By Wilma den Hartigh

Many people, at some stage in their lives, can find they need a little help to deal with life’s challenges. This is when the expertise of a clinical psychologist can make a huge difference.

Psychology, as a discipline, has been popularised by well-known fictional characters such as Dr Frasier Crane in the American sitcom Frasier. However, there are still many misconceptions and a lingering stigma about the profession.

Clinical psychologists specialise in working with people to help them understand, prevent, manage or overcome emotional or mental distress. A clinical psychologist doesn’t prescribe medication, but often works with a psychiatrist who can prescribe medication. In conjunction with the psychiatrist, the clinical psychologist monitors medication and its effects. Most importantly, they use conversation and listening skills to encourage clients in new ways of thinking and feeling.

The clinical psychologist can help someone recognise patterns in their life, together, work out if these are destructive and motivate the person to change. They can work with individuals, children, families, couples or small groups. A clinical psychologist does similar work to that of a counselling psychologist, but would be more versed in mental illness and identifying mental disorders such as bipolar or schizophrenia.

Are you cut out for the job?

Lynne Brady, a Gauteng-based clinical psychologist, says a curiosity about people is one of the most important requirements of the job. “You must enjoy observing and interacting with others and have strong people skills,” Lynne says.

Lynne decided to study clinical psychology after reading a book about multiple personality disorder. “It was fascinating and intellectually stimulating. I thought it would be a challenging career and something I would be interested in doing for a long time,” she says.

She

points out that the job can be emotionally taxing as you are giving of yourself all the time. However, she finds her work interesting and dynamic. “No two days are the same and you are problem-solving all the time. This makes the job very creative for me,” she explains. For Lynne, it’s most rewarding to see people come to an understanding of their illness and finding ways to deal with it.

She says clinical psychologists must always keep in mind that they’re in a position of trust. “You’re dealing with people who are fragile. You must have the ability to assess how your response will affect the person you’re working with,” she says.

A clinical psychologist must be prepared to listen, have empathy, not be judgemental and be patient. You should be willing to take a backseat in a client session.

“You shouldn’t be too flamboyant, otherwise you could overwhelm the other person,” she says.

It’s also beneficial to be a business-minded person. “If you work in private practice, you’re running a business,” she says. You have to keep track of your income and expenses, work with medical aids and adhere to tax regulations.

A dynamic profession

Each year, clinical psychologists have to earn a certain number of continuous professional development (CPD) points, by attending workshops and courses on new developments and research. “Psychology is a dynamic science that’s always changing and developing,” she says. Keep in mind that if you’re in private practice, you have to pay for such courses out of your own pocket.

Although there’s still a bit of stigma associated with the profession, Lynne says that the industry has developed significantly. “Twenty years ago, it was unusual for medical aids to cover psychologists,” she says. Lynne hopes that as society changes, people will become more comfortable with seeing psychologists.