Need everyones input if you can?

Question

I will be training hopefully soon next year to become a Psychologist. At the moment im working in a care home for adults with all different mental health issues, Ive seen how Psychologist behave around our clients, including their attitudes aswel as our homes doctor.

What i dont want is to be like all of them. Can anyone who has got a mental health prob;em and is under a Psychologist or who has been under one in the past please tell me how THEY made you feel? Good points and Bad points. Need my eyes to be wide open to everyones thoughts and see it from YOUR views.

It will be ver much appreciated. Thankyou

Answer 1

Is a psycologist the same as a psychiatrist? I saw one of those once and never went back, made me feel lik i was the next name on the list. Threw a load of questions at me, didn't listen to my responces and genrally acted like i she had some place better to be.

Answer 2

I agree they shouldn't get emotionally involved. But some just don't care about the patient as a person. I feel patinets are not treated like a human being with feelings sometimes. I appreciate they are not therpaists & are only there to prescribe medication but they keep asking you a lot of questions about how you are & how are things & after say: take this medication, or we need to up the dose!! as if everything you've told them is of no value whatsoever & you have to be dealt with thier medication.
It's so de-humanising.
I'm sorry but I'm not implying you are like that. I think just the fact that you've posted this question indicates that you care about your patients. Thank you for that.

Also, I feel there's a fundamental flaw in the system. There's no-one humanly monitoring what's going on. Otherwise how could they allow a vulgar & inhumane thing like ECT to happen?

Most of these drugs, (which I'm sure the doctors have never tried themselves) have serious side-effects that are debilitating. Some have long-term side effects that cannot be reversed.

I am sure you'd be successful & a good doctor.
regards
KK

Answer 3

This isn't really answering what you asked but thought I'd give you my opinion.

I have a psychology degree and when I was fresh out of uni in 4 years ago I thought I wanted to become a clinical psychologist, but then I started working in a hostel for people with learning disabilities and mental health issues and worked closely with clinical psychologists and completely changed my mind!

I wasn't keen on their attitudes and the way they worked. They always seemed very detached from the clients and weren't very good at interacting with them. I'm also aware that the clients themselves didn't really find the work done with psychologists very useful.

I wanted to be more involved on a front line basis with the clients and it seemed to me that psychologists weren't.

I'm not saying ALL psychologists are rubbish and I guess it would be a challenge for anyone to embark in the field and try and change things for the better.

Answer 4

I saw one psychologist for almost 2 years and she was amazing. I suppose the best things about her were that she was able to admit that she didn't always know the right thing to do or say; that she was able to admit when she was projecting her feelings onto me so that we could deal with it. I believe (rightly or wrongly) that she genuinely cared about what happened to me, as demonstrated by her reactions to my harmful behaviour. She never judged me, she knew (seemingly instinctively) when to push things and when to leave well alone, maybe because she knew that I would always come to her eventually. She respected my need for privacy despite being under pressure from the rest of my care team and she went out of her way to help me. She put herself on the line to help my physically because if my psychiatrist knew what I had done I would have been discharged from their care; she kept her fees at the same level for me and some other patients despite a general increase and she continued to see me even after I left the clinic where she practised and I should have been transferred to the NHS.
Also important was her general personality which just made her so much more "human" to me which in turn made her more approachable.
She made me a promise to see me through my recovery and whilst that didn't happen it wasn't down to her.
I know she taught me a hell of a lot and played a huge part in my recovery. I don't know what I would have done without her.

Answer 5

i have been doing a pscyology degree for four years part time, i am 47, and when i was young i sufferred severe post natal depression and had to go in the mother and baby unit for a short while in a mental hospital. that was 25 years ago and although i have gotton over it all, i still feel for people who are haveing problems.
You know what i have learnt people give people labels and that but what people really need is to know how valuable and loved they are. Many people havent been given love and attention, and have been terribly hurt in their pasts. They need someone to listen to them. They don,t need patronising. I dislike this we are all equal.
i am a christian as well, i do know what you mean some people have pissed me off with their attitude. Not all pscyologisht are the same so its best not to generalise. I wish you all the best, you have a honest heart and care for people and you will really help alot of people i think, as God,s tool take care my friend. all the best.

Answer 6

I think that if you want to be a good psychologist, then you HAVE to do your own work in therapy. Too many shrinks bring their own issues into their offices. Go beyond the required hours (I don't know if your state requires this, but some do) of personal therapy and make sure you are as healthy as possible. Don't project your own stuff onto your clients.

Answer 7

I had depression problems when I was younger and I went to a psychologist for someone to talk to about my problems. I think I only had him for 3 months and as soon as someone accused me of something that I didnt do, he took that person's word before he even got to hear my side of the case. I have never been to a psychologist ever since.

Answer 8

I wish you luck in your training as a Psychologist, that can be a very fulfilling line of work.

As far as good points for a Psychologist or any therapist...they should be a good listener, be open-minded, be a good diagnostician, perceptive and compassionate.

The bad points would be someone who is condescending or patronizing to their clients, someone who doesn't listen, someone who truly doesn't want what's best for their client or who is too rigid in their thinking.

Answer 9

The best - is when they are non-judgmental. They sit and listen and listen and listen. At the end, they summarize what you said. They give you a chance to get it out, and I mean all of it.
They don't add what their life is like.

They are reality checks.
They don't just give you a lable. They try to see if you progress at taking better care of yourself from appointment to appointment.

It seems the one that reacted, could be manipulated by tears and/or anything.
When they react, they are not helping us, as they are becoming emotionally involved.
Some have a prejudice for or against you that you must fight in order to get help.

Good ones are hard to find, and mine was originally from Egypt and was educated here as a young man....but after he turned 50 he was well respected in the community.

GOD bless.

Answer 10

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