Posted by Crazy_Charlie on November 3, 2004, at 14:30:55
...you don't need anything more than to major in psychology to call yourself a psychologist? I have heard many people say that in the US it's enough to major, an dthen you can call yourself a psychologist. I don't know the university system in the U.S. very good, nor do I know anything about being a psychologist in the US. I'm curious because I am very interested in forensic psychology, and Europe is not half as far in their scientifics when it comes to forensic psychology as the U.S., so I might have to take some courses in the U.S. to manage to specialize.
In Norway, and also in the Netherlands where I live now... though to a lesser extent than in Norway, it is very difficult to become a psycholgist. Only those with the absolute best grades in the freshman year in psychology studies go further to the study where you at the end will be allowed to call yourself a psychologist (this title is protected by law in Norway, and the Netherlands). You don't really "major" in psychology, since it really is 6 years of pure psychology you are studying... even though you do write a thesis and all. Those six years are fixed with a whole bunch of subjects, all in the field of clinical psychology (clinical psychology, clinical child psychology, clinical neuropsychology, forensic psychology, personality psychology, social psychology, organizationalpsychology... you name it). We also have a year of internal practice at the clinic attached to the university, and 6 months of external practice...
It is possible to major in psychology in Norway, but that's a total different study, and you are not allowed to work as a therapist, unless you are in a group with other people with different backgrounds within therapy. So for me it's confusing if almost anyone can call themselves a psychologist or therapist just like that.... who is keeping charge and making sure that there is a certain guarantee of the security of the client? I mean, it is impossible to totally ensure a client, but still... we have so many hours in practicing how to recieve a client, how to treat a client, what you shouldnt say and what you should say etcetc...
Is it really true?
poster:Crazy_Charlie
thread:411163
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20041026/msgs/411163.html