Clinical Psychology
Choosing the right professional to support you or your child is a vital decision, and yet its hard to understand the difference between what is offered by different types of professionals. Let me explain about Clinical Psychologists.
Clinical Psychologists
As a profession, Clinical psychologists are uniquely trained across the lifespan to identify and treat a wide range of psychological needs and difficulties that can impact your child’s psychological well-being, both in and out of school. We don’t just look at one aspect (such as how your child is performing academically), we consider their emotional health, social interactions, and any underlying developmental or psychological factors that might be affecting their behaviour or learning such as neurodiversity or early developmental trauma.
rigorous academic and professional training
‘Clinical Psychologist’ is a protected title in the UK. This means that you can only legally use this title after completing rigorous academic and professional training, which includes many years studying at University, gaining hundreds of hours of supervised clinical experience, and qualifying from a post-graduate Clinical Doctorate (which is why qualified Clinical Psychologists have the title “Dr”).
professional care and expertise
Unfortunately in the UK the title ‘Psychologist’ is not protected. This means that anyone can legally call themselves a Psychologist, even without completing any training in this field. Sadly, there have been an increasing number of unregulated individuals offering psychological services without robust qualifications. A quick tip when looking for a Psychologist is to check their registration with a professional body. The relevant one for Psychologists is the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and you can check the register HERE.
If you’re unsure, it is always OK to ask people for evidence of their qualifications, experience and professional registration.
In choosing an experienced Clinical Psychologist, you’re ensuring that your child receives a really high level of professional care and expertise.
