Psychologist Laijipa Naulivou.

Fiji has yet to recognize the difference between the work done by counsellors and practitioner psychologists in communities.

This has been a major challenge faced by practitioner psychologists in the country, which was raised at the Fiji Psychological Society’s 4th Annual General Meeting in Suva yesterday.

Psychologist Laijipa Naulivou says that it’s quite concerning to see that many counsellors in Fiji are not qualified to be called psychologists.

“We need to put in our standards for that and this is where our organization is coming from people who are not qualified are calling themselves psychologist and we have so many names of counsellors out there, some do more damage then good and they should have certain qualifications to qualify do those kind of work and this where we are coming from”

Attorney General Siromi Turaga. [Source: Fiji Government/ Facebook]

Attorney General Siromi Turaga adds that it is also one of the challenges faced by other professions like lawyers and doctors.

“I fully agreed, if you are a counsellor you can not carry yourself as a psychologist but what can you do you can have a body that registered both but at different level, because your line of work is basically the same area isn’t it? but they are two different quite, different.”

Turaga further states the need for psychologists to be recognized first as practitioners.

“Effective collaboration is crucial as we recognize the urgency of having a registration process for psychologists. In order to have licensing and registration, a national body must be recognized by government to license or give accreditation and registration to psychologists. I believe the Society is working towards being recognized as the national body.”

Fiji currently has 30 full members of the society, with a mission to elevate the profession to much better recognition under a national body.

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