Want to help people in distress? Consider a career in Counselling psychology.

08 June,2023  |  By Brainwonders

We are all confronted with challenges—some little, others tragic—that put us off balance. While staying strong when things go wrong is stressful, seeing someone go through a crisis may be just as hard. Although there is no fast answer for rehabilitation, it is possible to assist others in adjusting, healing, and growing when circumstances are difficult. One of the ways of helping people in distress is making a career in counselling psychology.

What is Counselling Psychology?

Counselling psychology is a discipline of psychology that focuses on persons who are suffering from mental illnesses. It aimed to improve personal and relationship functioning across the board. It addresses a wide range of needs, including vocational, emotional, educational, social, health-related, organizational, and developmental. Counselling psychology focuses on people's behavioural patterns, relationships, and roles in society. 

Difference Between Counselling and Clinical Psychology?

A counsellor is someone who works with the causes, treatment, and prevention of many psychological diseases that are linked to motivational and emotional issues. A clinical psychologist, on the other hand, treats behavioural problems that are related to mental illnesses.

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Counsellors assist participants in vocational rehabilitation programmes in making career decisions and adjusting to new surroundings. Clinical psychologists, on the other hand, conduct interviews and give psychological tests to diagnose various issues.

A counsellor works with a variety of issues such as psychiatric illnesses in the patient's daily life. Clinical psychologists work with people who have particular and complex psychological problems.

What do counselling psychologists do? 

 Individuals, organisations, groups, and families collaborate with professionals to get to the core of mental discomfort and develop strategies to live with or overcome it.

Counselling psychologists can operate in a range of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, corporations, and schools, depending on their speciality and licencing. Some people decide to start their private practises. Counsellors customise their psychotherapy approaches based on their environment and patients. While some psychologists specialise in cognitive therapy, others take a more proactive approach and work with their patients to change their behaviour.

Many psychologists work with nurses, social workers, and other mental health experts to develop the optimal treatment regimens for their patients, which encompasses components of several therapies.

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Skills required to become a counselling psychologist

However simple it may appear, being a counselling psychologist is not as simple as it looks. A wide range of abilities are required for a counsellor.

• Listening skills: Listening abilities are one of the most crucial. To comprehend someone, one must first listen to them carefully and calmly. You may be expected to listen to 5 to 6 patients in a single day. You must maintain the same level of attention and patience with all of the patients.
• Ability to Communicate: After listening to the patient, the counsellor must successfully explain the relevant ideas and guidance to the patient. People who seek counselling are already troubled, so they must be treated with great care and patience. Many times, counsellors must patiently repeat information to clients.
• Empathy: Empathy is putting yourself in the shoes of another person. It's an essential skill to have since you won't be capable of understanding and helping a patient unless you can empathize with them.

Apart from these, a counselling psychologist also requires skills like problem-solving, trustworthiness, logical analysis and the ability to establish boundaries. 

Areas of Expertise: 

• Education psychologists guide students in elementary, high school, and college. The majority of the work is assisting students in navigating changes in themselves and their environment, as well as offering academic and career counselling to those who are having difficulty.
• Patients with congenital, genetic, or acquired limitations or specific requirements are treated by counselling rehabilitation psychologists. Patients who seek out a rehabilitation expert typically want assistance in accomplishing personal objectives and gaining independence.
• Individuals, families, and couples are treated by mental health counsellors for a range of psychological difficulties such as anxiety, sadness, bereavement, and so on.

How to become a Counselling Psychologist in India? 

A Bachelor of Arts or Science with a speciality in Psychology is required to become a counselling psychologist in India. You can then get a master's degree in counselling psychology that. Because psychology is such a broad profession with so many divisions, one may specialize in one area by earning a second degree in branches like child psychology or rehabilitation psychology. The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) offers certification programs such as the Diploma in Rehabilitation Psychology and the Advanced Professional Diploma in Clinical and Counselling Psychology that will provide you with the license to practice as a counsellor. 

Conclusion: 

As people's understanding of mental health grows, psychology and counselling are exciting and rapidly growing disciplines. You can make a good influence on other people's lives as a therapist. It is up to you whether you want to be a rehabilitation counsellor, a professional counsellor, or a child counsellor; there are numerous options. If you're not sure whether psychology is for you or not. As your career counsellors, let us assist you