A lot of people are upset with the Rehabilitation Council of India, RCI, announcing the integration of Clinical Psychology in a 4-year Bachelor of Science programme. According to RCI, this programme via universities will be under its authority that will license successful students to practice as counselling psychologists in just 4 years’ time.
People are upset at this move for several reasons. Top of the list is general resistance to change, followed by lack of awareness about the programme, and available opportunities.
Of course, the Indian education system is rigid when it comes to an interdisciplinary approach to education. But, it is also true that self-reflection is often hard for people who know that they are not enough prepared to take up a pathway in science from a pure humanities background. I have known many people by now who are still clueless why they even enrolled for MA Psychology post thirty! You see the drill?
RCI didn’t discuss the withdrawal of Clinical Psychology specialisation for MA students, didn’t mention that the PG Diploma in Clinical Psychology will no more be available. In fact, PGDClinPsy was emphasized while cancelling MPhil in Clinical Psychology. You realise that a student of science is more likely to deliver faster in the field of science than a student of arts who would need more time and RCI cannot wait!
In fact, if you are from a humanities background and so cannot get into BSc Clinical Psychology, you may get into BA Psychology Hons and do a Masters in Psychology with specialization in Clinical Psychology and then PGDClinPsy and PsyD. This might change in the future, but so far, the plan seems to be for those students from a science background who can be trained intensively for 4 years to introduce them as counselling psychologists. Simple, right?
Anyway, if you get into BA Psychology Hons, the world just begins there. Counselling psychology may not train you to diagnose mental illnesses, but it is everything with a wider client base across industries and disciplines. You will be working, collaborating, rehabilitating, and providing therapeutic services and counselling to patients in critical condition.
Think of a patient of Cancer. As a counselling psychologist, you can be their emotional guide. Isn’t that rewarding already? It is not as much a place for a clinical psychologist unless they decide to do the counselling, as much for a counselling psychologist who will be more available and also remotely.
I don’t see any reason for feeling lost just because the Rehabilitation Council of India, RCI, announced the 4-year BSc in Clinical Psychology. If you are from a humanities background, be proud of your subjective expertise, not as definite and limited as clinical psychology. Yes, clinical psychology graduates will offer counselling right after their bachelors as they are most prepared from a science background, but the world is just not over for the rest!
Forget these divides and focus on what you can do best given all available options. Think less like victims and more like Psychologists already!
