Demystifying Psychologist – The Basics of Who & What?

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When it comes to Psychology, there are a lot of misconceptions amongst the public.

Psychologists are experts in the scientific study of the human mind and behavior. They study the brain, memory, learning, human development and the processes determining how people think, feel, behave and react. There are a lot of sub specialties under this broad head of Psychology. There are 54 divisions of psychology recognized by the American Psychologist Association (APA). Of which only 7 are practice oriented and intended as treatment based approaches to mental health concerns. They are: Clinical, Counselling, Sports, Forensic, educational/school, Consulting, organisational/industrial Psychology.

 

Psychology

 

Who is the right Practitioner?

Clinical Psychology is a proven, evidence based, scientific and practice based approach to handling mental health concerns. A clinical psychologist would have undergone rigorous training especially in clinical settings e.g. hospitals. Having undergone a good training program ensures quality service.

What they do?

• Clinical psychologists assess (via the use of standardized tests), diagnose, predict, prevent and treat psychopathology, mental disorders and other individual or group problems with a focus to reduce symptoms, improve behaviors and/or modify them for personal growth.
• They mostly adopt a biopsychosocial perspective- sighting the importance of the interactions between physical (brain, genes etc), psychological (personality, individual experiences) and social (culture, support, family influences etc) factors.
• They have an educational background of bachelors, masters’ degree and an Mphil degree that specializes particularly in clinical psychology (wrt India). Some may also go on to acquire a PhD as part of further specialization in a particular therapy or population, or to pursue an academic/ research oriented career.
• In simple terms the method of treatment is ‘talk therapy’ it’s clichéd, but there is much more to ‘talk therapy’ than what people think. ‘Talk therapy’ includes the use of specific techniques that help in the modification of the behavior in question be it thought, emotion or actual behavior. Only a skilled clinician knows when, where, how and with whom should a particular technique be used. This also clarifies yet another thing- A CLINICAL or any OTHER PSYCHOLOGIST DO NOT PRESCRIBE DRUGS as part of treatment. Their expertise here ends at the level of assessing a need for the same, psycho education and reviewing symptoms, side effects, and usage. For prescription you need to consult a PSYCHIATRIST who is a medical doctor (with an MBBS degree, and later pursued a Masters (MD) or diploma (DPM) program in PSYCHIATRY).

What is the difference between a clinical psychologist and a therapist or a counselor or a counseling psychologist?

• Clinical psychologists have extensive training in assessing a wide range of psychological difficulties via the use of specific tests and interviews techniques and also are trained in providing more than one type of therapy.
• Clinical Psychologists and Counseling Psychologists both are basically psychologists and have extensive training in understanding human personality and both strive to work to ameliorate distress or encourage personal growth. They both use varied therapeutic approaches. The chief difference between the two being, the population they work with. Clinical Psychologists mostly work with those who have diagnosable mental illnesses whereas Counseling Psychologists work with individuals with day to day difficulties which do not significantly hamper their personal or occupational or social functioning.
• Also due to the same reasons counseling psychologists are more frequently employed in university counseling centers, whereas clinicians are more frequently employed in hospital settings.
• Therapists and counselors, on the other hand, usually specialize in providing one particular type of therapy, like counseling, or cognitive behavior therapy. They however work with specific populations with specific approaches and may not use holistic understanding from personality or developmental theories. If you already know what form of therapy would most likely help you, you might go directly to see a therapist or a counselor.

So what’s our takeaway message to everyone?

Check the credentials of your professional. Do they have the required qualifications to treat you or your child?

Set apart the first few sessions to estimate how professional they are indeed – Do they discuss the diagnosis, treatment plan, confidentiality clauses, sessions fee, required number of sessions/time, prognosis(the chances of improvement) etc.

A professional would discuss facts and would involve you as a co therapist in the treatment process (if not, they would explain why).

Written by
Lyn Elsa Georgy
Clinical Psychologist
Prayatna, Centre for Child Development, Palarivattom, Kochi

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