Interview With a Professional

Clinical therapists can work as either psychologists or clinical counselors. While the two areas overlap in several aspects, some distinctions still exist. For instance, as opposed to clinical counselors, clinical psychologists attend to a variety of patients as well as patients with severe conditions. Clinical therapists are involved in identifying, examining, and treating emotional and mental health disorders. They also work with outreach agencies and mental health facilities. Further, clinical therapists may engage in social work and group or individual practice. This paper presents information gathered in an interview with a clinical therapist ( insert name, professional title, academic degree, number of years of experience ). 

What is your educational background? 

I am a trained psychologist living and working i n ( insert ) . I studied general psychology at the University of ( insert ) and graduated magna cum laude . I later went on to pursue my master's degree in developmental psychology ( confirm ) at the University of ( insert ) and later did my doctorate in Developmental Psychology ( confirm ) at the University of ( insert ) . My formal training spanned eight years of dedicated study of various theories before I pursued certification from the American Psychological Association. I also worked under the tutelage of professionals during my two - year internship to fully understand the various psychological schools of thought and their various applications. This would allow me to understand which situations called for certain approaches over others . 

What inspired you to practice psychology? 

I was curious about the way individuals acted and what fuelled those specific traits in people. However, the biggest push was the loss of my childhood friend during my final year of high school. He experienced depression that everyone dismissed a s typical teen angst. However, the situation ended with him taking his own life. I spent a lot of time feeling guilty about what had happened to him. I felt responsible for what happened to him because as his friend, I did not notice how serious his pain was. As I grew older, I realized that even if I had noticed how dire his situation had been, I would not have had the tools to help him. The only option would have been to make someone else aware of the situation , specifically s omeone who had been trained in how to help. This realization led to a desire for me to become the person who people could call upon to help heal the kinds of wounds that were not physical. It was this that made me want to study psychology. On a lighter note, I also idolized Sigmund Freud because of push ing the idea that the mind could be influenced by events it did n o t even register. His bravery in pushing an idea so novel with such self-surety made me want to be like him. I also wanted to be a renegade scientist in a field as important as psychology . 

What are some of the challenges you face in your profession? 

My biggest challenge has always been overcoming my empathy towards my patients' pain. A lot of what one deals with as a psychologist involves trying to guide someone towards a solution. On the one hand, a psychologist needs to be empathetic and understand the pain and anxiety presented by patients from their perspectives in order to truly relate to them. On the other hand , impartiality is needed from the psychologist in order to allow him or her to find solutions without getting tangled in the patients' emotions, therefore keeping him or her level-headed. The challenge comes in attaining a balance between these two aspects in order to provide the best possible care and give proper guidance towards a solution.

Another challenge involves creating a good rapport with the patient. To truly help your patients, it is essential that they can share their pain and concerns fully. This requires that they trust the psychologist. This trust can only be built convincing the patient that they are genuinely connected to the psychologist . Patients s hould also feel that the psychologist is genuinely invested in their well being and that they can share their issues without reservation. Creating such a rapport is not always easy because many patients are either very reserved, uncomfortable with opening up, or skeptical of the whole process of psychology. It takes a psychologist some time to create a rapport with these people in a way that provides them with enough confidence to trust and share. The situation is made particularly challenging by the fact that psychologist s have to analyze each person and choose a path to connect to them on an individual and case - by - case basis. However, this is the beauty of the field as overcoming this hurdle can be very rewarding . 

What are some of the challenges we face as a society? 

I think a key challenge for society today is the fiction of constant happiness. Daily, we are bombarded with commercials and stories that insist that consuming a product will make one happier and that unhappiness is indicative of a disease. Articles in magazines and a lot of entertainment shows in the media also keep pushing an ideali z ed lifestyle which purports to give happiness once a given standard is attained and that failure to achieve that standard will make one miserable. Social media exasperates the issue by inundating the devices we have with photos of individuals constantly having the times of their lives. This leaves most people feeling that if they are n ot happy, they are failing in life. This can lead to a constant feedback loop of negative thoughts and emotions that make one sink d eeper into depression. I think it is necessary that we realize that it is okay not to be happy . Sadness has its place in our lives, and the fact that we go through it should not lead to a constant need for us to imbibe drugs that lift the spirits to dull the pain or seek escape through distractions. A nother issue is the aggressive despair we feel towards how things are in the world. The challenge here is that it has led many people to conclude that there is no need to make an effort in attempting to solve the problems that the world face s . This has led many people to be either unconcerned towards problems or, if they are aware of them, to make no effort to re solve them.

Who do you find to be a source of inspiration? 

I draw inspiration from stories of great people who overcame what seemed like insurmountable odds to go ahead and achieve great things. Such s tories espouse the idea that one can shape their world through sheer will. I find this idea ve r y comforting because overcoming psychological conditions requires a lot of will. The fact that success is achievable through willpower and effort supports the notion that one can find success in solving their psychological challenges through willpower among other methods . 

What benefits does general psychology offer the world? 

Psychology, first and foremost, brings to light the diseases of the mind that, while not as visually noticeable as other physical ailments such as cancer and autoimmune diseases, can be just as debilitating to those who suffer them. It also serves to classify and categorize the illnesses of the mind and formali z e the pursuit of means to manage or cure them. This allows for the collection of vast information on the diseases of the mind. This, in turn, facilitates faster, more accurate diagnosis and quick application of the most appropriate aid.

What benefits does your profession offer others? 

This profession provides a wealth of information towards understanding the mind. The easiest connection would be how psychology works in tandem with traditional medicine to establish a better understanding of diseases and how the mind and body affect each other. For example, psychological care can be worked into the treatment of chronic ailments such as cancer in order to make the treatments more effective. This is due to the proven connection between mental well-being created by a positive attitude and how it works towards increasing the efficiency of treatments in those who are terminally ill.

Psychology also has its uses in the corporate world as it can serve as a tool in human resource management . By having a trained psychologist in an office, it is possible for a business owner to understand the mental constitutions of his or her workers at an intimate level. One is also able to understand what best motivates the employees as well how they are suited to various tasks and roles as part of a team. These insights can facilitate the better division of responsibilities among workers ensuring that a job is handled by the individual best suited for it. This information also allows one to make better decisions when recruiting to ensure that the hired individuals fit the company culture. All these aspects work towards achieving the company’s goals faster, and more efficiently.

What was your most memorable moment from college? 

I once attended a freshman mixer organized by the college student body while pursuing my undergraduate degree. While I was there, I met a beautiful girl, and we spent the rest of the evening discussing various topics, all the while learning from each other. We left the party later and walked all around campus, enjoying each other’s company. We later dated for six years, all through my graduate and undergraduate classes. We now have two children, but all the while, the memory of that long walk through the campus has stuck with me.

What do you intend to achieve in the long-term? 

I hope to contribute to the understanding of the human mind and how it dictates our actions by adding to the information we already have. I plan to achieve this through continued experimentation, the collection of data and offering my opinions in peer - reviewed papers in order to better the quality of research that is done. T his way, I can add to the knowledge that we already have on the mind just like those who came before did.

What do you intend to achieve in the short-term? 

My short term goal is to establish a practice that provides proper care, primarily targeted at children, teenagers, and young adults . I feel that th e s e groups of individuals are especially vulnerable in our society today , in this age of information. Since they are tech savvy, they are exposed to vices of this world early and therefore it is necessary that they are given better and targeted care to ensu re t hat they can cope wit h the world. I believe that this way, I will be able to secure a better-prepared generation that wholly understands itself, and those around them.

What is your legacy? 

My legacy will be the work that I leave behind for the betterment of the field of psychology, and the joy in the lives of the those that I help achieve mental health through my work . 

What is your favorite psychological theory? 

My favorite psychological theory is known as the realistic conflict theory. It posits that conflict happens when people who hold negative prejudices about each other also have to compete over resources. A Turkish-American psychologist known as Muzafer Sherif attempted to test this theory and figure out what it would take for rivals to overcome their differences and begin to work together. He did this using the Robber’s Cave experiment. In this experiment conducted in 1954, Sherif got two groups of boys who were all around 12 years old. Each group consisted of 11 boys who did not know each other at first . The boys were allowed to mingle within each group but without know ledge of the existence of the other group of boys. One group came to call themselves the Rattlers with the other naming themselves the Eagles. Soon, a conflict began to brew between the two groups as psychologists disguising themselves as camp counselors engineered scenarios where resources were consumed by one group and the scarcity blamed on the other. This led to actual physical conflict between the two group s. However, when the groups were integrated and given combined tasks, even without enough tools to complete those tasks, the boys got things done together. T his theory gives hope that the world only needs to find shared goals and cooperative efforts to get rid of the conflict.

Who is your favorite psychologist? 

My favorite psychologist is Albert Bandura. Bandura was a psychologist who tried to understand learning and personality. On learning, he studied how people learn by building on the work of previous psychologists who worked on associative learning. Associative learning was a school of thought which posited that people learn mostly through conditioning where good actions get them rewards and bad actions get them punishments, leading to one wanting to do good actions. H owever , Bandura thought that this did not fully encompass the way humans learn and thought that the social aspect was also critical, especially that we learn by watching others do. In 1961 he conducted an experiment in Stanford University where he had children play with an inflatable clown doll after watching an adult play with it. He noticed that if the child had seen an adult be ing violent to the doll beforehand, he or she was more likely to play with the doll violently to the point of even attacking it with a hammer. Conversely , if the child had seen an adult play kindly with or ignore the doll, the child would not be violent to the toy. This showed that some learning is indeed cognitive, done through pure mimicry.

On personality, his theory into one’s personality is known as the social cognitive theory. The theory posits that personality is determined by both the traits people have and the social context in which they find themselves . He theori z ed that while people learn a lot through social interactions by mimicking behavior , they should also pay attention to how those social interactions affect their behaviour. This interplay between how a person’s traits lead him or her to certain social interactions which in turn reinforce the person’s traits is known as reciprocal determinism.

Who is your favorite author? 

Adiche Chimamanda Ngozi. She is a Nigerian author whose style of writing allows you to sink into the mind of the characters and the struggles they are experiencing.

What is your favorite book? 

Tom Clancy’s Into The Storm. This is an interesting tale of the Iraq War of 2003 from the perspective of General Fred Franks Jr. (Ret.).

How has advancing your education improved your life? 

Education has allowed me to expand my thoughts and broaden the information I ca n access. This has allowed me to see things in a positive light and access a broader understanding of not just my world, but my place in the world . Seeing the bigger picture allows me to be a better human being in general as I can empathi z e with different opinions and therefore champion my ideas in a better way. This has allowed me to have a sense of satisfaction in what I do. Education has also allowed me to access better work opportunities in a field I enjoy, making me much happier.

How has advancing your education improved the lives of others? 

E ducation has given me skills that I have traded for gainful employment , in the process assisting the sick . This has allowed me to be a better provider for my family, giving them access to better education, health care and lifestyle than I had growing up. My education has also made me a better member of society, allowing me to be more appreciative of what I have because I know what lack can do to a society. This has allowed me to take care of my environment better and ensure that I add to the world, rather than take away.

What are your future educational goals? 

I wish to seek more undergraduate degrees in fields of study such a philosophy. My pursuit of more education now is geared towards leisure than the pursuit of tradable skills.

Do you believe that education is a continued journey? 

Yes. Education should never stop. While it would be good to continue seeking formal training in a field as long as both finances and time allow, I believe that it is informal learning that should continue all through one ’ s life. One should always try and access information from different areas and learn from it. I think this is the aspect of life that has benefited the most from the internet as information now is very easy to access.

Have you encountered any obstacles in your journey? 

I have encountered obstacles that range f rom financial constraints to emotional crisis involving questioning my purpose. I have realized the best way to overcome adversary is to ask myself why I want what I want. Holding on to purpose is one of the best ways to keep oneself afloat when going through a struggle. It is also critical to surround oneself with trustworthy friends so as to maintain f ocus while relaxing when required. 

Conclusion

The interview ee highlighted that one’s paramount desire should be the betterment of fellow men. The interviewee studied in various schools, speciali zing in developmental psychology given his desire to work with children and young adults. He drew his inspiration to study psychology and work with children from a tragedy in his childhood where he lost a friend to suicide. This pushed him to want to help others in similar situations. His desire to help is driven by the empathy he has towards similar situations involving troubled youth . He reckons that psychologist should be impartial . A key challenge for the society today is the increased access to information among the young which has led to their increased awareness of the world’s vices. This has led to desensitization or a depressive state caused by a feeling of overwhelming negativity. He cites that it is through willpower that one can change their state of mind and situation and uses stories of people who overc a me adversity through sheer will to prove this point . According to the interviewee, psychology serves the world by dealing with the mental state of people which is extremely important. At a more personal level, he argues that h e will contribut e to the world by increasing the psychological data available as well as making the lives of others better . He reckons that one should never stop learning as learning allows him or her to grow. The interviewee’s line of reasoning has inspired me to pursue psychology not just as a means of increasing my state in life, but also in service of my fellow men in order to make life better for all. I also learned that I should always pursue the betterment of myself through continued study . This w ill, in turn, make my work better, thus improving the world’s health and knowledge in the service of all men .