How to obtain the psychological counselor certificate

In 2017, the country officially canceled the professional qualification examination for psychological counselors. Now there is no national psychological counselor certificate that "can legally practice after passing the examination." All relevant certificates on the market that can be applied for are essentially training certificates issued by various industry associations and social training institutions. They can only show that you have participated in psychology-related training of the corresponding length, and cannot be used as a basis for practicing.

A while ago, a sophomore majoring in applied psychology complained to me, saying that after watching a short video, he was able to "test a psychological counselor with zero basic knowledge, and earn 100,000 per year for affiliation." He thought that his major was related anyway, so he spent more than 4,000 to sign up for a so-called guaranteed class. After getting the certificate, he went to apply for an assistant at a psychological institution near his home. The HR took one look at the certificate and said he didn't recognize it, and he didn't even give him an interview chance.

Of course, this does not mean that this type of certificate is completely useless paper. The attitude towards it in the industry is quite polarized. Many beginners with zero foundation feel that enrolling in a certification class can at least systematically learn the basic contents of general psychology, developmental psychology, and counseling ethics according to the curriculum. It is much more efficient than searching for popular science content on their own. Taking the certification exam can also be regarded as a clear feedback for one's study during this period. ； However, many senior consultants who have been working for more than five or six years are very resistant to this type of certification. They feel that many institutions now exaggerate the certification in order to sell courses. Many people do not even understand the most basic ethical requirements of confidentiality and dual relationships. They dare to accept fee-based cases after obtaining the certification, which has ruined the reputation of the entire industry.

If you have thought clearly about it, either you want to systematically learn psychological knowledge driven by personal interests, or you plan to follow the path of psychological counseling, first get a certificate as a stepping stone to get started, then when choosing, just focus on the issuing unit first. The ones with higher recognition on the market now are China The training certificate issued by the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is, after all, an authoritative scientific research unit in the field of domestic psychology. The curriculum system and examination standards are relatively standardized. Of course, this does not mean that this certificate is "valuable". In essence, it is a training certificate. Don't listen to the institution's claims that it is equivalent to the previous national examination qualification certificate. You don’t need to find official channels to apply for this type of certificate. You can only apply for this type of certificate through a training institution authorized by the corresponding issuing unit. You must first complete the prescribed training content of more than 160 hours. The institution will confirm that you have completed the course hours before helping you apply for the exam. The exam is usually conducted online, and it is all objective multiple-choice questions. A full score of 60 points out of 100 is considered qualified. You can usually get the certificate in about one and a half months after the exam.

I have been in this industry for almost six years, and I have seen too many people who have been cut off by institutions. I have to give you a real warning. Don’t believe any nonsense that any institution says: “You can handle high-paying cases after passing the certificate” or “The certificate can be used to earn tens of thousands a year.” Last year, a stay-at-home mother came to me crying and told me that in order to earn some money by working part-time at home, she signed up for an "employment guarantee class" worth RMB 18,000. The agency promised to handle cases directly after she passed the certification exam, and the consulting fee was at least RMB 300 per hour. However, after the certification exam, she was only offered 9 RMB and 9 an hour of public welfare listening. If she wanted to receive paid cases, she had to enroll in an advanced practical class worth RMB 30,000, which cost almost RMB 30,000, and she didn't even earn back a fraction of the tuition fee.

To put it bluntly, the current psychological counselor training certificate is like a graduation certificate from a driving school. Just getting the certificate does not mean that you can legally drive on the road, nor does it mean that you can be a professional racing driver. If you really want psychological counseling, you will have to spend several years to save practical time, do personal experience, and find a supervisor for case guidance. The time and money invested are much more than taking this certificate. If you are just curious about psychology and want to learn about it, there is no need to spend this money to take the exam. It is also the same to buy a few professional textbooks on "General Psychology" and "Counseling Psychology" and read it yourself. If you really plan to delve into this industry, it is not too late to take the exam. As for whether the national psychological counselor qualification examination will be re-launched in the future, there is no clear news in the industry. At least at this stage, don't regard taking this type of training certificate as the only bargaining chip to enter the industry.