Open university Ba honours early childhood

[Bluecarrotsgirl]

Hello lovelies I am 21 years old and I am starting university this october 2021 I am really excited but nervous as I’m a mother of ones. Does anyone know any good study books that would be good for the course? I’ve ordered some on Amazon already but I want to be prepared

Oh yes sorry I have confused you all! I mean child psychotherapist hahah 😅

Your best path if you are interested in becoming a psychologist who works with children is an accredited psychology degree , experience and then apply for the 3 year funded doctoral programmes. The OU offer a undergrad psychology course.

@Bluecarrotsgirl

Oh yes sorry I have confused you all! I mean child psychotherapist hahah 😅

That is also a long and very costly course

www.psychotherapy.org.uk/psychotherapy-training/train-as-a-psychotherapist/

Agree, it’s very expensive to train as a psychotherapist.

@CliffsofMohair

Agree, it’s very expensive to train as a psychotherapist.

Yes, a friend who had a first in psychology ruled it out due to the ongoing costs-it was about 6 years more study part time and the cost of paying your own weekly compulsory supervision sessions (£70 a session, she was quoted!) was prohibitively expensive! OP, if you have a good regular stream of funding behind you, that’s probably the most important thing as it will bleed you dry!

@Bluecarrotsgirl My best advice would be to start with the career that you want and track the fastest way to get there, rather than taking a bit of a random degree and then adding more costs/years learning on top; but it is a personal preference.

Studying to be a psychotherapist is already a long route, and expensive, so you'd want to take the fastest route possible. The same is true of being a child psychologist.

A bit will depend on your circumstances too - if you've got a steady income already and can devote more years/money to it, you can afford to do it the slower way. If you don't, you'll probably want to pick the most efficient way, because it's already 6/7 years of study.

Hey so I am wanting to do an open university course called called BA (hons) Early Childhood. Was wondering if anyone has done this course and could help me? 😇

@Bluecarrotsgirl

Hey so I am wanting to do an open university course called called BA (hons) Early Childhood. Was wondering if anyone has done this course and could help me? 😇

Have you read the replies people have given you about psychotherapy? What are your thoughts?

So I have taken thought and I have looked into the job role of Child psychotherapist and I really want to do it and I know that I want to pursue in it. And I’ve spoken to someone at open university today and they said the job titles listed below ( in the screen shots I have posted) are ones that are relevant to the degree and that you can use but you would need to do more training. I just want reasurramve on the right course and take the right path or the easier path 🤞😄

Plenty of people have responded with excellent advice already. What further information or reassurance are you looking for that a) you haven't been given already or b) you cannot get from speaking with someone at the OU? That will enable people to be more specific in their answers to you.

childpsychotherapy.org.uk/training-events-0/how-train-child-and-adolescent-psychotherapist

Have you looked at this site, OP? It tells you a lot about the training side. It might be worth contacting them directly, explaining your plans, and seeing what they suggest.

Bluecarrots of course the OU is saying it's okay, they are trying to sell you a product.
Have a look here: childpsychotherapy.org.uk/training-events-0/pre-clinical-courses
It tells you the degrees you can do before training, which takes 4 years.

More info here: childpsychotherapy.org.uk/training-events-0/how-train-child-and-adolescent-psychotherapist

You've had some good advice here OP.

If you are determined to become a child psychotherapist and start with this degree, have you worked out how long it would take you after, and how much it would cost, to do a conversion course and then a doctorate? It might well be quicker and cost less to do a psychology undergraduate degree first?

Definitely look closely at the ongoing costs of paying for your essential experience with psychotherapy!

The best advice I can give is to start at where you want to be, then look at the best way to get there. Doing a degree that may or may not get you there, and might need more extra training than a different degree/path isn't a sensible approach.

I know of one person who did this degree title and then went onto to a teaching degree but only because she had years experience and was already a manager of a school nursery.

Have you thought about educational psychologist? The quickest way used to be a combined national curriculum and psychology BA, teacher training course, a few years experience and then MA in Education Psychology.

Yea that pathway is gone for educational psychology - psychology degree + 3 year doctorate. Sadly!

@Bluecarrotsgirl I suggest you spend the summer reading about the different types of careers open to you with the Early Childhood degree and see if they’re in line with what you see yourself doing in 5-10 years. Psychotherapy is not as far as I remember a regulated profession and the work available is often not well paid and very hard to come by. It would be worth looking closely at career, salary, all of the important information.

I have done this course and I work in childcare. It was interesting and I didn't need any books other than those provided, or accessible via the OU. It does not qualify me to do any kind of therapy - I would need to retrain to do that. It is more about children and their lives than how their brains work, which is more of a science degree.

@CliffsofMohair I wondered if it has changed. Does it not involve classroom experience anymore?

www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/child-psychotherapist
Seems like a lot of work involved just to qualify. Are you clever enough to become one?

Thankyou for all of this information I will be doing this course just need to see what job titles I can do with this course. When you finished this course what did you do?

Not a specific pre-requisite anymore. Experience of children in different settings so could be school /assistant post/ working with someone in care etc.

Friends of mine who have done Early Childhood degrees (not OU but similar content) are now

• teachers, social workers, early years professionals, nurse, working for local authority, SAHM, and working with children with disabilities.

It’s a good starter degree. People can join companies as a graduate , which may or may not be linked to what they studied. Some people go on to do more study to become teacher/social worker/psychologist/whatever they choose.

www.prospects.ac.uk/ is a good website to help you look at different careers.

Well done on going back to uni to further your career. You are setting g a great example for your DC. Best of luck.

@CliffsofMohair

Not a specific pre-requisite anymore. Experience of children in different settings so could be school /assistant post/ working with someone in care etc.

Sorry that was fo @Fitforforty

Remember to be a psychologist you must do a psychology degree so I would look really carefully into what you want to do first and then decide on the degree from there. You will at this stage easily be able to change course and direction. It will be harder later on.