What to do after a BSc in psychology?

Hello

Im currently completing an undergraduate degree in Psychology and have been looking into what to do next. I would like to do therapist work i.e. counselling, psychotherapy or CBT but I am not sure on the different routes to get there.

I know that there are masters courses in CBT but I am worried that that would limit future job prospects (?). I'm leaning away from any clinical psychology masters courses aswell as I have been told that they are very academic and don't actually teach you that much about the job.

I also looked into diplomas in counselling and psychotherapy but requirements are level 3/4 diploma (I might be misunderstanding something)

Any advice is very appreciated, thank you in advance!

Reply 1

Scotland Yard

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

20

Original post by jm67

Hello

Im currently completing an undergraduate degree in Psychology and have been looking into what to do next. I would like to do therapist work i.e. counselling, psychotherapy or CBT but I am not sure on the different routes to get there.

I know that there are masters courses in CBT but I am worried that that would limit future job prospects (?). I'm leaning away from any clinical psychology masters courses aswell as I have been told that they are very academic and don't actually teach you that much about the job.

I also looked into diplomas in counselling and psychotherapy but requirements are level 3/4 diploma (I might be misunderstanding something)

Any advice is very appreciated, thank you in advance!

Regrettably, the number of careers in psychology and the ways to get there are a bit of a mess!

From my limited understanding, if you want to be a therapist, there are courses you can do that bypass a psychology degree entirely (the diplomas you mention), but I'm unsure if you can still enrol in them after you finish your psychology degree

A masters wouldn't limit your job prospects, but they're not necessary so unless you want to do one, then don't do it, experience is much more valuable. As you are rightly informed, masters tend to be more academic. For therapists, the NHS offers these things called postgraduate diplomas (for degree holders), and once you complete them, you're a certified therapist in your chosen field. I also understand that there are also organisations of therapists that offer courses that will see you become a certified therapist too, but that depends on what type of therapist you want to become, and I'm not very clued up on how exactly they work so you'd have to do your own research.

Hope this was useful :smile:

Reply 2

CardiffUni Rep 2

Official Rep

11

Original post by jm67

Hello

Im currently completing an undergraduate degree in Psychology and have been looking into what to do next. I would like to do therapist work i.e. counselling, psychotherapy or CBT but I am not sure on the different routes to get there.

I know that there are masters courses in CBT but I am worried that that would limit future job prospects (?). I'm leaning away from any clinical psychology masters courses aswell as I have been told that they are very academic and don't actually teach you that much about the job.

I also looked into diplomas in counselling and psychotherapy but requirements are level 3/4 diploma (I might be misunderstanding something)

Any advice is very appreciated, thank you in advance!

Hi, Scotland Yard gave a great answer! Just to expand on these postgraduate masters/diplomas, they often adopt a apprenticeship style - you are working while you are studying. The most newly established role would probably be the trainee CAAP (Clinical Associate in Applied Psychology). This is typically described as the bridge between a Assistant Psychologist role and a certified Psychologist. I have associates who are CAAPs so let me know if you had any questions about this in particular🙂

There's PWP (Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner) which delivers low intensity CBT. There is also CWP (Children's Wellbeing Practitioner) and educational mental health practitioner (EMHP). Both of these work typically with children/young people.

It's worth mentioning though that engaging with most (if not all) of these roles, you are expected to commit to it for a minimum of two years after qualification. This is only really considered a problem if you're trying to quickly progress towards the doctorate for clinical psychology.

~ Fatiha, Cardiff University Student Rep

(edited 1 year ago)

What to do after a BSc in psychology?

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