be working with very vulnerable people and you need to have a great deal of education, qualifications and experience before you can deem yourself ready to practice it. And shortly it will be illegal to practice unless you're registered with either of these societies, and membership is only possible if you've studied through recognised courses.

Valmont

*Simone* wrote: »

Ok, but irrespective of all that, did you still do it all within a year, or there abouts? I mean maybe there's good reason why all the PSI & BPS recognised courses take longer than that, because it's a discipline where you'll be working with very vulnerable people and you need to have a great deal of education, qualifications and experience before you can deem yourself ready to practice it. And shortly it will be illegal to practice unless you're registered with either of these societies, and membership is only possible if you've studied through recognised courses.

That doesn't really matter as Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy are not within the realm of the PSI or the BPS. The new legislation applies exclusively to those claiming the title of Psychologist. Although I agree that one year training does seem to be strange but I don't know much about hypnotherapy or the clientele.

*Simone*

Psychotherapy most certainly does; It would come under counselling.

Valmont

*Simone* wrote: »

Psychotherapy most certainly does; It would come under counselling.

Nope. The governing body for Psychotherapy is the ICP, not the PSI. And there are other psychotherapy bodies like the Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis society. The PSI presides over counselling psychology of which psychotherapy as a technique is a part, hence the confusion.

Regarding the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005, here are some relevant excerpts:

"Article 37.1. A person seeking registration as a member of a designated profession (Psychology in our example) shall apply to the registration board of that profession (i.e. PSI)."

For the purposes of this Act, the following health or social care professions are designated: Clinical Biochemist, dietitian, medical scientist, occupational therapist, orthopist, physiotherapist, podiatrist, psychologist, radiographer, social care worker, social worker, speech and language therapist.

No mention of psychotherapy there for statutory registration. The ICP are currently lobbying the Department of health for an amendment to the Bill. Article here. So unless the proposed changes are made to the bill, it won't be in contravention of the Health and Social Care Professionals act as this act applies exclusively to Psychologists.

*Simone*

Duly noted. But that does seem like a very grey area as most would consider psychotherapy a form of counselling, therefore it should come under that regulation. Anyway, whether it does or doesnt, I personally don't agree with such short training for something like psychotherapy.

hotspur

To be fair to Simone's point the ICHP really ought to be calling their diploma some kind of clinical hypnotherapy diploma and omitting the psychotherapy term. It doesn't compare in any appreciable way to any of the psychotherapy training courses recognised by any of the many respected accrediting bodies.

sambuka41

DIRTY69 wrote: »

What Is the Best Way To Find Out If a Career In Psychology is Right For You?

Well, I am 22 and have been out of school a number of years, I am trying to come to a decision on a career that will really be worth while and most of all rewarding.

THe only advice i would give is to be careful of the reasons why you want to go into psychology. If you are the type of person who feels like they need to get something back from their work, as in see progress, then be careful. I have a degree in psychology and work in the social care field. And i seen alot of staff become very disheartned and unhappy in their jobs because the clients are not making the progress that the STAFF want.

These type of people are not suited to psychology. Working in social care can be very rewarding but only as long as you have the right approach. If you feel sorry for someone and wanna fix them then you are NOT helping them you are disabling them, not enabling them. Unfortunately ive seen alot of these "i know best" type people. Not to say OP that you are one, but its a long road only to find out at the end that you are not getting satisfaction from your work.

Valmont

hotspur wrote: »

To be fair to Simone's point the ICHP really ought to be calling their diploma some kind of clinical hypnotherapy diploma and omitting the psychotherapy term. It doesn't compare in any appreciable way to any of the psychotherapy training courses recognised by any of the many respected accrediting bodies.

I was only showing that psychotherapy won't be included in statutory regulation.

hotspur

Valmont wrote: »

I was only showing that psychotherapy won't be included in statutory regulation.

Your post was spot on, I was actually referring to the reply by accesshyp.

Valmont

hotspur wrote: »

Your post was spot on, I was actually referring to the reply by accesshyp.

Sorry!

*Simone*

I just went on to the ICP website, and under education and training it state;

Accreditation as a psychotherapist generally requires at least seven years of training comprising a primary degree, a foundation year and three years part-time training in one of the psychotherapeutic disciplines.

So if you must be accredited by ICP to practice psychotherapy, just like you need to be accredited by PSI or BPS to call yourself a psychologist, then how is someone whose studied psychotherapy for a year allowed to open up their own practice? Is that primary degree they mention not referring to a primary degree in psychology?

eth0_

*Simone* wrote: »

Is that primary degree they mention not referring to a primary degree in psychology?

Yes, or any old degree so long as you've done a conversion diploma in psychology.

There is something suspicious about accesshyp - he registered seemingly just to plug the course he is studying?

And no offence but I don't care how many hours of study you did in a year, I wouldn't want to see a therapist who did a one year course and calls himself a psychotherapist! It's offensive to those who do it the legitimate way - i.e. a psych degree followed by a masters or Phd in psychotherapy.

Valmont

*Simone* wrote: »

So if you must be accredited by ICP to practice psychotherapy

You don't, just like you don't have to be accredited by the PSI to practice as a psychologist.

*Simone* wrote: »

just like you need to be accredited by PSI or BPS to call yourself a psychologist, then how is someone whose studied psychotherapy for a year allowed to open up their own practice? Is that primary degree they mention not referring to a primary degree in psychology?

There are a few different Psychotherapy organisations and the qualifications for practice are wildly different. This is why the ICP is lobbying for psychotherapy to be included in the Health and Social Care professionals Act 2005.

hotspur

eth0_ wrote: »

And no offence but I don't care how many hours of study you did in a year, I wouldn't want to see a therapist who did a one year course and calls himself a psychotherapist! It's offensive to those who do it the legitimate way - i.e. a psych degree followed by a masters or Phd in psychotherapy.

This isn't actually the "legitimate" way. The terms psychotherapy and counselling seem to be fairly synonymous these days in many of the training courses. The very vast majority of people practicing these professions don't have a masters or PhD, and a lot come from backgrounds other than psychology.

Let's try to be clear, to call yourself a psychologist right this minute requires no training or membership of any body in Ireland, there are no statutory regulations. This will change in a few months when the term psychologist will be protected and regulated by the Health Professions Council or whatever they are calling it.

Right now there are also no statutory regulations relating to calling yourself a counsellor or psychotherapist. Anyone can call themselves those without consequence. Representatives from various organisations have asked for the professions to be regulated and included along with other registration boards which are being set up for other health and social related professions.

The problem is that the area is a mess in respect of self-accrediting bodies. Unlike psychology which pretty much just had the PSI as the de facto regulator and accreditor, the counselling and psychotherapy field has lots of bodies which accredit in their own thematic area.

This leaves people who wish to train in an uncomfortable position regarding future statutory recognition. Using myself as an example, I have both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the area of psychology and am looking to start training as a therapist. The particular therapy I wish to train in requires a foundation course and then 2 years.

This length of training will almost certainly be insufficient for future statutory regulations based on what has been suggested. Also it will be insufficient for membership of the ICP but the course is recognised by the longer established IACP. Then there is the slightly complex issue of the European Certificate of Psychotherapy which requires 4 years of specific psychotherapy education.

Not all psychotherapies / counselling models are the same. Some due to their nature should naturally take longer to complete than others, eg psychoanalysis vrs some brief therapies. This doesn't seem to be taken into account by the European Association for Psychotherapy or say the ICP which seems to be trying to become the umbrella organisation for this country.

Hypnotherapy is in the same boat as psychotherapy but with less accrediting organisations and in all probability zero chance of statutory regulation. I am also planning to study clinical hypnotherapy separately but I regard it as being quite different to psychotherapy and as I said in a previous post the ICHP which accesshyp trained with should not in my opinion be tacking on "and psychotherapy" to the name of their hypnotherapy qualification.

*Simone*

Very clearly put - much appreciated!

P.s. I think we've scared accesshyp away...

JuliusCaesar

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, as the saying has it. People don't even know how much knowledge they are missing.