Planning Your Journey

Planning your Journey to be a psychologist

In South Africa you can register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) in the following 9 categories:

1. Clinical psychologist

2. Counselling psychologist

3. Educational psychologist

4. Industrial or organisational psychologist

5. Research psychologist

6. Neuropsychologist

7. Forensic psychologist

8. Registered counsellor

9. Psychometrist

The minimum requirements for registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa in the first 7 categories are as follows:

1) 5 Years full-time formal education in psychology, i.e.

A three year Bachelor’s degree majoring in psychology or equivalent thereof, plus
An Honours degree in psychology, plus
A directed Master’s degree programme in psychology approved by the HPCSA; and
Successful completion of a full-time approved internship of 12 months duration; and
Successful completion of the National Examination of the Professional Board for Psychology in the relevant registration category.

2) The minimum requirements for registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as a Registered Counsellor are as follows:

A 4-year Bachelor of Psychology professional degree approved by the HPCSA, including a 720 hour practicum; and
Successful completion of the National Examination of the Professional Board for Psychology in the Registered Counsellor category.

Volunteering and Personal Growth:

A crucial aspect of the psychological journey is personal growth and volunteering. Many people are attracted to psychology because they wish to help other people with their struggles. However, sometimes it is easier to help other people rather than focus on our own psychology and how our past experiences have shaped and molded us into who we are. As a therapist in training, personal growth and therapy allows the space for self-reflection and also assists in the integration of the psychological journey to ensure that you can be fully present for another.

Personal development involves mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual growth that allows a person to live a productive and satisfying life within the customs and regulations of their society. This is achieved through the development of life skills. These life skills are necessary for successfully living a productive and satisfying life, and generally fall into one of several categories: feelings about self, intimacy, family, friends, community, job, leisure, and spirituality. They include being able to recognise and describe one's feelings, giving and receiving feedback, recognising assumptions, setting realistic and attainable goals, and employing problem-solving strategies. Growth by nature is an evolving process, it is not something static that we can ‘master’ once and for all. Life is constantly changing and evolving; we need to learn how to ‘witness’ this change, to move skilfully with it, rather than be ‘subject’ to the roller-coaster ride that change can sometimes bring about. Failing to focus on yourself as an imperative aspect of counselling process, puts the therapist in a precarious position where he/she may project their own issues onto the client and/or may become involved in a codependent relationship, trying to save the client, when in fact he/she is wanting to save themself or somebody close to them that resembles the client.

Further, volunteering helps the psychologist in training to learn and practice valuable counselling and other important skills in preparation for the masters journey. It also helps to integrate the theory into a more practical application, in order to work through the challenges that may need to be overcome whilst in training, to become an effective therapist.

Master's Preparation:

An additional service that our company offers is that Michelle, who is a psychologist, offers master’s preparation classes to prepare students who have been invited for master’s interviews.

Psych Online Tutors will also be offering personal growth and counselling skills workshops to help students in their personal and skills development.

Your degree:

UNISA Undergraduate Degree in Psychology

Examples:

BA (Health Sciences and Social Services) (Community and Health Psychology)
BA (Health Sciences and Social Services) (Applied Psychology for Professional Contexts)
BA (Health Sciences and Social Services) (Community and Health Psychology)
BA (Psychology + one other major)
BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration (Majors: Business Management and Psychology)