Psychology Talks 2011_Dr Gitanjali (NUH) PPT

Becoming a Clinical Psychologist &

Psychotherapist - an experiential account

Gitanjali Goyal Khanna

Clinical Psychologist, National University

Hospital, NUH

Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Psychology,

NUS

The Guest House ~ Rumi ~This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.

Time for Reflection

What next after our

Psychology Degree?

Why are we here?

Who we are and what we do?

Basic question- What are my preferences

Do I want to do therapy?

Do I want to conduct assessments?

Do I want to do research?

Do I want to teach?

Where do I want to work?

As demonstrated by what?

Overarching importance of faculty advising and mentoring

Getting Started..

World of Choices

Sub Fields in Psychology

Clinical Psychology

Neuropsychology

Developmental Psychology

Educational Psychology

Health Psychology

Sports Psychology

Industrial Psychology

What is Clinical Psychology?

Largest subfield

Different from other fields

Involves knowledge of the different

diagnostic systems for mental health

disorders (ICD-10 & DSM-IV)

Specialized treatments for specific

conditions

What do Clinical Psychologists do?

Therapy

Assessment

Research

Teaching and Supervision

Program Development and Evaluation

Administration

Consultation

Public Policy

What is Psychotherapy

An art…

A bond..

A conversation..

A dance..

A relationship with a difference

Not just techniques

Its more than the sum of its parts..

What is Psychological Assessment

Analysis & Synthesis

- as per needs of the client

- to understand strength & weaknesses of the client

Goal follows from referral question

Sources : interviews, observations, standardized tests & projective tests.

Technician vs. Clinician!

Research in Clinical Psychology

Research in etiology of major mental disorders:

Schizophrenia, Depression etc

Research in Etiology: Biological/Psychological

Research on Assessment

Research on Treatment

A Typical Day of a Clinical Psychologist

Hard to describe- since the work is so varied. Some

commonalities are:

Diagnostic interviews (detailed work up & mental

status examination)

Psychotherapy in outpatient clinics & inpatient ward

Psychological assessment- IQ, Neuropsychological,

Personality, Diagnostic Clarification

Appropriate recording, report writing and transcripts

for therapy.

Range of Types of Problems

Minor mental health problems

Major mental health problems

Acute Physical

Chronic Physical

Substance Abuse

Sexual Problems

Personality Disorders

Where do Clinical Psychologist Work?

Private Practice and Counseling Centers

Individual and/or group therapy

Colleges and universities

Hospitals

- inpatient ward

- day hospital

Industries / Business

Legal & Governmental Agencies

Military

Managed Healthcare Organizations

Community Healthcare Centre

Range of Client Groups

Adults

Children

- Autism

- with Learning Disability

Older Adults

Brain Injured Clients

Forensic Clients

Working in a Multidisciplinary Team

The „Care team‟ for any client should usually collaborate with other professionals

„The Psy Complex‟(Rose, 1985): word „complex‟ refers to a complex of Professions such as-

-Psychiatrist

-Clinical Psychologist (CP)

-Advanced Practicing Nurse (APN)

-Psychiatric Social Worker (PSW)

-Occupational Therapist (OT)

-Speech Therapist

Boundaries within this „psy complex‟ are murky

Range of Types of Interventions

One-to one Therapy

Marital Therapy

Family Therapy

Group Therapy

Carer & Nurse training or Intervention

Organizational Intervention

Attitude to be a Clinical Psychologist

Own attitudes and beliefs towards Mental

health issues

Ability to recognize our own limitations

Tolerance to stress

True Empathy

Good listener

Clinician or Technician ?!

Pros & Cons of a career in Clinical

Psychology

Positives

Personal fulfillment

Making a difference

Changing

Environment

Learning

Experience

Negatives

Long Hours

High Risk of

burnout

Unchanging Clients

Intensive

Internship opportunity in Department of

Psychological Medicine, NUH

Psychology Observation Programme (POP)

Intake: once a year

Details are available at

http://www.med.nus.edu.sg/pcm/

Career opportunities at NUH

For graduate students with degree in

Psychology: research opportunities with

the GRP programme is available.

More details at:

http://www.med.nus.edu.sg/pcm/grp.htm

Career opportunities at NUH

For graduate students with Bachelors

Degree in Psychology: opportunities with

REACH programme is also available.

More details at

Making the Right choice is as important as the hardwork you need to put in to Realize that GOAL

…and ensure that a career to you doesn’t happen by chance but purely by CHOICE

Masters versus Doctorate?

Trap of seeking letters rather than appropriate amount of training

Breadth of training and issues of flexibility and autonomy

Terminal versus non-terminal masters?

Back to initial questions

Desire to teach? Where?

Investment analogy: Careful planning, preparation, and diversification

On a Personal Note…

I entered the field of Clinical Psychology with a lot of interest and passion but also some apprehension about what to expect. My journey in the last 10 years has been most engaging and fulfilling. The science of Clinical Psychology enables me to understand my clients in a manner that helps me help them best. There have been times when I felt that my work left me emotionally drained due to the intense nature of the work. But there have also been umpteen opportunities for personal growth and development both from academic pursuits as well as experiential learning on the job to make it a satisfying career. It is also heartening to see that the field is making progress and getting more organized and recognized.

Reshmi K.K. (Sr. Psychologist)

NUHS

Ethics in Clinical Psychology

Ethics is defined as “The moral principles that govern a

person‟s behavior or how an activity is conducted”.

For CPs it implies an understanding of the moral

principles underlying psychological thought and activity.

Some of the ethics based on the APA code are:

Professional competence in services

Referrals

Client welfare

Confidentiality

Interesting Reads

Man‟s Search for Meaning- Victor Frankl

On Becoming a Psychotherapist- Windy Dryden & Laurence Spurling

Dibs in search of Self- Virginia Axline

The Piggle- D.W. Winnicott

The man who mistook his wife for a hat – Oliver Sack

When Nietzsche wept – Irvin D Yalom

Games People Play- Eric Berne

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal experience – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Questions

Remember to Follow your

heart

...and the very best of luck