The Role of A Counselling Psychologist

Counselling psychologists are mental health professionals that specialize in counselling and deal with crisis management for patients suffering from mental health problems, behavioural disorders and other problems like stress, anxiety, PTSD, marital problems, etc. The primary role of a counselling psychologist is to offer consultation facilities and individualized psychological treatment as well as indulge their patients in individual counselling sessions as well as group therapy activities.

Here are a few specific treatment roles that a counselling psychologist plays:

Marital Counselling/Relationship Counselling

A counselling psychologist plays the role of a relationship advisor for couples who are facing problems in their relationship. A counselling psychologist may help individuals who are experiencing difficulties with their family, marriage, children, fiancé, boyfriend/girlfriend or parents. This encompasses teaching the patient/client how to communicate well and resolve problems as well as iron out differences that may be causing these problems. The counsellor may also deal with teenagers and children separately.

Mental Health Problems

A counselling psychologist plays the role of a counsellor for individuals who are experiencing mental health problems. These problems can be mild or extreme. These counselling sessions are teamed up with medication and other methods of treatment for better results. Some of the most common mental health problems/mental health disorders treated by counselling psychologists are depression, anxiety disorders, mood disorders and psychotic disorders.

The responsibilities of a counselling psychologist:

·       Scheduling appointments

·       Identifying problems

·       Engaging in discussions and comforting patients

·       Chalking out treatment plans

·       Administering psychometric tests

·       Evaluating results

·       Organizing long-term treatment plans

·       Keeping an account of their client’s history

·       Building healthy and lasting relationships with their patients

The prerequisites of becoming a counselling psychologist:

·       A master’s degree in counselling psychology

·       A license to practice counselling psychology

·       Ability to pay attention to details and good observational skills

·       Good interpersonal skills

·       Good written and verbal communication skills

·       Ability to be empathetic and sensitive

·       Analytical mind-frame

·       Excellent diagnostic and problem-solving abilities