What's the Difference between a Clinical and a Counselling Psychologist?

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If you are considering a career in psychology, it is important to know the difference between the different forms of psychology. Two of the most popular types include clinical and counselling psychology. In this post, you will discover the key differences between each type, so that you can make up your mind regarding the best career path for you.

An introduction to psychology

Before we can delve into the different types of psychology, it is first important to explain what psychology is and who psychologists are. Psychology is the scientific study of people, behaviour and the mind. It explores how people react with each other and the environment, as well as how they act and think. Psychologists, therefore, help people by influencing all aspects of public life, including social justice, education, and, of course, health.

The different types of psychologists

If you feel that psychology could be the right career path for you, it’s important to know about the different types of psychologists. As you will already know, there are counselling and clinical psychologists, which we are going to focus on next. Aside from this, other types of psychology include teaching and research, occupational, health, forensic and educational.

Counselling and clinical psychology

Now that you have a basic understanding regarding the different forms of psychology, it is important to look at the difference between clinical and counselling psychology. Both types of psychologists aim to enhance and promote psychological well-being while reducing psychological distress. There is a significant overlap between both forms of this scientific study. However, the main differences lie regarding training and their perspective. Clinical psychology focuses on individuals that have serious mental health issues, for example, psychosis. Counselling psychology focuses on less pathological, healthier populations. The distinction is increasing small, as they work in similar settings, but you will need to achieve a greater level of training to break into the clinical field.

Training

As mentioned, the main difference between the two fields of psychology regards the training side of things. Both will require you to get an accredited degree or conversion course in psychology. Once you have done this, you will then need to train in your chosen specialism. The good news is that you can find Masters in Counseling Psychology and Masters in Clinical Counseling online. This means you can be more flexible with your education and work in the process. Of course, you may prefer to do your Masters Degree at a university, the choice is yours, but both options are fully available to you.

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of how clinical and counselling psychology differ from one and other. As you can see, they are very similar in many ways. Nonetheless, it is important to know about the differences so that you can make up your mind regarding the route you want to go down.

Back To School: Returning To Education as a Mature Student

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Education is considered as a ‘passport to the future,' but not everyone experienced a great school life when they were young. Perhaps you dropped out of school early to start work and didn’t gain your qualifications, maybe you were bullied, or you might have struggled with the work that was assigned to you. Either way, many of us make it to adulthood without the education we feel we should have. If you’ve found yourself in this position, here are a few great reasons you should consider returning to college, university or doing a course online. 

It Could Allow You To Change Career

How happy are you in your current role? Perhaps you’ve been there for a long time, and no longer feel challenged. Maybe you’re in a dead-end job with no chance of moving up. Perhaps you have your sights set on something new. Either way, continuing your education is a great way to improve your career prospects and boost your opportunities. Education can be expensive, but if you don’t have savings, you could always use a site like banking.loans. It’s worth the debt since it could allow you to improve your life and make more money in the long run. 

It’s a Time In Your Life To Focus on You

In our younger years, many of us are busy raising a family, and our children’s needs always come ahead of our own. However once they’re a little older or perhaps have flown the nest completely, this is a time for you to focus on you again. You could take up new hobbies, get active and learn about something that’s always interested you. Make the most of this time, enjoy it, indulge yourself in knowledge and happiness. Plus, when you’re older most people tend to be more focused and organized. You won’t be into partying or giving into peer pressure like many younger students. Instead, you know what’s important and are able to put your full attention onto the course you have chosen. 

You Could Meet New People

When you get older, it can be difficult to meet new, like-minded people. However going back into education could allow you to do exactly that. You will already have a common interest with the other mature students on the course, and it could be an opportunity to make new, lifelong friends. It might not be the main reason you want to get back into education, but it can be a fantastic benefit to doing so. 

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Allows You To Stay Sharp and Keep Learning

No matter how old you get, there’s still something new to be learned. In fact, the older you get, the more you realize how little you do know about the world. Continuing your education keeps you curious, keeps your mind sharp and allows you to gain further knowledge. It’s a productive and worthwhile way to spend your time.