How To Become A Clinical Psychologist In India

Monk Srishti
Posted by Monk Srishti July 2, 2019
how-to-become-a-clinical-psychologist-in-india

I feel depressed! Sometimes I see things which others don’t! Anxiety kills me deep down!

Approximately 1 in every 5 individual suffers from some mental health problems. If we look at the statistics, there are not enough Clinical psychologists to meet their requirements. If you are someone who loves Psychology and would like to contribute to helping the world, Clinical Psychology could be a perfect field for you. During the article, we will explore various steps of  how to become a clinical psychologist in India: 

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How To Become A Clinical Psychologist In India

To make your journey easy, find below the step by step guide on how to become a Clinical Psychologist in India. 

Step 1- Keep Psychology During 10 +2

The first step is to select your subjects in 10+2. You can pursue Psychology during graduation from any stream. But, it is suggested to keep Psychology as one of your subjects. It should be noted that Psychology is offered with Humanities and PCB. Often, students believe that you require Biology to pursue Clinical Psychology, which is not true. 

Step 2-Pursue Your Graduation 

Pursuing graduation in Psychology is one of the most important steps. At this stage, the base in the subjects is formed. There are two kinds of courses offered during bachelors- BA (Hons) Psychology and BA (Hons) Applied Psychology. Also, few universities in the southern part of India offers B.Sc in Psychology. There is not much difference between the programs. At this stage, always pay more attention to the college ranking. 

Top Colleges/ Universities To Pursue Your Graduation 

  • The University of Delhi, New Delhi
  • Christ University, Bangalore
  • Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi 
  • Fergusson College, Pune
  • Ambedkar University, New Delhi

How To Get Admission In Psychology During Graduation?

Majority of the colleges in India admit students based on percentage scored in 10+2. In addition, there are few colleges that conduct entrance exams such as Jamia Milia Islamia, Christ University, etc. They assess students on Logical reasoning, English skills and General Knowledge. 

Step 3: Pursue your Post-Graduation in Clinical Psychology 

At the third step of your journey, you will get the real feel of Clinical Psychology. You will study everything in detail, and internships will make you experience the theoretical concepts in real life. In addition, the curriculum entails almost 4-5 practicals in each semester. As Clinical Psychology covers majorly disorders and therapies to cure it, there are regular visits to hospitals and private clinics. During the last semester, you have to write a paper under the guidance of your professor on the topic of your interest. A paper is basically an in-depth study regarding a particular topic, for example:” People are more unhappy in a nuclear family than in a joint family”. 

Colleges for Clinical Psychology in India

  • The University of Delhi, New Delhi
  • Ambedkar University, New Delhi
  • Christ University, Bangalore
  • Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi
  • Gautam Budh University, Noida
  • The University of Pune, Pune
  • The University of Mumbai, Mumbai

How To Get Admission In Psychology During Post-Graduation?

All the colleges conduct entrance exams to admit students in their respective colleges. The students are assessed over the curriculum which is taught during undergraduate. Although, few colleges like Jamia Milia Islamia, TISS, etc. also have an additional section of General Knowledge and Logical Reasoning. It should be noted that it preferred that the student has studied Psychology at undergraduate. But, even if you have not, you still can write the exam and get a seat. 

Step 4: Get your RCI Licence 

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The Rehabilitation Council of India issue licenses to professionals to practice independently. To get the licence, you have to pursue your M.phil (Clinical Psychology). During the M.Phil, you will work under a senior psychologist and handle patients. Majority of the days are spent in the hospital and rest in colleges. Hence, you will get the hands-on experience of dealing with the patients. Also, during the final year, you have to write a detailed paper with the guidance of your professor. Congratulations, you are a Clinical Psychologist now!

Scope Of Clinical Psychology in India

Clinical Psychologists are therapists who take care of our mental health. If we look at the trends, India has openly accepted the mental health issues which were a taboo few years back. Due to this, you will find a large number of individuals seeking professional help. This has tremendously increased the demand for Clinical Psychologists in India. The starting salary of Clinical Psychologists is around 35-40k. From hospitals to private clinics, Clinical Psychologists are employed everywhere. Also, NGOs is another sector where they find employment. After a few years of experience, professionals open up their own setup. 

Read more: Step by Step Guide To Become A Psychologist In India

 Got insights into how to become a Clinical Psychologist in India? Have anything else to add? Kindly share in the comment section. 

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