Siddhant Kataria’s Post

Being a Psychology fraternity and years of experience in counselling and academics I would never suggest to narrow down beauty and utility of Psychology only to Clinical Psychology. The recent BSc course rolled out by RCI is a good initiative as it talks of rigour in training clinical psychologists from the nascent stage. However, the course is meant only for students with science background plus training would be provided in clinical psychology. Therefore, naming it as a degree to have a licensed counselling psychologist is questionable. Being vice president of BCPA and more than fifteen years experience in the field, I think BA and Bsc courses in counselling psychology with current NEP suggestion would be appropriate programmes to build counselling psychologists. As a counselling psychologist work on varied topics ranging from prevention and maintaining daily wellbeing across life span and segments, both counselling and clinical psychologist together could provide better care and wellbeing services. If we all join hands (clinical, counselling, social, career, community) together we can actually barge the mental health and wellbeing needs of our country. Bringing everything down to one field is neither good for comprehensive training nor specialization needs of each field could be met by RCI. We at BCPA are strongly advocating to understand the need to build a field of counselling psychology. RCI are welcome to discuss the same with us. As both organisations with several others are dedicated towards catering to mental health needs of people with a diverse set of approaches and capabilities. let's first, sign this petition to get counselling psychologist a separate status and not get them confused with clinical psychologist. https://chng.it/CMs5fxf2jD

Psychology Careers Food for thought. Is being a Dr really worth it? What does it mean to be a Dr in psychology? Does it means you're better than a practitioner who hasn't got a Dr title. I want us to consider the perspectives we currently have on the Dr roles in psychology and share what it really means to help people with mental health. Coming out of university, I was told that a clinical psychologist is the only route out there. I was told that in order to be 'qualified' to do a good job and help others professionally with their mental health, I would have to spend 7 years of my life doing a BSc, MSc and the PHd or PsyD. I was under the impression that psychologist are the BEST of psychological practitioners because they hold a Dr title and that there is no other way to gain credibility in the psychology field because you gotta be the best. - What a naive Fatema I was back then. Fast forward 12 years on, and I find it really disheartening to see the same message being flung around the psychological workplace. I've seen it in-person too, how students complete one level of training, only to then rush to move into training for another role, and then another, in the hope they will obtain a trainee psychologist role. Now, lets be honest - whilst there are many funding and financial implications to consider as to why people make the choices they do when moving from one training role to another so rapidly, this post is to share how being a psychologist is not the only way to make an impact in the psychology field or to gain crediblity. Whilst a psychologist route may appear to be the golden route to being credible - this is simply not true. Psychological training for practitioner differs depending on the type of practitioner you want to be. Some are trained in specific core humanistic principles and methods, whereas others are focused on evidence based and research methods, some also incorporate physical and movement psychology into their practices, and others are more spiritual. Practitioner training isn't all one and the same - neither is being a psychologist and being the best. I want to encourage psych students and enthusiasts to consider how you want to serve others with their mental health and embark on a career journey that enables you to do this in the time, finances and method you desire - and if that is up to 7 years in becoming a psychologist then this is wonderful too! It's important not to discredit the counsellors, psychotherapist, occupational therapist, rehab facilitators, social workers, CAMHS workers and more, just because they may not hold a Dr title. With my 12 years of exp in the field, I can assure it, it's not your title that will make you credible and fantastic at your job or helping others in mental health. success in this will come from you, your personality, your people skills and your ability to apply your training well whatever it may be. #psychologydegree #psychologygraduate #therapistthoughts

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘃𝘀 𝗥𝗖𝗜 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲 The recent blunder by the Rehabilitation Council of India in awarding a license to Counselling Psychologists after a 4 year undergraduate degree is not only laughable, it is offensive to all the Counselling Psychologists contributing to the current MHP workforce. I'm a RCI licensed Clinical Psychologist and when I founded my company The Emotional Wellness Initiatives in 2020, a majority of my team was made up of Counselling Psychologists. That holds true today, 4 years later, as well. And I intend to keep it that way in the future. The purpose of my post today is not to undermine the work Clinical Psychologists do (I am one too, after all!). It is to highlight what Counselling Psychologists do and I think more Clinical Psychologists need to speak up about the role of Counselling Psychologists to enhance the parity in the field. So here are my reasons why I love to work with Counselling Psychologists: ✅They are not boxed-in by "diagnosis" ✅They have a natural knack to look at clients in their entirety than a cluster of symptoms ✅They are able to work as efficiently without a formal diagnosis, as with one ✅They are more open minded about trying newer approaches in therapy ✅They are less apprehensive about taking experimental chances in therapy ✅They have limitless potential to expand their expertise due to the openness of their role I have even had the pleasure of working with some fantastic second-career Counselling Psychologists. Yes, they finished their Masters through correspondence but I saw a spark in them and a very strong natural knack to make it as a good therapist. I gave them chances in my company and have watched them blossom into amazingly effective therapists. So restricting the Counselling Psychologist licensing degree to science students and awarding the license after 4 years of undergraduate degree is an insult to the entire crop of Counselling Psychologists in the field today - to their immense contribution to mental health and to their efforts invested in becoming a better therapist every day. 𝗜 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 and I will always have respect for the career track they have followed through the BA + MA + additional training pattern. RCI needs to come up with a licensing qualification AFTER the BA + MA track, instead of introducing another form of elitism by restricting it to science students. I urge all Clinical Psychologists to speak up for the Counselling Psychologists and stand by our colleagues. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 '𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧' 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 '𝙤𝙪𝙧' 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 '𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚' 𝙍𝘾𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙. 𝙇𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧! #mentalhealth

An important question to ask- who are the people behind these regulations? Because it does not seem like they belong to the field of Psychology or therapy with the kind of guidelines they have passed. And if they do not belong to the field, then why have they been given the power to make guidelines about this field? Make it make sense!

Thanks for your support, Prachi Saxena!

In Taiwan, a psychological counselor refers to a professional who specializes in psychological counseling and therapy. They undergo advanced education in psychology and receive professional training to obtain a licensed psychologist certificate, enabling them to assist individuals in addressing psychological, emotional, and interpersonal issues. The Role of Psychological Counselors in Taiwan: 1. Providing Psychological Support: Helping individuals cope with stress, anxiety, depression, and other psychological challenges. 2. Promoting Mental Health: Assisting clients in enhancing self-awareness and emotional management skills to improve their overall well-being. 3. Problem Solving: Offering professional advice on challenges related to marriage, family, workplace, and more. 4. Psychotherapy: Conducting in-depth sessions to help clients understand their emotions and behavioral patterns, leading to positive changes. --- Requirements to Become a Psychological Counselor in Taiwan: 1. Educational Qualifications: A master's degree or higher in a related field, such as Counseling Psychology or Clinical Psychology. 2. Professional Internship: Completion of internship programs during academic training to gain sufficient counseling or therapy experience. 3. Obtaining a License: Passing the national examination to acquire a legal psychologist license. In Taiwan, psychologists are categorized into two types: Counseling Psychologists: Focused on counseling and guidance. Clinical Psychologists: Specialize in psychological diagnosis and treatment. 4. Continuing Education: To maintain professional competence, psychologists must regularly participate in academic activities or professional training. --- Work Environments for Psychological Counselors: Schools: Providing guidance and psychological support for students. Healthcare Institutions: Such as hospital psychiatry departments or mental health centers. Private Counseling Centers: Offering individual, family, or group counseling services. Social Welfare Organizations: Assisting underprivileged groups in addressing psychological difficulties. In Taiwan, psychological counseling has gained increasing recognition, particularly as awareness of mental health issues continues to grow. More people are now willing to seek professional counseling to address their concerns. The goal of psychological counselors is to use their expertise and empathy to help individuals improve their mental health and quality of life.

Star Date: 22.09.2024, Picked the optional modules today, decided not to go with the counselling module as the sylabus is an exact duplicate of my bachelors, the assignment is the same compare and contrast 2 different therapy models and I've previously done that assignment to. If I was doing counselling for a further qualification I'd consider it but i'm not, arguebly i'm changing fields so didn't feel it would benefit me to pick the counselling module. I also considered if I get a lower than expected grade in another module that doing the counselling module would pull up my grade overall. However, I can't shake the feeling that by doing the counselling module I would be reducing my chances of learning anything new or challenging myself as I would be by choosing a different module in a different area that I know nothing about. So I chose the hard way of doing things (like usual lol) but I think I'll appreciate it in the long run and it may give me a more well rounded insight by the time i'm finished. Options were, counseling psychology module (contemporary and historical concepts), health psychology module, coaching psychology module, educational psychology module, clinical neuroscience module and forensic psychology module. You had to pick two and the break down was three modules each semester so essentially one optional module each semester. I chose Clinical Neuroscience because the brain is fascinating and how different brains look and what the results are in terms of experience is fascinating. I saw the website neuro blooms afew years ago and it used brain scans of different mental health conditions and made them into art. Shining a bright light on something that is arguably invisible ordinarily. I of course found the anxiety one particularly interesting. I also chose Forensic Psychology module (over the counselling module) because who doesn't want to know why people do the things that they do even the aweful, unimaginable stuff that I can't wrap my head around must have a reason. If its down to upbringing or background etc thats one thing but supposing it is linked to a structural difference in the brain that means someone might be more prone to one behaviour over another. Either way I think these two options will offer enough in the way of stimulation to keep me engaged with the content but its a shame they each over lap two other core modules as its going to be super difficult to manage all that work at the same time but the first week is almost done now so just keep putting one foot in front of the other and see where it takes me. Either way delighted managed to pick options.

For people who don't know, I'm Arushi, a trained trauma-informed psychotherapist with 7 years of experience. There's an important reason why I'm mentioning these words here.  I moved to Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh almost 3 years back. In these 3 years, I've seen enough to be able to understand the "psuedo-healer" culture that prevails here. In the lanes of Dharamkot, one will see posters of "meditative healing practitioner", "barefoot counsellors", NLP coaches, therapists taking their friends as clients, inner child healing practitioners offering sessions for money I can't even imagine asking for, as a trained trauma-informed psychotherapist.  Today as I shared this with my fellow practitioners, I received an acknowledgement that my annoyances are valid, and my questions, indeed, are important to ask. Some personal experiences:  1. A therapist working with people who are their friends, because the place is quite small. Where's the ethical boundary? 2. A therapist asking for some medical advice from a friend of mine and offering her one session free. Is therapy a transactional barter relationship? 3. Someone mentioning they are a barefoot counsellor and can provide informal counselling. They also mentioned that they can't see clients, but what is informal counselling? 4. Going with a Gaddi (community) family to Tanda Medical Hospital to understand why a family member is eating anti-psychotics since 9 years. What's the assessment? What's the treatment plan? The questions were not only dismissed. I was asked to move out even though the Mental Health Care Act, 2017, allows all of us to ask these questions. 5. An organisation wanting to work on mental health don't even know the nuances of what's the role of psychologists, psychiatrists, and using terms "stress disorder" so mildly.  6. A well-known organisation calling facilitators to work with intergenerational trauma and inner child healing who haven't been trained in the field of Psychology and Mental Health. 7. So many people using the words - therapist, healing, counselling.. so loosely.  I'm in no way saying we don't require more healers. We also require healing for healers. However, it makes me question the importance of my degree in Psychology and the 7 years of work. No, not because I'm not worthy, but because my starting base in Dharamshala would not be starting my private practice. It will be creating awareness at the root level.  Looking forward to hear your perspectives. :)

In the last post on choosing a counsellor or psychotherapist, I made recommendations to look at a preferred gender, and interviewing up to three professionals for face-to-face, or online support. The next question, is deciding which professional to work with. This fact is much more important than you may realise as we use our senses to figure out likely counsellors, or psychotherapists to use. We may like their warmth in pictures, the sound of their voice or perhaps their expertise. These are all valid ways to choose. Next comes availability. The time spent with a talk therapist will need commitment from each party. Thinking about a day and time when you can put the roles down for an hour is vital to a success outcome. More often than not clients will experience topics and themes come up for discussion the night, or day before. And the levels of exhaustion after a counselling and psychotherapy session need good enough space to do self-care. This means a realistic window of a few hours to commit weekly, or fortnightly outside of the role of surviving, parent, partner or employee.  If time is precious, consider the use of online services. However, face-to-face gives more opportunities as communicate more with non-verbal language. As a professional who feels that talk therapist needs accredited education to deliver the service of counselling and psychotherapy, I would suggest looking at a person’s credentials. There are levels of education for counselling and psychotherapy. For most, the training will be at a level 4 which should provide reassurance to work with stress, symptoms of anxiousness and other mental health challenges. While those who have spent time working to level 6 and 7, or 5 to 6 years of educational training, you will have better support with diagnosed disorders, trauma-informed symptoms and mild to moderate crisis for mental, emotional and life health challenges. Doing this work to find someone’s credentials will provide an ethical and professional pathway to working together. Finally, it is vital you come with some themes to the work. A counsellor or psychotherapist is not a GP, public or private consultant. They offer support and do not ‘fix or repair’ anyone. Therefore, look for the right person who relates to the top three pressing challenges you are facing. This way you start with the common goal of being supported in a non-judgemental and confidential way by someone who has a professional interest in you, and your worries. If you would like more information, please reach out. I am happy to answer more questions. BACP Psychology Today Counselling Directory #MentalHealthMatters #AutumnGoals #CareerGrowth #RelationshipGoals #MindfulLiving #PersonalGrowth #MentalWellness #YearEndGoals #TorbayTherapist #LifeTransitions Photo Credit: Pavel Danilyuk