870 psychologists enrol in professional body as Singapore plans mandatory registration

Mr Toh, who is among a group of psychologists advocating mandatory registration for more than a decade, said that without regulation, anyone can claim to be a psychologist even if they do not have the relevant qualifications or training. This may harm or affect the recovery of a patient, he said in a March 10 podcast with ST Health Check on how patients can check if their chosen psychologist is the right one for them.

The 870 or so registered psychologists here are listed on SPS’ Singapore Register of Psychologists (SRP), which the public can use to verify if their selected psychologist is qualified to provide psychological care, he said.

Only psychologists who hold a master’s or doctoral degree in applied psychology, with a recognised area of specialisation such as clinical, counselling, educational, forensic, health, industrial-organisational, neuropsychology or sports psychology, are eligible for registration on the SRP.

The postgraduate training must also include substantial supervised practicum experience to ensure that psychologists receive formal training in providing psychological services directly to clients, he said.

SPS currently has 1,668 members, including not just registered psychologists but also other psychology graduates and professionals as well as students and trainees.

In the podcast episode, Mr Toh and Dr Cassandra Neo, an SPS council member who is trained in educational psychology, unpacked the roles of a clinical psychologist and an educational psychologist to explain what kind of help the sub-disciplines offer.

They also discussed why it is important to regulate psychologists and the questions patients must ask a psychologist to ensure they are getting the right help.

Clinical, educational and counselling psychologists are the biggest psychological sub-disciplines here, Mr Toh said.

Counselling psychologist Lanurse Chen, who was not involved in the podcast, said that although there is considerable overlap in practice, counselling psychologists typically focus on helping individuals cope with stress and personal challenges during life transitions, while clinical psychologists often work with those who have more severe or complex psychological conditions. 

“The biggest misconception about counselling psychologists in Singapore is that we deal only with ‘mild’ problems or provide a listening ear,” said Ms Chen.

“In reality, counselling psychologists are trained mental health professionals who use evidence-based psychological approaches to support individuals facing a wide range of emotional, relational and psychological challenges.”