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QCoP, PsyD or masters for counselling?

Hello, I'm a final year bachelor psychology student trying to figure out what my next career steps will be. My main area of interest is counselling.

I know that I don't want to do a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) because this is too heavily focussed on research. I am trying to decide between a doctorate-level qualification (QCoP or PsyD) or masters followed by a EuroPsy certificate which allows you to practice in 37 countries in Europe without licensure. I am assuming that the main difference between these paths is that the doctorate-level one leads to higher pay and greater opportunities to practice internationally due having a doctors title, is this correct?

Also, can someone explain the difference between a QCoP and a PsyD (Doctorate of Psychology), also recognised as DCounsPsych? I know that the QCoP is more independent but is it more practice focused?

Any advice would be appreciated 😊

Reply 1

Hi, I dont really have the answer to your questions but I am in the exact same dilemma as a final year psychology bachelor student, so I'm following the topic, psychologist qualifications are extremely complex in UK and I'm feeling super lost about what decision to take and what are going to be the pro and cons. I am personally thinking about pursuing a QCOP, following by a top up doctorate, but once again, still waiting to learn more about different specifications of alllll these different path to become a counseling psychologist

Reply 2

A good place to start is the BPS website on these things - it gives you the two training routes to be counselling psychologists (you can be a counsellor without being a psychologist too). This is the main page: https://careers.bps.org.uk/area/counselling

Info on the QCoP: https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologists/society-qualifications/qualification-counselling-psychology

Reply 3

Original post by lucadett
Hello, I'm a final year bachelor psychology student trying to figure out what my next career steps will be. My main area of interest is counselling.

I know that I don't want to do a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) because this is too heavily focussed on research. I am trying to decide between a doctorate-level qualification (QCoP or PsyD) or masters followed by a EuroPsy certificate which allows you to practice in 37 countries in Europe without licensure. I am assuming that the main difference between these paths is that the doctorate-level one leads to higher pay and greater opportunities to practice internationally due having a doctors title, is this correct?

Also, can someone explain the difference between a QCoP and a PsyD (Doctorate of Psychology), also recognised as DCounsPsych? I know that the QCoP is more independent but is it more practice focused?

Any advice would be appreciated 😊

First of all you need to be clear about the difference between being a Counsellor and a Counselling Psychologist. They are two very different roles and training paths.

A counsellor doesn't need to have a psychology degree, but has a training path that is built on mainly providing counselling to clients/patients using one type of approach. There is some academic and theoretical learning, but the bulk of the training is gaining supervised hours to provide counselling or therapy to people. The minimum academic qualification is roughly at RQF level 6 so roughly equivalent to undergrad level (even some may be diplomas or masters courses)

A counselling psychologist, like a clinical psychologist, is an applied scientist role that requires a practitioner doctorate (DClinPsy, DCounsPsy etc) and registration with the HCPC. The RQF level is level 8 at doctorate level (the highest possible in the UK) This type of training has a large therapy training component consisting of multiple types of therapy, and various other competencies, but they will also be required to do research methods training and complete one or more larger doctoral level research projects.

The "doctors title" part is irrelevant, the opportunities come from the differences in training. It's also not true that counsellors with a BSc always earn less than a psychologist with a doctorate. Counselling and Psychotherapy (outside the health service) is about as much being able to build and run a business, so a business savvy counsellor who builds a good repuation and has a focussed skillset can easily earn much more than a less savvy Counselling Psychologist. There may be more opportunities for a CounPsy for instance, you wouldn't be able to get a major research grant, be seen as a credible expert witness in court, or become a professor with a basic counsellors training.

However, if you just want to work with patients providing counselling and not worry about being pulled into anything else, train as a counsellor. Its quicker, cheaper and you don't have to worry about research.

Reply 4

Original post by Jennnsonde
Hi, I dont really have the answer to your questions but I am in the exact same dilemma as a final year psychology bachelor student, so I'm following the topic, psychologist qualifications are extremely complex in UK and I'm feeling super lost about what decision to take and what are going to be the pro and cons. I am personally thinking about pursuing a QCOP, following by a top up doctorate, but once again, still waiting to learn more about different specifications of alllll these different path to become a counseling psychologist

It's good to know that there are others out there with the same dilemma😅 Why are you thinking of pursuing a QCOP? Also, why would you have to do a top-up doctorate when the QCOP is a doctoral-level qualification?

Reply 5

Original post by Lord Asriel
First of all you need to be clear about the difference between being a Counsellor and a Counselling Psychologist. They are two very different roles and training paths.

A counsellor doesn't need to have a psychology degree, but has a training path that is built on mainly providing counselling to clients/patients using one type of approach. There is some academic and theoretical learning, but the bulk of the training is gaining supervised hours to provide counselling or therapy to people. The minimum academic qualification is roughly at RQF level 6 so roughly equivalent to undergrad level (even some may be diplomas or masters courses)

A counselling psychologist, like a clinical psychologist, is an applied scientist role that requires a practitioner doctorate (DClinPsy, DCounsPsy etc) and registration with the HCPC. The RQF level is level 8 at doctorate level (the highest possible in the UK) This type of training has a large therapy training component consisting of multiple types of therapy, and various other competencies, but they will also be required to do research methods training and complete one or more larger doctoral level research projects.

The "doctors title" part is irrelevant, the opportunities come from the differences in training. It's also not true that counsellors with a BSc always earn less than a psychologist with a doctorate. Counselling and Psychotherapy (outside the health service) is about as much being able to build and run a business, so a business savvy counsellor who builds a good repuation and has a focussed skillset can easily earn much more than a less savvy Counselling Psychologist. There may be more opportunities for a CounPsy for instance, you wouldn't be able to get a major research grant, be seen as a credible expert witness in court, or become a professor with a basic counsellors training.

However, if you just want to work with patients providing counselling and not worry about being pulled into anything else, train as a counsellor. Its quicker, cheaper and you don't have to worry about research.

Thank you so much for your response, it's extremely helpful! 😌

Reply 6

Original post by Interrobang
A good place to start is the BPS website on these things - it gives you the two training routes to be counselling psychologists (you can be a counsellor without being a psychologist too). This is the main page: https://careers.bps.org.uk/area/counselling

Info on the QCoP: https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologists/society-qualifications/qualification-counselling-psychology

Thank you! I appreciate your help 😊

Reply 7

Original post by lucadett
It's good to know that there are others out there with the same dilemma😅 Why are you thinking of pursuing a QCOP? Also, why would you have to do a top-up doctorate when the QCOP is a doctoral-level qualification?

I was thinking about doing the QCOP mainly because of the flexibility that it would give me, after the 3 years of bachelor degree I kind of miss my independence and I loved the idea of working at my own pace, the top up doctorate would mainly be because I am thinking about leaving the UK after my studies so a doctorate award would perhaps offer me more opportunities regarding to being able to practice in other countries ? Knowing that after a QOCP you have a doctoral level but you don’t have the doctorate award/Title. I'm as well reading everyday how competitive university counselling doctorate programs are so it kind of discourage me to focus myself on this option as an plan A. However I am still learning everyday new informations about different options to become a counselling psychologist and it leads me to change my plans every 3 months lol, I’ve learnt today that core trainings for the QOCP would be a separate extra expense, and that usually people doing a QOCP are pursuing a master degree at the same time that would cover these trainings AND would provide them a placement, I just have no clue of which master to choose then exactly ? There is so many of them and not enough details informations I’m just lost lol

Reply 8

People taking the QCOP route into counselling psychology are quite rare, and I would argue that is for a reason.

While the doctorate is competitive (clinical even moreso), they provide you a lot of infastructure to your training. They have a clear curriculum, placements and competencies you need to cover and they are built into the training programme. They ensure you have the necessary academic, research and clinical components you need to meet HCPC requirements, and have the tutors and placements to ensure this happens. If you are doing the independent route, you have to figure out all of that yourself, pay for the various components independently and find your own placements.

The last thing is the hardest part without any contacts or personal links. To give you an example, my service hosts a NHS clinical placement for a trainee clinical psychology, that I supervise. It is reserved for DClinPsy trainees at my local university, as I know they have been trained, vetted, criminal record checked and have already met a specific criteria my service demands. I wouldn't take on a QCOP trainee as I will have no guarantee of any of the above, and that burden of checking would fall on me. Most in demand services are going to think similarly as CAMHS, CMHTs and other core NHS services (that give you the best clinical experience) will have pre-existing agreements with universities that jealously guard their placements. As a result independent counselling psychology trainees often have to take placements with non-NHS organisations, or less in demand services.

To draw an analogy with home ownership it's the difference between you buying a house from an established housebuilding company vs, you buying the land, finding an architect, finding a builder, doing the wiring and plumbing yourself. You end up in both situations with a house you own, but one route is far more straightforward and quicker.

Reply 9

Hallo all 🙂 piggy backing on this topic despite being 3 years old!

@lucadett & @Jennsonde what have you decided at the end?

I am also considering independent route to Counselling Psychology Doctorate. I have been working as qualified CBT Therapist in IAPT for 3 years after having done CBT PG Diploma at Royal Holloway University in London. I am fully accredited with BABCP. I'm going to be receiving soon DIT (Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy) via Anna Freud that will take around 1-1.5 year to complete. It is British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) accredited course., heavily supervised. Upon completion I will be able to join the BPC Roster of ‘kite marked’ practitioners - not sure what it means to be honest. I also have Certificate in Humanistic Integrative Counselling already.

I'd like to be an integrative practitioner psychologist and thought that independent route to Counselling Psychology Doctorate might help complement what I already started.

My question is, can I use my CBT PG Diploma and DIT training as a part of QCoP? I hate idea of repeating the learning and studying of what I already have done and know. My CBT training was very in-depth, more than clinical or counselling psychology doctorate would ever be - it is a solid core psychological modality I have. Maybe I could top up my PGDip to Masters level with research element to make it count to QCoP?

I've worked in the same NHS trust for a while so finding clinical placement in the NHS where I can apply CBT or DIT to have clinical hours should not be a problem. I have DBS and solid references. I have been on Band 7 for a while and in 2 years time will be on top entry step earning very comfortable wage. I do not want to start over with Clinical Psychology Doctorate (of interest too) nor needing to significantly cut down my working hours to complete part time counselling psychology doctorate. Ideally I'd like to combine some learning and teaching that features in clinical psychology doctorate (such as neuropsychology) with counselling doctorate angle. I'd love to get some additional modules to prepare me for working on other NHS setting than IAPTs as a practitioner psychologist. Such as neuropsychology (that City University also has as a module in their Counselling P. Doctorate) and leadership, human life-stages, maybe another additional therapy modality like existential counselling or just more humanistic one as well as research modules as I've not done any research since my undergrad (BSc Psychology). I worked as Assistant Psychologist and Research Assistant in the past. I have enough self-discipline and knowledge of mental health system in the UK to make it work independently, I think. I also like idea of more flexibility, particularly around type of placements I could have, while I work full time and take 5 years or so to gain doctorate qualification.

Also, anyone that can tell me how to start QCoP process? Is there like an organisation or body or certain staff members that advertise to support around that?

I'm looking forward to hear from @Lord Asriel & @Interrobang 🙂

Thanks for reading

NB: so I found the handbook re QCoP that answers some of my questions above. I’d need to send the qualifications and training I have at enrolment to see if it can count and they reduce the minimum enrolment time.

Also, apparently BPS advertised wanting to discontinue independent route to Counselling Doctorate that was advertise at the beginning of 2024. However, this cause an uproar and complaints as relevant members were not consulted. It was not clarified since then if the QCoP would still be in place. They say o ntheir website "Please note: the QCoP is due to fall into a review period very shortly, which is part of our usual monitoring processes.
Therefore, with immediate effect, we will not be accepting enrolment applications.
It is expected that the review will take a number of months and that there will be some changes made.
We'll be able to inform you of any changes once the review has concluded and the website will also be kept up to date with developments.." I’d like to enrol before my DIT training starts if QCoP still is available and if the DIT course meets their criteria, so it can be part of the qualification for Doctorate.
(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 10

Not sure about QCoP, as I am a clinical psychologist, but I was aware of the ongoing discussion to close that route down. Also I know several DCounPsy courses are closing or have closed like Surrey and Southampton. Regardless, you would be better off asking the BPS or a university who still offers a counselling psychology doctorate and/or supports that route than asking on here.

This is just my opinion, but I would be reluctant to start a programme or qualification in such a state of flux, much in the same way I would be reluctant to start a degree with a university that was about to go under. You would have no idea if it would be recognised by important stakeholders by the time you finish and I would be uncertain if the systems and organisational elements that would support the route would still be functional.

Reply 11

I can't add anything more than the post above - except to ask what would the counselling psychology qualification (if you get it) offer you in addition to what you can currently do? It's not something I know a lot about, but worth considering yourself

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