Psychology is one of the fastest growing subjects for undergraduates in the UK; it now stands as the fourth most popular undergraduate subject overall. The top universities in the UK for psychology are Cambridge, King's College London and St Andrews, but psychology is so popular that this is a course that is staple  at most universities!

Looking at the complexities of the human brain and how it affects each and every one of our decisions, psychology is an intriguing science subject, with many excited by its application and contributions to understanding everyday lifestyle choices.

For undergraduates, is it any surprise that psychology is a popular subject choice? As a fairly new science in the market, psychology isn’t just a fascinating area of discussion for contemporary research, but it also comes with an endless amount of graduate training and career options, thanks to the increased demand for psychologists, therapists, and other psychological wellbeing practitioners.

As many schools in the UK don’t offer psychology as an option to study before A-Levels or college level, many students go into the subject with little to no understanding as to what the subject is. Yes, you may have heard the name ‘Freud’ thrown around in science a few times - but do you really have a grasp of what you can expect from pursuing the subject? 

With psychology being such a broad (and often novel) subject, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what psychology entails and what areas of the subject you are most interested in. To help with this, we’ve created the perfect introduction to the subject, to give you a brief overview of the different types of psychology and various theories that relate to these.

What is Psychology?

While psychology is defined rather simplistically  as the study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behaviour in a given context, there are many different branches of the subject, with varying theories and research methods relating to the subject area. Many theories have similarities that link them all together, but focus on different aspects, or practice the theory in different ways. 

It can be helpful to break down a few of these areas to best understand the more specific  details of the subject, so you can clarify which areas you are most interested in. Each branch of psychology has its own path to take and job opportunities that come with it, so it’s a good idea to get an idea of the subject and decide what exactly it is that you enjoy. 

Clinical Psychology

A clinical psychologist works with people on a wide range of psychological difficulties relating to mental and physical health. This can include; anxiety disorders, depression, psychosis, eating disorders, addictions, learning difficulties and family or relationship issues. 

Clinical psychologists draw on specific areas of knowledge to promote a positive change in their patients. They can provide individual therapy and work with couples and families, depending on their condition. On top of their clinical work with patients, their role can also involve providing support and supervision to other professionals and carrying out research in the field. 

Early influences in this area of psychology include Sigmund Freud, an Austrian psychologist who was one of the first to focus on the idea that mental illness is something that can be treated by talking with the patient. Since then, clinical psychology has expanded massively and is one of the most popular branches of the subject today. 

Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is concerned with the study of internal mental processes. Essentially, this encapsulates everything that goes on inside your brain; perception, thinking, memory, attention, language, problem solving and learning. This is a relatively new branch of psychology but has quickly become one of the most popular. 

The difference between cognitive and clinical psychology is that a cognitive specialist works primarily with brain functions and studies them in an academic or research-centred setting, while a clinical psychologist focuses on how these cognitive processes relate to medical conditions in their patients. 

These two areas of psychology can go hand-in-hand, and many clinical psychologists will draw on the research done by a cognitive psychologist to better understand their patients and get an understanding of what is happening in their brain.

Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology is a field that combines both psychology and the law through the study of human behaviour. Forensic psychologists are not only interested in understanding why behaviours occur but also in helping to minimise these actions in the future. 

Forensic psychology has become increasingly popular in recent years as it’s been portrayed in film and TV and in the news. For example, the OJ Simpson case made Dr. Henry Lee a highly recognised forensic psychologist for his consultation on this case and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. 

However, I’m sorry to tell you, but the bulk of the work that forensic psychologists do is far less flashy than what you see on CSI. Typical work completed includes:

• Competency evaluations

• Sentencing recommendations 

• Testimony of an expert witness

• Evaluations of the risk of reoffending

• Child custody evaluations

Alongside this day to day work, forensic psychologists may also  provide counselling services to both victims of crime and those convicted of crime - depending on their specific roles and duties.

For those interested in a possible future in forensics, the most typical educational path to become a forensic psychologist involves completing an undergraduate degree in psychology, followed by  a masters degree to specialise in forensic psychology, and then either a minimum of 3 years experience or a doctoral degree. 

Rehabilitation Psychology

Rehabilitation psychologists, often in teams, assess and treat cognitive, emotional and functional difficulties and help people to overcome these barriers in their day to day lives. These psychologists are specially trained to engage in a broad range of activities including clinical practice, consultation, program development, research, training and education. 

Due to the nature of this role, rehabilitation psychologists work in a range of workplace environments as many of their patients are in hospitals or inpatient facilities, or unable to leave their home for treatment. As such, one of the primary goals behind this role is to increase quality of life for people living with disabilities. In addition to this, rehabilitation psychologists can also work alongside attorneys to provide consultation about disability and health issues.

Along with clinical psychologists, rehabilitation professionals also draw on work done by cognitive psychologists to better understand the neurological processes that take place in a patient's brain and how they can work with these insights  to create a better quality of life for the patient. 

Neuropsychology 

Neuropsychology is a branch of psychology that is concerned with the relationship between the neurological processes in the brain and the subsequent behaviour in humans and/or animals. Much of the work completed by Neuropsychologists evaluates behavioural and cognitive changes from central nervous systems in diseases such as  Parkinsons or MS to improve our understanding of the condition and contribute to treatment plans.

Symptoms that may call for a neuropsychologist to evaluate a patient include:

• Memory difficulties

• Mood disturbances

• Learning difficulties

• Nervous system dysfunction

Neuropsychologists will then aim to diagnose a patient by evaluating these symptoms through a process that includes an interview then a series of tests. The patient will then be able to get further treatment and support depending on what the neuropsychologist finds. 

To become a neuropsychologist, you will need to have an undergraduate degree in psychology, then complete a postgraduate to specialise in neuropsychology. This is followed by a series of specialist exams and work experience required to qualify as a neuropsychologist which can all typically take 8+ years to complete. 

How do psychologists study the mind? 

There are over 50 different types of therapeutic approaches that psychologists use to help clients. What might work for someone won’t work for someone else, so it’s really important that people know the types of therapies available to them so they can choose and try the best one for their needs. 

As you will have noticed from the different types of psychology, there are a lot of links and threads that intertwine this subject, and this is the same with therapeutic approaches. The main groundwork of the topics tends to stay the same, but how the psychologists then teach and help patients varies between the approaches.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the most common types of therapy and is used to help a range of problems including depression, anxiety, addiction and relationship conflicts. In many studies, CBT has been proven to be more effective than other types of psychological therapies or psychiatric medications.

The core principles of CBT are that:

• Psychological problems are based, in part, on unhelpful ways of thinking.

• Psychological problems are based, in part, on learned patterns of unhelpful behaviour.

• People suffering from psychological problems can learn ways of coping with them, thus relieving symptoms and making their day to day lives more manageable. 

CBT treatment usually involves the patient recognising the unhelpful patterns of thoughts and behaviour, and using problem solving skills to help in difficult situations. CBT also involves patients taking physical steps to help combat their problems, which could include facing their fears, using role play to practice for stressful interactions with others, learning to how to relax by using  physical tools (eg. breathing exercises). 

Humanistic Therapy 

Humanistic therapy emphasises the importance of being your true self in order to lead the most fulfilling life. A core belief of humanistic therapy is that people are good at heart and capable of making the right choices for themselves. 

It is understood that humanistic therapy treatments can help you to grow self-acceptance and overcome criticism from others by creating a safe space to work towards personal growth. 

Humanistic therapy differs from more traditional behaviour based therapies and works on  the idea that you are the expert of your difficulties. During sessions, humanistic therapists will take an active listening approach with patients tending to lead the direction, trusting them to know what they need to talk about in order to work through issues. 

This approach differs quite a lot from CBT as it is more client-led, rather than the therapists offering cognitive support. However, there are some similarities between these approaches, in that humanistic therapy also may include role playing activities and creating an imagined scenario too!

Holistic Therapy 

A holistic approach to therapy involves considering an individual as a whole person rather than just seeing someone as their psychological issues. Many holistic therapists attempt to use the patient's symptoms, like anxiety or depression, as a method to advance higher awareness in the patient as a whole person.

This approach, similar to humanistic therapy, is a more spiritual branch of therapy, and is similar to mindfulness - the idea of being fully aware of yourself in the moment. Holistic therapists attempt to encourage their patients to accept themselves in the moment as they are. 

Tools that holistic therapists recommend their patients to use include:

• Breathing exercises 

• Yoga

• Massage

• Reiki 

These are treatments that holistic therapists will recommend to help with a patient's symptoms instead of traditional medicines. This is often seen as a negative aspect to the therapy approach, however it works well for patients who aren’t comfortable with taking medicines that may interfere and alter our natural states of emotion and feelings. 

Client-Centred Therapy 

Client-centred therapy (CCT), or person-centered therapy, is a non-directive approach to talking therapy. Similarly to the humanistic approach, the patient is responsible for taking the reins and running their therapy session, choosing what to talk about and what direction to go in. 

However what sets CCT apart from other client centered therapies is that it centres the client in a more positive and inclusive environment. This provides deeper insight into the issue the patient is struggling with while also maximizing their ability to deal and cope with it on their own. 

A main part of CCT is that there is no judgement from the therapist; they accept the patient fully without placing any blame on previous experiences or behaviours. With this in mind, CCT promotes an open communication between the therapist and patient so they can feel completely comfortable and able to share whatever they want to. 

Key ideologies included in CCT include:

• Genuineness (open communication)

• Unconditional positive regard (no judgement)

• Empathic understanding 

Collaborative Therapy 

Similarly to the genuineness in CCT, collaborative therapy focuses on candid conversations and negotiating goals for the therapy, followed by therapists and patients mutually deciding on these. Patients should feel comfortable to raise different ideas and opinions, as well as ideas about the direction the therapy should take. 

Again, (as you may have noticed) there are a lot of links in these different types of therapies with patients being able to take control of the counselling and lead it in a direction that is comfortable for them.

Collaborative therapists actively engage in the change process with their clients. This could include the therapist checking in with the patient about what elements of the counselling are working for them and what perhaps isn’t. These check-ins help to keep the patient and therapist in sync, which helps to give the patient the best experience possible. 

What does an online Psychology course involve? 

Now, we know that all that information is a lot to consume, and there are a LOT of different types of psychology and therapy practices. Even when some seem similar, there are differences to all of them… it’s a lot to take in. 

The best way to get an idea of if psychology is a topic that interests you, and what specific areas you would like to pursue, is to get an experience of the subject. 

Online courses enable you to get an idea of the topics that are involved in psychology at a further educational level. At school you rarely get an opportunity to experience university level subjects before going into a degree program, and this is where an online course can really help you. 

Melio Psychology Courses 

At Melio, our online psychology courses are one of the most popular in both Academic Online Courses and our one-on-one Tutorials. With this online course, you’ll be able to gain an in-depth understanding of the subject from one of our expert tutors. 

Academic Online Courses allow you to learn in a group of like minded students, bounce ideas off each other and make friends across the world. 

Alternatively, our Tutorials are one-on-one so you have a more personal experience with your tutor and can create the ideal learning environment for you. Tutorials are bespoke in their schedule and content, which would be best if you have some previous knowledge of the subject, you can choose what would be most helpful for you!

Academic Online Courses topics could include:

• The history and impact of psychological study

• How psychology governs our interactions 

• Neuroanatomy and the physiology of the brain

• Understanding and describing abnormal psychology

Tutorial topics could include:

• The evolutionary origins of emotion: what might emotions have evolved for?

• Emotions in dysfunction: abnormal psychology and psychopathology

• The role of perception: the brain and limbic system

• What is thinking: is there a difference between perceiving and acting?

These topics, especially the Tutorials, can vary course to course but hopefully this gives you an idea of what you might experience on one of our courses!

Summary

As you now know, there are a lot of similarities that run between psychology topics and therapeutic approaches, but each of them have their own core principles and methods. All of the psychology branches continue to do research into the field, which shows that the subject is constantly developing, making it all the more interesting to study!

Anyone interested in human behaviour, how the brain works and why we do things should definitely consider studying psychology. 

The subject is so vast there’s something for everyone! If this is something for you, visit our website to have a deeper look into what our psychology courses are all about or contact our admissions team for more information.