Registering as a Psychologist in Australia
 

Hi I am a Chartered Counselling Psychologist in the UK and registered with both the BPS and HCPC. I trained in South Africa and completed 6.5 years of study and an internship. This was to a Masters level.
I recently applied to the Australian Psychological Society and they assessed my qualifications as not meeting their requirements. They gave me details as to how they made this decision and suggested I register with a course in Aus and try get credits for the work that I have completed already.
I find this ridiculous. I work in a management role here in the UK (Band 8B) have over 10 years experience as a Psychologist and have done loads of post grad studying. I have a post grad diploma in Systemic family therapy.

I was hoping that somebody could advise me who has been through a similar process. I seriously did not expect to have to 'restudy' at this stage of my career just to register.

Then is Aus really worth all this expense and mission? I am concerned that I am going to earn significantly less there than here. I currently earn about £60 000 per yr. How do salaries compare there? I was hoping to be able to work less once we emigrated not more just to survive.

Thanks for your advice

Gail

Re: Registering as a Psychologist in Australia
 

I think you might get some better answers in the Australia forum itself, rather than in the Welcome forum so I'll move your post across :)

Welcome to BE :)

Re: Registering as a Psychologist in Australia
 

If you cant be registered then you are screwed. Is Australia worth it - probably not. £60k is coming up for 3 times the UK average salary - that would equate to something like $150k and you wont get that as a counselling psychologist - not employed anyway, I suppose you could work all hours that God sends and make something like that in private practice eventually. In employment clinical psychs are starting around the $80k mark, ed psychs probably $85-90k. Australia is replete with psychologists TBH and there are more to the square inch than anywhere else in the world so it is a competitive situation. It is the flavour of the month course to take in uni and so there are lots of young graduates with their masters and doctorates entering the market.

Good luck - dealing with AHPRA is a nightmare at the best of times if you do go down that route.