Psychoeducational Consulting (Psychology and Sociology, BA)

Beth Pollock, St. Lawrence College

If becoming a psychoeducational consultant sounds like it requires a lot of degrees, you are right! Beth Pollock, a 2000 Laurier psychology and sociology graduate is currently completing a PhD in clinical neuropsychology at the University of Windsor while simultaneously operating a consulting practice, under the supervision of a psychologist, working with students experiencing learning, psychosocial and/or behavioural difficulties.

Immediately after completing her undergraduate degree at Laurier, Beth obtained a master’s degree in clinical psychology at Bond University in Australia. During these studies, Beth participated in a practicum with a school board where she performed various assessment tools on students. This first-hand experience allowed Beth to realize that she enjoyed the challenge of trying to answer the complex question of why a student was not achieving or performing to their fullest potential. This role also afforded her the opportunity to liaise with teachers and school administrators to better understand and address a student’s needs.

After returning to Canada following her master’s degree, Beth worked as a psychometrist for a school board also utilizing diagnostic assessment tools to identify problems in student learning or behaviour. Beth was driven to complete a doctoral degree because, although she enjoyed working within a school board, Beth realized that to be able to work more independently, she would need to develop a more in-depth understanding of the brain. In addition, Beth desired a career that would permit her to work as much or as little as she pleased so as to also accommodate her life as a parent.

Should you be interested in pursuing a career as a psychometrist or psychoeducational consultant, begin planning early on in your undergraduate career. Select courses that offer a community service learning component where you can access volunteer practicums  that will not only help you gain experiences and skills for your résumé, but more importantly, will allow you first-hand, ‘feet-wet’ experience to answer the question “would I enjoy this as a career?”

Although you can work as an independent psychoeducational consultant with only a master’s degree in psychology and two years supervision from a psychologist, you are restricted to a limited scope of practice. Obtaining a doctorate degree will enable Beth to work with a more diverse client base and offer more services to her clients including neuropsychological assessments, psychoeducational assessments and therapy.

The most enjoyable aspects of working as a psychoeducational consultant for Beth are working with the children and being able to facilitate a better understanding of a child’s learning needs. However, private practice work can be quite lonely at times and to address this isolation, Beth has supplemented her career with teaching at St. Lawrence College.