Educational counsellor to educational psychologist
An educational counsellor already meets 64% of what the educational psychologist role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
43.4/ 100
1 How much of what an educational psychologist is expected to do is already part of an educational counsellor’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the educational psychologist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An educational psychologist role treats 16 of its required skills as things an educational counsellor already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adolescent psychological development
- apply crisis intervention
- communicate with youth
- consult student's support system
- counsel students
- crisis intervention
What stands in the way is 8 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 28 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An educational psychologist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an educational counsellor background worth leading with.
- already held perform educational testing management skills
- already held use psychoeducation communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held school psychology social sciences, journalism and information
- already held communicate about youth's well-being communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held counsel students communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held developmental psychology social sciences, journalism and information
All 28 carried skills, including the 16 the educational psychologist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 17 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn diagnose psychiatric symptoms required
- still to learn monitor therapeutic progress required
- still to learn test for behavioural patterns required
- still to learn test for emotional patterns required
- optional, not held carry out psychiatric assessment of child optional
- optional, not held keep up-to-date with training subjects optional
- optional, not held conduct psychological research optional
- still to learn diagnose education problems required
- still to learn interpret psychological tests required
- still to learn action research required
- optional, not held scientific research methodology optional
- still to learn social development required
- optional, not held psychiatric disorders optional
- optional, not held publish academic research optional
- optional, not held write research proposals optional
- optional, not held consultation optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an educational psychologist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 diagnose education problems practise this
- 02 diagnose psychiatric symptoms practise this
- 03 monitor therapeutic progress practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 28 skills that carry over
- already held adolescent psychological development knowledge
- already held apply crisis intervention skill
- already held communicate with youth skill
- already held consult student's support system skill
- already held counsel students skill
- already held crisis intervention knowledge
- already held developmental psychology knowledge
- already held liaise with educational staff skill
- already held liaise with educational support staff skill
- already held listen actively skill
- already held monitor student's behaviour skill
- already held perform educational testing skill
- already held psychological counselling methods knowledge
- already held psychology knowledge
- already held school psychology knowledge
- already held use psychoeducation skill
- already held assessment processes knowledge
- already held assist in the organisation of school events skill
- already held behavioural disorders knowledge
- already held communicate about youth's well-being skill
- already held education law knowledge
- already held guarantee students' safety skill
- already held learning difficulties knowledge
- already held learning needs analysis knowledge
- already held oversee extra-curricular activities skill
- already held secondary school procedures knowledge
- already held show consideration for student's situation skill
- already held support children's wellbeing skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held communication disorders optional
9 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held carry out psychiatric assessment of child optional
- optional, not held keep up-to-date with training subjects optional
- optional, not held communication disorders optional
- optional, not held conduct psychological research optional
- optional, not held consultation optional
- optional, not held psychiatric disorders optional
- optional, not held publish academic research optional
- optional, not held scientific research methodology optional
- optional, not held write research proposals optional
21 held skills the educational psychologist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adult education knowledge
- not needed by the target role advise on learning methods skill
- not needed by the target role assist students in their learning skill
- not needed by the target role client-centred counselling knowledge
- not needed by the target role community education knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct educational activities skill
- not needed by the target role cooperate with education professionals skill
- not needed by the target role counselling methods knowledge
- not needed by the target role establish educational network skill
- not needed by the target role identify education needs skill
- not needed by the target role inspect education institutions skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with educational institutions skill
- not needed by the target role maintain relations with children's parents skill
- not needed by the target role monitor educational developments skill
- not needed by the target role post-secondary school procedures knowledge
- not needed by the target role primary school procedures knowledge
- not needed by the target role provide career counselling skill
- not needed by the target role provide information on education financing skill
- not needed by the target role provide information on study programmes skill
- not needed by the target role tackle issues that block academic progress skill
- not needed by the target role work in vocational school skill
6 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn social development required
- still to learn action research required
- optional, not held communication disorders optional
- optional, not held consultation optional
- optional, not held psychiatric disorders optional
- optional, not held scientific research methodology optional
Other moves recorded from educational counsellor
- learning mentor 72% covered · moderate
- academic advisor 58% covered · moderate
- academic support officer 56% covered · moderate
- special educational needs itinerant teacher 44% covered · substantial
- admissions coordinator 39% covered · moderate
- learning support teacher 35% covered · substantial
- tutor 35% covered · substantial
- career guidance advisor 32% covered · substantial
Common questions about this move
Can an educational counsellor become an educational psychologist?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An educational counsellor already covers 64% of what an educational psychologist is expected to do: 28 skills carry over, 16 of which the educational psychologist role treats as required.
What skills does an educational counsellor need to become an educational psychologist?
8 required skills are missing, plus 9 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is diagnose education problems.
How hard is the move from educational counsellor to educational psychologist?
Its learning distance is 43.4 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.