What is PCI?
PCI stands for Psychology Council of India. It does not exist currently. A bill has to be passed in the parliament to make PCI possible. PCI will be the licensing and regulatory body for Psychology Professionals in the country.
Why do we need PCI?
At present, there is no uniformity among the psychology practitioner’s qualifications. There are many unqualified persons claiming themselves psychologists. The curriculum of the educational institutions which offer Psychology and its branches are not updated periodically to suit the requirements of the industry. There is very much less awareness about psychology among common public and they do not have any idea who are the reliable and ethical practitioners. So we need PCI to be a regulatory body which ensures quality and ethical practices of the practitioners in the field. So that common public can approach the body to report if any unethical practice takes place in the field. PCI needs to be a supervisory body which monitors the activities of the practitioners and guide them in the appropriate way. PCI needs to be a recognizing body under which the educational institutions which offer Psychology and its branches should be attached and it can update the curriculum based on the changing requirements of the industries periodically say once in two years.
What is AIP?
AIP stands for Association of Indian Psychologists. It is registered under societies act 1975 . The Registration Number is 147/2013. The primary objective of AIP is ‘to fight for PCI’. Once PCI is formed, AIP may be dissolved.
However dissolving AIP requires consent from the General Body. As per the societies Act, if AIP is dissolved, the funds should be transferred to another Society.
Watch the video below to understand the purpose and goal of AIP
Why is AIP as an association?
To fight for PCI, we need committed people to work united towards the cause. Nobody knows when PCI will become a reality. Continuously for years, people have to work hard for it. Rather than forming groups and just talking about it, a professional association with members’ participation would represent the fight better.
AIP is now a self regulatory body for Psychologists, Counselors and Psychotherapists in India.
Is AIP a competitor to national organizations like IAAP, NAOP and IACP?
No, AIP is NOT a competitor to national organizations. AIP respects the national organizations like IAAP, NAOP and IACP and their efforts to promote Psychology profession in the country and their initiatives to make PCI a reality. AIP is very much willing to work together with all the Psychology organizations in the country for the cause.
How to join AIP?
Click here to go membership page. Download the application form, pay the prescribed membership fee through NEFT/Direct Deposit/DD/Cheque, send us the Scanned copies of Educational Degree certificates for Professional Membership/Student ID card for Student Membership and an identity card issued by the state/central government such as Passport, Voter id card, Adhar Card, Driving license for photo and address proof to aipdesk@gmail.com.
Once we approve your application form, we will update you through email.
How will we be updated about AIP/Fight for PCI activities?
We are on facebook. Click here to join us on facebook as a fan to our page.
Discussions on Fight for PCI are available in https://www.facebook.com/groups/psychologycouncil.india. Go to the group and press ‘Join Group’ to get the updates.Very important updates will be sent through e-mails also.
8. Why Should I join AIP?/What are the benefits for its Members?
(i) We are building a countywise database of Psychologists with all the details. When you join as a member, you get your online presence. You will be given a dedicated page in your name.
For example, see the profile http://aiponline.in/mr-karthik-lakshmanan-rm/. The webpage includes the name. When people search for the name in google or any other search engine, this page will be found. You can print the webpage address as your website address in your visiting card or show it under your mail signature. This is an easy way of creating online presence rather than creating a website for which minimum of 10,000 rs will be the cost.
(ii) As we provide a dedicated page for each member of AIP for his/her online presence, we are sure it will help both professionals and general public to find the right psychologists in their locality.
General Public will find the credible psychologists through the website as we verify all their certificates. So humbugs who just call themselves Psychologists without proper qualification will be eliminated in the long run. By becoming a member, your clients/public can contact you any where from the world. And you might get lot of opportunities as you are a credible psychologist.
To look at the profile of our members, please go to the homepage of the website and wave on the link “Members”. You will get the list of States/Union Territories. If you press the state/UT, it will show the names of the cities. You can go inside the link of cities and view or search for profiles in your locality.
(iii). We will also post job/project opportunities through mail.
(iv) You will come to know who are in your area/field/specialization and you can network with them.
(v). You will become part of an association where psychologists from different specializations are united with one single goal of creating Psychology Council of India. It shows you want a regulatory body for Psychologists in India.
When we have more than 1000 members whose qualifications are verified, it is possible to talk to government authorities for a licensing body.
Unlike other bodies/association, AIP is founded with the single goal of forming a licensing body. So we are committed to work towards the cause and will not be distracted from the goal at any point in time.
When PCI is formed, all the documents given by members will be submitted to PCI authorities to get a license for AIP members.
(vi) Finally AIP is a democratic organization and all the activities are madecompletely online. So wherever you may in the world, you can still become an office bearer by competing in Elections and help the profession to regulate itself.
9. Why AIP has opened its professional Membership for People who studied through Distance Education too?
(i) UGC has given approval for Universities to provide Courses through Distance Education with the vision “Education for All”. AIP respects UGC’s vision.
(ii) People who studied Psychology in full time colleges had time and opportunity to study Psychology full time. People who did not have the opportunity or time, they study through distance education.
(iii) There are many people who did their UG Psychology full time and then got married, gave birth to children and then came to do PG through Distance Education.
(iv) Many did the courses the parent/society wanted and then did Psychology through Distance Education as their passion after fulfilling parents’ wishes/societies’ demands.
For some others, they want to study Psychology but their family circumstances demand them to go for full time work. The only they can study Psychology is through Distance Education.
(v) Many cities in India do not have colleges offering Psychology, the only way to study Psychology for them is through Distance Education.
(vi) As Psychologists, we need to have non judgemental attitude and Empathy. AIP does not judge people by the mode they studied Psychology.
We need to have unity now. There have been enough of ego clashes which did not let us move towards a regulatory body. AIP is founded to unite Psychologists. So let us come out of those clashes and join hands here in AIP to get a licensing body.