Dear Fellow Counselling Psychologist 
This is to address the recent RCI Notification for B.Sc. Clinical Psychology (Hons.) and the inappropriate use of the title ‘Counselling Psychologist’ for its graduates.

Distinct Specializations in Psychology: Psychology encompasses various specializations, notably counselling psychology and clinical psychology, each with unique philosophical foundations, training, and applications. Counselling psychology emphasizes human potential and holistic well-being, while clinical psychology focuses on diagnosing and treating mental disorders.

Inappropriate Title Use: Graduates trained as clinical psychologists must not use the title ‘Counselling Psychologist’. These roles require distinct expertise and training, which are not interchangeable.

Distinct Training and Regulation Needed: Counselling psychology demands separate training programs and professional regulations from clinical psychology to ensure practitioners are appropriately prepared for their specific roles.

Philosophical and Competency Differences: Clinical psychologists lack the holistic, humanistic training central to counselling psychology, making them unqualified to assume the role of a counselling psychologist.

Ethical Practice: Ethical standards in psychology require accurate representation of qualifications. Misusing the title ‘Counselling Psychologist’ risks ethical violations and potential harm to clients.

Public Trust and Safety: The public trusts that titles reflect appropriate training and standards. Misuse of the title ‘Counselling Psychologist’ undermines this trust and endangers client safety.

International Standards: Globally, counselling and clinical psychology are distinct disciplines with specific training and certification. Aligning with these standards enhances the credibility of our psychological services.

Professional Identity: Clear differentiation supports the professional growth of both counselling and clinical psychologists, benefiting practitioners and clients alike.

Enhanced Quality of Care: Ensuring that only properly trained individuals use the title ‘Counselling Psychologist’ guarantees that clients receive the highest quality of care tailored to their specific needs.

Avoiding Professional Overlap: Clear distinctions between specializations prevent professional overlap, ensuring that each practitioner operates within their scope of expertise and competence.

Improving Educational Standards: By recognizing and enforcing distinct training requirements, we can improve the overall educational standards within the field of psychology, leading to better-prepared professionals.

Global Competitiveness:

Maintaining clear, internationally recognized standards for psychological specializations enhances our global competitiveness and reputation in the field of mental health.

 

We therefore strongly object to the use of the 'Counselling Psychology' title for the Clinical Psychology Graduates and urge RCI to reserve the title ‘Counselling Psychologist’ for those with specialized training in counselling psychology and to revise the current notification to reflect this distinction.

 

We request you join us in this campaign and help the entire Psychology Fraternity. For easy communication and coordination join our WhatsApp Group https://chat.whatsapp.com/BAFGHLb99zq4eMiN6u1Fe8    

Looking forward to hear from you 

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Best Wishes

Dr. Ashutosh Srivastava
National President, Bharatiya Counselling Psychology Association  

 +91 9151909090 

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For Team BCPA

BHARATIYA COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY ASSOCIATION
(REGISTERED AS PER SOCIETIES REGISTRATION ACT XXI OF 1860 REG. NO. 1370)
Head Office: Department of Psychology, Basanta College, Rajghat, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (India), 221001
Website: www.bcpa.in; Email: team.bcpa@gmail.com

Dr. Ashutosh Srivastava                President  
Dr. Poonam Sharma                      Vice President
Dr. Rajesh Bhatt                            Organizational Secretary
Dr. Ved Prakash Rawat                 Treasurer
Dr. Rekha Wagani                         Secretary Counsellor Education Committee
Dr. A Anupama                              Secretary Editorial Board
Dr. Apurva Kumar Pandya            Secretary Ethics Committee
Mrs. Snigdha Mishra                     Secretary Supervision Committee
Dr. Aparna Mishra                         Regional Convener-I (North)  
Mrs Shivranjani Kulkarni               Regional Convener-I (West)