My future is an oxymoron in that I do know I will do a professional doctorate but choosing which doctorate is yet unclear.  The indecision on the discipline (counselling or sports psychology) will be based on my personal circumstances with regards to finance and what level of commitment each doctorate requires; this is something that I intend to find out in the next 4 months as I will be to applying later this year or early 2024. It is not ideal to choose my doctorate based on my personal financial situation rather than choosing the best course for my career choice.  However, both doctorates will offer me learning capabilities to enhance and further my skills as a psychologist so ultimately, I will not be losing out regardless of my choice of doctorate.

Cost Analysis

*Fees are based on what guest lecturers have said during their lectures to us on professional development.

(1) – University of Portsmouth (Sports and Exercise Psychology)

(2) – University of Roehampton (Counselling Psychology)

# – Potential for discount due to be alumini

Financially the better options are Bases or BPS.  However, my personal opinion is that employers may want to employ candidates with a doctorate over and above candidates with Bases/BPS accreditation.  Additionally, these accreditations can take anywhere between 2-4 years and there is the potential that it may take me up to 4 years to get accredited, which is one more year of studying and whereas the doctorate has a finality to it, in that it ends in 3 years.  The cost differential between these different accreditations is negligible at 15% more for BPS accreditation.  So therefore, if I did change my mind and choose one of these paths, either path would be a financially viable choice.

The doctorate courses vary significantly financially with a 51% differential for studying counselling psychology at UoR vs studying sports and exercise psychology at UoP. The reason for studying counselling psychology, is that this course follows the person-centred approach which is the approach I follow and will give practical teaching in this approach with implementation with real clients.  So, when qualified I will have practical hands-on skills, rather than learning on the job which is what would happen with the Bases/BPS accreditation; reducing professional anxiety and building confidence.  Moreover, as I do have a mortgage, doing the counselling psychology course will allow me to work for the NHS/private practice meaning a regular salary whilst I build up the sport psychology consultancy. If I was to do the sports and exercise doctorate, I would have to build a client base from zero whilst continuing to work as a Sports Therapist which might mean I could deskill from my psychology training until I get a client.

See below the SWOT analysis about the benefits of completing a counselling psychology doctorate over and above the sports and exercise psychology.

Completing a counselling psychology doctorate will allow me to work in the NHS as a Band 7 earning minimum c.£40k whilst I build up my sport client base. This route offers financial stability whilst building my sport consultancy, whereupon I can reduce my working days at the NHS/private practice to accommodate my growing consultancy. Additionally, as outlined in the SWOT analysis I would be able to retain sports clients who may have clinical issues rather than refer them to a specialist. I would imagine that I would not like to build rapport with a client, working on an intervention only to refer them for depression to someone, for example. Especially, as that also reduces in potential income – the less I refer the more income I earn. Moreover, I would be dual qualified and if we had another global pandemic, I would be able to continue practising minimising my loss of work and income.

Ultimately, I will be doing a professional doctorate and my preference is the counselling psychology doctorate but the decision will be led by finances and commitment levels from each course.