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A child psychologist plays a critical role in supporting the mental health of young people. If you鈥檙e thinking about joining the profession, read on as we spotlight the functions, responsibilities and positions available to child psychologists in the UK.

What is child psychology?

Before we dive in, let's uncover the scope of child psychology. Child psychology is concerned with the study and guidance of children and families through the key developmental stages of childhood. Across newborn, infant, toddler, preschool and school-age development, child psychologists seek to understand their mental, social, emotional and physical growth; supporting them to lead healthy, balanced lives.

How to become a child psychologist in the UK

To become a child psychologist in the UK, you need to finish a relevant bachelor鈥檚 degree programme. Then you鈥檒l want to enrol in a graduate programme. explains, 鈥淓arning a master's degree allows you to work as a mental health counsellor, but you cannot conduct psychological testing. You must earn a PhD in order to work as a licensed psychologist.鈥� We have many graduate courses in psychology available at the 澳门资料. Talk to us at 01204 952 747 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk if you want specific guidance on what to choose. In addition to formal schooling, you鈥檒l need to do a practical and commit to continual professional development. Psychology is always progressing and you must keep up to date on the latest findings.

Working as a child psychologist

Day to day, you鈥檒l be involved in the assessment and diagnosis of developmental, emotional and behavioural issues in children. This includes designing and implementing intervention strategies and collaborating with families, schools and other professionals on treatment pathways. You鈥檒l put your research and evidence-based training in child psychology to work improving the lives of families and children; maybe even consulting on papers and future research into lesser-explored areas of the profession.

Some of the you鈥檒l see in your practice are:

鈼� Anxiety disorders
鈼� Phobias
鈼� ADHD
鈼� Autism
鈼� Trauma and PTSD
鈼� Behavioural problems and disorderly conduct
鈼� Child abuse recovery
鈼� Self-harming
鈼� Eating disorders

You鈥檒l seek to treat these children using proven methods like Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), play therapy, family therapy and systemic approaches. This is all supported by psychometric assessments and standardised measures to benchmark and track their progress. Most treatment plans last between 6 and 30 sessions but this is a big range and depends on a lot of factors.

Where can you work as a child psychologist?

A few career options for child psychologists are obvious like the NHS and private practice surgeries or hospitals. However, schools and research institutions always need child psychologists or you could also work with a charity or professional organisation that offers resources for UK children. There鈥檚 also scope to become a lecturer or open your own practice as well. With a master's or PhD in child psychology, you will be at the forefront of human understanding in child development, neurodivergence in adolescents and other cutting-edge subject areas.

If you鈥檙e ready to start your journey as a child psychologist, we can help you find the right course at the 澳门资料. Phone us on +44 (0)1204 900 600 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk to explore an exciting future in psychology.