Psychological
Services
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a Psychologist?
- What is a Chartered Psychologist?
- Is a Psychiatrist different from a Psychologist?
- What about Psychotherapists?
- What sort of therapy do I need?
- How much does is cost?
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What is a Psychologist?
A psychologist is a practitioner of Psychology, which is the study of people: how they think, how they act, react and interact. Psychology is concerned with all aspects of human behaviour and the underlying thoughts, feelings and motivations. Psychologists deal in the way the mind works and can specialise in various areas such as working with people with mental health difficulties (Clinical / Counselling Psychologists); focusing on issues around learning (Educational Psychologists); focusing on criminal behaviour (Forensic Psychologists); working with people with physical health problems (Health Psychologists); and focusing on business or workplace issues (Occupational Psychologists).
To be a professional psychologist you must obtain an undergraduate degree in psychology and a post graduate qualification in one of the specialist areas of psychology. These post graduate degrees can either be at the level of a Masters or a Doctorate degree, which is why some psychologists titles are Dr and others are not. These qualifications represent a minimum of four years full time academic study but can often extend beyond seven years.
What is a Chartered Psychologist?
To become a Chartered Psychologist and registered with the British Psychological Society you must not only have the academic qualifications mentioned above but you must also meet the required standards of practice and experience on the job. Therefore a Chartered Psychologist is likely to have had a minimum of eight years training and experience, although in practice this is often over ten years. This training and experience is often called generic as it includes learning about lots of different approaches and theories of human behaviour and how to apply them to lots of different sorts of peoples and situations.
Chartered Psychologists once registered also need to undertake a programme of continuing professional development throughout their career. This is usually in the form of courses, attendance at conferences or conducting research.
Is a Psychiatrist different from a Psychologist?
Yes. As described a psychologist is an expert on the psychology of human behaviour, thoughts and feelings. In comparison Psychiatrists are medical doctors who then go on to qualify in Psychiatry. They specialise in mental illness and primarily deal with the diagnosis, management and prevention of mental illness. As medical doctors they are able to prescribe drugs.
What about Psychotherapists?
A psychotherapist is a professional who is qualified in one particular type of psychological therapy. There are many different types of therapy based on different theories of human behaviour, such as:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
- Systematic (Family) Therapy
Some psychotherapists have only undertaken in depth training in one of these types of therapy for example a Family Therapist. However psychologists may have qualifications in one of these types of therapies in addition to their generic professional training and experience.
What sort of therapy do I need?
This is a very difficult question to answer, as it is very personal and often related to the problems you are experiencing. When you are assessed by a Chartered Psychologist, owing to their generic training they will be able to advise you on what approach is most likely to work in your situation. For example the research evidence suggests that people experiencing panic attacks are best treated using a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, whereas a young person with Anorexia Nervosa is best treated using a Systemic (Family) Therapy. For other types of difficulties (e.g. depression) the evidence suggests that the type of therapy is less important than the quality of the relationship between the therapist and the client. These are general guidelines that the Chartered Psychologist will discuss with you so that together you can make a choice about which therapy might work best for you.
How much does it cost?
Costs are determined on a case by case basis. A number of our Associates are registered with private healthcare providers. Please contact us for a discussion about your particular circumstances: enquiry@phoenixpsychology.com.
