Hello, hello, I’m Valerrie Feliciano, a current MSc Forensic Psychology student and mental health support worker. I am here to talk you through the forensics route of psychology, the job, the realities and experiences you’ll face as a budding forensic psychologist.
Before we start, this is a reminder. Like all routes of psychology, each will have their own requirements and challenges, this only covers forensic psychologists. If you want to pursue other branches like clinical, health, education, etc., please look further into them!
Now, to Become a Forensic Psychologist, You will Need:
1. A Bachelor’s degree in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Accreditation is what you’ll need to qualify for a chartered membership with the BPS so if you’re on the hunt for a university course in psychology and you want any career as a practising psychologist, find an accredited course. You’ll be saving yourself a lot of hassle later on, believe me.
But if you’ve already completed a degree that is not accredited, worry not as conversion courses are available in some universities.
2. A Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology – also accredited by the BPS.
3. Gain relevant experience, ideally in the form as an Assistant Psychologist.
Highly coveted jobs due to the high number of students and very few positions.
TIP: One way to push your ahead of the group is to have further experience in roles, such as a support worker or as an intervention’s facilitator at a prison. Hard jobs, but the experience is valuable, and you’ll have that much more of an edge compared to your peers.
Yes, I recognise that experience to get experience makes no sense but it’s the nature of psychology.
This step isn’t required but it is highly recommended! It’ll be difficult to qualify for the following stages without experience as an assistant psychologist.
4. After all of that, you’ll have enough under your belt to EITHER:
Earn a doctorate in forensic psychology.
Depending on which doctorate/PhD course you go for it, you may or may not practice in a workplace so place, so make sure you know what you want if you go down this route. BPS accredited is also ideal.
Train as a forensic psychologist under a qualified forensic psychologist for at least two years.
Two years isn’t a requirement, it’s a time frame. You’ll need at least two years to train and complete your dissertation, there’s no fast-tracking knowledge and your time as a trainee may extend beyond two years.
5. Finally, register with the Health and Care Professions Council once you’ve completed your qualification or training, and you’ll finally be able to call yourself a forensic psychologist!
Sounds easy? Not exactly, you’re looking at the least: 3 years for your BSc, one year for an MSc, and a further 2 years training = 7 years of hard study. On top of any work experience you gain, paid or unpaid, add at least a further 2 years and you’re looking at a grand total of 9 years minimum to becoming a forensic psychologist.
It sounds tiring, draining even, but this is the reality of the situation.
The UK needs qualified forensic psychologists – yes, but does that mean that they’ll compromise their standards for it? No. You need to be able to rise to the challenge and workload of a forensic psychologist, and what better way than through rigorous study and training?
If you want further information about post-graduate study in forensic psychology, the BPS site it the best place to start, they’ve got all the current information on undergraduate and post-graduate courses which are currently accredited.
And if you’ve already graduated and needed a reminder to finally apply for the graduate BPS membership, this is it. Go get your membership! Be warned, there is a fee. No one said psychology was free.
Forensic Psychology - What it’s like between a Degree and a Job
Now, so far I’ve completed a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Southampton, a course that was accredited by the British Psychological Society.
Upon completing my degree, I applied to multiple postgraduate courses (there’s no shame in being indecisive- keep your options open). And I chose to study forensic psychology, and in September of 2019, I began my MSc in Forensic Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London.
But I also started a job alongside my degree as a support worker in a locked, complex care, high-dependency male rehabilitation ward. And both are incredibly important sources of experience for me, in different but equally significant ways.
Being a Forensic Psychology Master’s Student:
Note: my job did not come with my degree, I independently sought a job out, and you will likely have to do the same thing. Some MSc courses do guarantee a placement, but this is likely to be on a voluntary basis.
Knowledge – Of course with any master’s degree you will gain a much greater knowledge base, but this is especially important as the knowledge you learn will be directly applicable to your future career as you learn about the law side, the psychologist side and everything in between. Pros: Great for future careers/doctorates, Cons: long independent study hours.
Skills – You’ll be studying in an environment where you’ll have access to forefront material, experienced supervisors and the opportunity to try your hand at some of the jobs of a forensic psychologist: report writing, risk assessing, client interviews etc., Pros: great for preparing you for future roles, Cons: can only be improved with more experience.
Networking – University is one of the best times to network within and outside of your career progression as you come in contact with those from within your course, those from other disciplines and possible future employers at employment events. Pros: expanded social circle, increasing your chances at finding opportunities. Cons: not everyone is social, may need to push outside of comfort zone.
Being a Mental Health Support Worker:
Understanding the recovery process – I saw recovery at almost every level, from engagement with psychology, occupational therapy, to ward based activities and the effect of medications. Pros: active cooperation with the multidisciplinary team and become familiar with risk assessments and reports, Cons: limited involvement with individual departments due to ward needs requiring full attention.
Patient Interaction – Is key. Meeting individuals who suffer from various mental illnesses/disorders and being able to aid in their recovery was one of the most difficult yet rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. Pros: Deeper understanding and appreciation of mental conditions and symptoms, Cons: Due to mental state, rapport and understanding can be difficult to build.
Experience with a Challenging Client Base – Patients on a locked ward don’t want to be there. Much like those in a prison, many don’t think they need be in a locked environment, despite being aware that they are detained in hospital for their own safety and wellbeing. Sometimes fluctuations in mental state can lead to violence, aggression, or a complete refusal to engage which can interfere with their recovery. Pros: Management of challenging behaviours, aggression and violence, Cons: Experience of aggression and violence.
Team Working – Is paramount. This is a high stress environment, and teamwork is a necessity to survive a shift. A shift in team dynamics can greatly affect the Ward and in turn, the job. Pros: communication and leadership skills, Cons: making tough calls as a team, navigating work-place relationships.
Experience in Risk Assessments and Report Writing - Now this won’t be available to all support workers, but as I work in a rehabilitation unit, intense observations are rare so it gives plenty of time to learn about assessments and reports carried out by nurses and the multidisciplinary team. Pros: Experience in important areas of a Psychologist’s job, Cons: you cannot claim credit for your contribution on paper.
All in all, it’s a job with plenty of knowledge and experience to offer, but, it is an equally challenging job. As someone who is with patients for half the day, it’s easy to see where the mental health recovery process could be improved and where it fails. It can be difficult to get through shifts when patients relapse or deteriorate, and I’ve definitely suffered for my job.
But the lessons I’ve learned, the experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met leaves me with no regrets and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a challenge, as well as a foot in the door for future assistant psychologist positions.
Is the balance manageable? Yes. It takes some time management but it is more than worth it, especially learning from my peers who study full time or work full time, I think I chose the best option for myself, even if there are a few gymnastics involved with trying to get a working timetable.
I hope my post was useful for some of you! I know it looks like a mountain of hard work but that’s the nature of psychology based careers.
I’ll be back next time with a post busting some myths on forensic psychology, and some key areas of study that you can look forward to learning about once you start learning about forensic psychology.
Comments