If you have ever wondered how to become a Psychologist in Australia you may enjoy a recent article of mine that was published by My Health Career. You may find this interesting whether you are wanting to become one yourself or simply curious what sort of training is required.
Click here to read the full article.
The career path for a Psychologist in Australia essentially takes 6-8 years of training after you complete High School. Depending on your speciality area (clinical, organisational, educational etc.) there may be different expectations of what that training should consist of. The Psychology Board of Australia regulates credentialing. You can find the most up to date requirements on their website. They do update them fairly frequently so if you are considering becoming a Psychologist you should monitor their site regularly.
There are currently a few different pathways to becoming registered as a general psychologist. This is the credential that allows you to practice in Australia. As an expat myself I feel I need to point out that the requirements for being credentialed to practice as a Psychologist do vary a lot from country to country. So if you may eventually move for adventure or simply to be closer to family in another country it would be wise to research the requirements in that jurisdiction. Essentially the more formal academic training you have at university the less they will require from you in terms of other requirements. If you have less than a masters degree you will need to complete 1-2 years of intensive training and supervision under the guidance of a clinical supervisor and the Psychology Board. A requirement they added about a year ago is that all Psychologists are now required to pass a national board exam. These are just a few of the highlights from the article which goes into much more detail.
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