How to become a Clinical Psychologist in Malaysia

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What is a Clinical Psychologist?

Are you someone who likes to help people overcome their mental health challenges and improve their overall well-being? If so, then you might be interested in pursuing a career as a Clinical Psychologist. In today’s topic, let us discuss what a Clinical Psychologist is and how you can become one! So, let’s begin.

Clinical Psychologists are mental health experts who are trained to diagnose and treat various psychological disorders. Throughout their careers, they have acquired professional training in various areas such as assessment, diagnosis, formulation, and psychological treatment of mental health, behavioural, and emotional disorders.

Their specialty is referred to as clinical since it widely involves carefully monitoring and dealing with patients in healthcare settings. Clinical Psychological, on the other hand, do collaborate with other health experts to provide comprehensive care and support. Sometimes, they are involved in research to contribute to the development of psychological theories and work towards a more healthy community.

If this is something that you are looking at, don’t go away and keep reading! Let’s continue to discuss the path to becoming a Clinical Psychologist and topics such as education and training requirements, licensure, and career prospects.

Types of Psychologist

There are a wide variety of psychology careers. Here are the 10 types of Psychologist that you might know:

Types of Psychologist	Description
Community Psychologist	Conduct research on community health issues, educate the community and develop prevention programmes to prevent health, mental and behavioural challenges
Counselling Psychologist	Focus on assisting individuals to overcome personal challenges and providing ways to cope with those challenges
School Psychologist	Specialise in a school environment by assessing and supporting student’s academic and emotional needs
Forensic Psychologist	Apply psychological practises and act as a consultant in criminal cases or disputes, custody evaluation, and provide psychotherapy services to victims
Corporate Psychologist	Work in corporate environments to assist organisations in improving productivity, satisfaction among workers, and overall work culture
Social Psychologist	Study the behaviours of groups to understand their behaviours in certain environments and how groups influence individual behaviour
Health Psychologist	Assist clients in maximising their well-being and improving both mental and physical helps through psychotherapy, administering different psychological assessments, and teaching people about different coping techniques.
Consumer Psychologist	Also known as Marketing Psychologists where focuses on researching and understanding consumer behaviours to develop effective marketing strategies
Biopsychologist	Perform research on the brain and behaviour to understand different biological factors that impact how one person thinks, feels and acts
Developmental Psychologist	Research human development across the entire lifespan and perform tasks such as evaluating issues and offering advice on how to cope with development issues

Skills required for a Psychologist

To excel as a Psychologist, here are the must have skills that will help you propel your career to new heights.

1. Compassion

Must possess strong empathy skills in understanding and connecting with their patients and demonstrate genuine care and compassion.

2. Active listening

Effective listening is what enables a good Psychologist to accurately understand and interpret the patients’ needs through a series of verbal and non-verbal cues.

3. Emotional stability

As a Psychologist, you may hear very disturbing stories on a daily basis, and sometimes it may challenge your own ethics. The best Psychologists must have the power to control their own emotions in order to not get influenced by their patients.

4. Patience

Dealing with patients can be a nuisance, sometimes with lots of unreasonable requests. Therefore, one needs to be patient and never ever lose their cool in front of the patients.

5. Ethics

Ethics holds a fundamental place in professions that involve caring for individuals. It encompasses various aspects, including treating all patients with equal respect and consideration, ensuring they are aware of their rights, and maintaining honesty in professional interactions.

Are you eligible to study Psychology?

Following are the general entry requirements to study Psychology:

Academic Entry	Minimum Score
Foundation	CGPA 2.00
Diploma	CGPA 2.00
STPM	CGPA 2.00
UEC	5Bs
A-Levels	EE or 80 points
Australian Matriculation (ATAR)	50
IB Diploma	24

Note: Universities may have different requirements. To learn more, get in touch with us!

Entry Level	Minimum Score
IELTS	Band 5.0
MUET	Band 3
TOEFL	40

Note: Universities may have different English Language requirements. To learn more, get in touch with us!

How to register as Psychologist in Malaysia

To become a psychologist in Malaysia, here are the several steps that need to be followed.

Step 1: Obtain a Pre-University qualification such as STPM, A-Levels, or Foundation in Science or Arts which will provide the fundamental knowledge needed to further the study with an undergraduate programme.

Step 2: Complete a Bachelor of Psychology that will provide you with a strong foundation of various psychological theories and expose you to a range of topics such as applied psychology, human personality, and biological psychology.

Step 3: Pursue a postgraduate qualification or a specialised area of psychology to advance your skills and have a deeper understanding of the various areas. Most postgraduates programmes will usually take about 2 years to complete.

Step 4: Upon completion of the necessary academic qualifications, register with the Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology (MSCP).This involves meeting the professional standards and ethical guidelines set by the organisations.

Once all is done, you can now practise in Malaysia legally as a Clinical Psychologist. For more information, click here to find out more.

Universities to study Psychology in Malaysia

1. UCSI University

UCSI University is known for its academic excellence, innovative teaching methodologies, and state-of-the-art facilities. With a diverse student population from over 110 countries and partnerships with renowned universities around the world, UCSI University provides students with a truly international learning experience that prepares them for a global career in various fields of study, including business, engineering, architecture, medicine, and more.

Programme Offered	Duration	Intake	Indicative Fees (2024)
BA (Hons) Psychology	3 Years	January, May, September	Local Students: RM69,690 International Students: RM83,230
Master of Child Psychology	1.5 Years	January, May, September	Local Students: RM36,310 International Students: RM49,800
Master of Clinical Psychology	2 Years	January, May, September	Local Students: RM54,620 International Students: RM63,620