With exorbitant course fees and zero funding/income it is no wonder that there is a shortage of psychologists in Ireland to tackle the ever-increasing waiting lists. This combined with the fact that only one-fifth of Clinical Psychologists (the only courses that are fully funded/salaried) actually go on to work in mental health services creates the perfect storm!

Compare and Contrast Psychology Doctorates:

Doctoral Programme (3yr FT)    % Course Fee paid by a Sponsor
Clinical Psychology trainee           60%
Counselling Psychology trainee    0%
Educational Psychology trainee    0%

Doctoral Programme (3yr FT)    Salary (1st, 2nd and 3rd year)
Clinical Psychology trainee           Is paid €33K; €35K; €40K
Counselling Psychology trainee    Is paid €0
Educational Psychology trainee    Is paid €0

 

We call upon the HSE, the Minister for Health, the Minister for Mental Health and Older People and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to put an end to the glaring inequalities that exist between professional psychology doctoral training courses in Ireland by funding both the Educational and Counselling Psychology Doctoral courses in line with Clinical Psychology Doctorates.

Approximately 60% of the total annual intake of trainee psychologists[i] in Ireland are on Clinical Psychology Doctorates while the remaining 40% are on Counselling Psychology and Educational Psychology doctoral programmes.

The eligibility requirements for Staff Grade Psychology Posts in the HSE state that: ‘Applicants must have a recognised professional post-graduate qualification in clinical, counselling or educational psychology or an equivalent qualification validated by the Department of Health[ii]’. Therefore, both Clinical, Counselling and Educational Psychologists can apply for the same posts and are put on the same salary scale post-qualification.

The Psychological Society of Ireland, the governing body for psychologists in Ireland, currently accredits 5 Clinical, 2 Educational and 1 Counselling Psychology doctoral training programmes nationally, as follows:

Clinical Psychology:
NUI Galway: D. Psych. Sc. (Clinical)
Trinity College Dublin: D. Clin. Psych.
University College Cork: D. Clin. Psych.
University College Dublin: D. Psych. Sc. (Clinical)
University of Limerick: D. Clin. Psych.

Educational Psychology:
University College Dublin: D. Ed. Psych.
Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick: DECPsy.

Counselling Psychology:
Trinity College Dublin: D. Couns. Psych.

Although fully qualified Clinical, Counselling and Educational Psychologists can apply for the same basic grade positions in the HSE they are treated differently while in training as outlined below:

Clinical Psychology (example at one university)

Course fees:
The fees for the Doctoral programme in Clinical Psychology were €15,160 per annum.

The sponsorship arrangement included a 60% payment towards the trainee’s annual fee i.e. €9,096; the trainee was responsible for the shortfall i.e. 40% of the annual fee payment i.e. €6,064.

Salary:
In a given year the programme was sponsored by one or more health service agencies. Sponsorship entailed the payment of a ‘Trainee Clinical Psychologist’ salary over the three years of the programme. In return, the trainee signed a contract in which they agreed to work for a further three years post-graduation with the sponsoring agency. Thus ‘Trainee Clinical Psychologists’ also have job security post-qualification.

The trainee clinical psychology salary was as follows:
Year 1: €32,185
Year 2: €34,730
Year 3: €39,525

 

Counselling Psychology

Course Fees:
The fees for the Doctoral programme in Counselling Psychology are €14,489 per annum.

As there is no sponsorship arrangement on this course, all doctoral trainees on this programme have to pay the full fees themselves i.e. a total of €43,467 for the three years.

Furthermore, it is mandatory for all trainees to attend private counselling throughout the duration of the three-year doctorate, which they must also self-fund.

Salary:
Similar to a ‘Trainee Clinical Psychologist’ a ‘Trainee Counselling Psychologist’ will be working in various placements over the course of the 3-year Doctorate.

However, that’s where the similarity ends, as ‘Trainee Counselling Psychologists’ are not paid a salary during the course of the three-year period i.e. they have to work for free.

As ‘Trainee Counselling Psychologists’ have no contract with the HSE they are not guaranteed employment post-qualification.

 

Educational Psychology (example at one university)

Course Fees:
The fees for the Doctoral programme in Educational Psychology are €10,745 per annum.

Like the Counselling Psychology course there is no sponsorship arrangement on this programme either and all doctoral trainees must pay the full fees i.e. a total of €32,235 for the three years.

Salary:
Similar to Trainee Counselling Psychologists a ‘Trainee Educational Psychologist’ receives zero salary during the course of their three years in placements; thus, they also work for free.

Furthermore ‘Trainee Educational Psychologists’ do not have job security post-qualification just like ‘Trainee Counselling Psychologists’.

 

CONCLUSION:

It must be remembered that prior to entering a doctoral programme many of these Trainee Counselling and Educational Psychologists had been working either in low-income jobs or as volunteers to gain the relevant experience needed to secure a place on a doctoral course and, so, are already in a very vulnerable financial position. It is even more of a financial hardship for those trainees who have families and mortgages to pay, since they are embarking on what are full-time doctoral studies with little free time to earn a salary. Additionally, they do not have job security to repay the debts owed on completion of their studies.

Taking all this into account and considering the fact that both Clinical, Counselling and Educational Psychologists are entitled to apply for the same posts within the HSE post-qualification, and are put on the same pay-scale in post, then it is only RIGHT AND FAIR that they are also treated EQUALLY while in training.

 

 

 

 

 

[i] Psychologists qualified to work in Mental Health Services
[ii] HSE’s Report of the Psychology Review Implementation Group, June 2017