Richard Taylor |

Sep
21
2007

Clinical Psychologists are minimally required to do six years of university training including postgraduate work, plus two years of professional supervision to be able to use the specialist title of Clinical Psychologist (minimally eight years full time).  The post-graduate university training, studied in their Masters/Masters Ph.D. programs develop specialist skills in psychological therapies, assessment and research.  During their training program Clinical Psychologists have comprehensively studied the way adults, adolescents and children feel, think, act and interact, and the impact for example, poor family relationships or trauma can have on healthy psychological functioning.  Some Clinical Psychologists also have other qualifications to enhance multidisciplinary expertise, for example, I have a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Western Australia.  All Clinical Psychologists are legally required to register with the Psychologists Board of Western Australian in the same way medical practitioners must be registered.  This means that they must be competent and follow a strict Code of Conduct and ethics.  The titles of “Counsellor”, “Psychotherapist” and “Hypnotherapist” are not registered titles in Western Australia, therefore the training and experience of therapists using these titles needs to be clarified by the consumer.  The title “Psychologist” indicates someone who has completed four years of university training in Psychology and two years supervision, but has not done the specialist training in Clinical Psychology.  Seeing someone who is registered as a Clinical Psychologist ensures that the person is highly trained and that you will receive high quality and ethical treatment.

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