Counseling Psychology

Hello everyone! I have been reading the board for a long time and it has really been helpful for gaining guidance about what I hope will be my own eventual move to the UK.

I am from the US, and currently in the US earning an MA in counseling psychology. I wish to complete a PsyD (or PsychD. as they are called in the UK) and find work as a therapist. My wife and I have lived in the UK for periods of time, and are certain that we wish to settle there, but we are willing to play the long game on this goal.
The question is, would it be more wise to complete my doctorate in the US or in the UK?

The main pros of school in the UK would be the ability to return to the UK earlier as well as gain the most relevant and culturally appropriate training for what I wish to be my eventual work environment. My family would also be able to settle in and have time to begin establishing a life there. However, I am concerned about what my employment options might look like after graduating. I will have one year under the doctorate extension scheme in order to look for employment, but I still can't shake the fear that I just may not be able to secure a job. (I had a friend who earned her MA in English at Glasgow Uni. and had to return against her wishes since she could not find a job... but let's face it... finding a job with and English degree is tough anywhere).

If I was unable to secure a job and we needed to return to the US, I would have insufficient qualifications to practice in the US. Thus, the safety of earning a degree in the US is appealing. However, I feel that it could be a long shot to try to find a job as a counselor in the UK after gaining my degrees/experience in the states.

So I guess I'm just looking for advice from anybody who might have similar experience in the mental health profession. Are my fears about the possibility of having difficulty finding employment after earning a doctorate in the UK unfounded? I am certainly willing to be flexible and start with a non-ideal position and work my up with experience. Would school in the UK be a nice way to transition and try to settle in the UK, or would it be a big risk?

I would really appreciate any insight. I would also love to just get in contact generally with other mental health professionals on the forum and start a dialogue.

Do you have another means to settle in the UK (for example, is your wife a citizen of the UK or another EU country)?

This is a lot of speculation based on my own understanding.

If you are hoping that getting a degree in psychology will provide an opportunity to live and work in the UK, you may get lucky and it will work out, or it may not (as your friend found with their English degree). 

My personal experience with the counselling field is that people are usually self-employed/independent and don't work for a firm or company.  If that is the case, I don't think you'll have much luck with being able to stay in the UK after your degree, as an entrepreneur visa is extremely difficult to obtain.  If you are able to find employment with a company/firm, they would need to sponsor you and pay you a minimum specified salary based on the UKBA's guidelines.  If you obtained a degree in the UK, the sponsor would NOT need to prove that no one else in the  UK or EU could do the job.  However, if you looked at moving to the UK after you obtained a degree in the US, the sponsor WOULD need to prove that no one else in the UK or EU can fill the role.

I think that most people find that obtaining education in the country they will obtain work in is the most appropriate path.  The US and UK are not great at recognizing a qualification other than their own.   

Yes, school in the UK (or university as you will quickly learn to refer to it as), would be a great way to experience life in the UK and see if it is for you.  Many people love the UK for a holiday and don't take well to actually living here.  Of course, many do take well to living here but it's not always an easy transition.   

Hello KFdancer-

Thank you for your quick response and insight.

My wife and I do not have other means to settle in the UK unfortunately.

In the US, and from what I have read about the UK, employment prospects are pretty good. Counseling psychologists are taking on more roles previously occupied by clinical psychologists, and finding employment in health clinics, community mental health centers, and universities. My ideal employer would probably be the NHS. But of course, my knowledge is only based on research that I have found online vs. experience of what the field really looks like in the UK.

My wife and I were able to spend 4 months (still pretty short, but not bad) in London during a study abroad program. We got a taste of life in the UK (vs. holidays we had taken there previously) and absolutely loved it.

I do appreciate your thoughts about obtaining education in the country one wishes to reside in as well.

Try to do some research and see if the NHS sponsors visas.  I would imagine they do for medical doctors but try to get specific for psychology.  Sometimes government agencies can be difficult.

Also try to see what US qualifications they would accept.  We have had nurses on the forum from the US who have had to take a big step down as their equivalent US qualification was not recognised.

Sounds like you guys are going into all of this from the right angle though.   

I'm sorry to be negative but it's very hard to get into psychology in the UK. If you want to get a phd and self fund, it's easy to get the qualification but you won't be counselling patients. A doctorate (psyD) is super competitve. I have a BSc and MSc in psychology (both UK qualifications) and I did well but was not accepted onto either a clinical psych programme or a forensic psych doctorate due to lack of work experience. You literally need perfect marks and years of psychology experience to get onto a doctorate programme of any sort because you're competing with very high calibre graduates (some with PhD's). I do have a friend who eventually got accepted after five years of rejection but she was gaining more and more experience each year she was rejected. I also knew a student with 8 years of work experience in the field and the degrees but was rejected recently. It's very tough!

Hi GibbyGab-

Thank you for your response. I do realize that psychology doctorates are very competitive. I may be wrong, but I've heard that counseling doctorates are a bit less competitive than clinical programmes in the UK (as they are in the US as well). I think this is due to the fact that counseling programmes are self-funded as a rule. One of the University programmess I am looking at is Glasgow Caledonian's counseling DPsych.

Here is a link if you are interested:
newcomer link: http://www.gcu.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/counselling-psychology-8484.php [nonactive]

But yes, I don't believe that doctorate programs in the UK are just waiting to accept my application. If I decide to pursue university in the UK I most certainly will face a certain amount of rejection. Either way, I will likely be applying for programs in both countries.