Counselling psychologist
Help people who have had difficult experiences or mental health issues change their feelings and behaviour for the better.
About the job
What it's like
You would help people who have had difficult experiences or mental health issues to understand and change their behaviour for the better.
You’d combine your understanding of psychological theory and research with therapeutic practice. You’d try to help your patients make changes so they can deal with their issues and hopefully become less distressed.
You would see people who are struggling with very difficult experiences like bereavement, violence or abuse or have problems with relationships or mental health issues and disorders.
You would:
talk with a person to find out what has happened to them
find out how they feel about it
assess their mental health
explore other issues for their feelings and responses
identify a psychological explanation
plan therapy sessions to help them understand their behaviour
plan therapy to encourage the person to change the way they act
assess the success of the counselling sessions.
You would work with adults or children either individually or in families or groups.
You could work in:
hospitals, including psychiatric hospitals
GP surgeries
private hospitals
prisons
community healthcare services
education support services.
You could also work independently as a consultant.
You would have to deal with people who may be very upset or confused. They may show challenging behaviour and be difficult to work with. You would need to be calm, very patient and have a high level of self-awareness.
Hours
You'll usually work office hours of 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday - but you could see patients in the evening or at the weekends. There's also the opportunity for part-time work.
Environment
You could work in an office, health centre, school, university, college, hospital or prison. You could even work in a client's home. As clients may be distressed, your work may be emotionally demanding.
Travel
You may spend some time travelling to clients.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- psychology
- clinical psychology
- psychological evaluations
- eating disorder treatment
- health psychology
- psychopathology
- applied psychology
- post traumatic stress disorder
- adjustment disorders
- schema therapy
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- motivating others
- developing a plan
- empathising
- questioning
- observation
- verbal communication
- listening
- supporting
- building relationships
- reflecting
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Biology
Care
Childcare and Development
English and Communication
Human Biology
Psychology
Religious Moral and Philosophical Studies - RMPS
Foundation Apprenticeship: Social Services Children and Young People
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
You will need an honours degree (SCQF level 10) accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) or to complete a conversion course and achieve a Society-accredited doctorate in Counselling Psychology or the Society’s Qualification in Counselling Psychology.
To enter a psychology or behavioural studies degree (SCQF level 9/10) requires National 5 qualifications and a minimum of three Highers at BBC or above.
To enter a postgraduate (SCQF level 11) usually requires a relevant honours degree.
Paid or voluntary work experience.
Once qualified, it may be helpful to become a Chartered member of British Psychological Society (BPS) or become a member of the Division of Health Psychology.
To be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland.
Once qualified, you will need to register with the Health and Care Profession Council (HCPC).
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