Human Dynamics Wk 1 Journal
My end goal is a clinical psychologist. A clinical psychologist offers counseling services to patients by assessing their emotional and mental disorders using scientific theories and methods. Efficient interpersonal communicational skills, among others, are essential. He/she must have the ability to listen actively and speak with the patients about their issues.
Communication skills; Clinical psychologists, in most cases, gather information on patient’s mental disorders and illnesses using interactions with clients and interviewing techniques (Duverge, 2020). They counsel their patients and involve themselves in interactive therapies to produce notes or reports after each session (Mahuron, 2020). Therefore, a clinical psychologist must be aware of the sociocultural norms of different cultures, communicate effectively with different people, and be able to protect each patient’s information and adhere to ethical principles.
Analytic skills; Clinical psychologists have a responsibility in interpreting the information they get from their patients from assessments, interviews, and records, evaluation of this information against given factors helps in identifying and diagnosing disorders. They should also have the skills and knowledge of therapies and the development of efficient need-based treatment plans. Besides, they should have the ability to evaluate options that make sound and implement decisions.
Thinking skills; psychologists tap into a variety of thinking skills, from analytical skills for research to problem approaches during treatments (Alyson, 2020). Often psychologists experience complex issues the call for multiple approaches. They must think logically to come up with practical solutions, and they should know to apply different problem-solving strategies in different cases. Reasoning skills give psychologists the ability to see links and connect issues that seem unrelated. This means that they should view human behaviors in a broader view rather than on the details of an individual in a specific case.
Science skills, clinical psychologists use objective research methods that are backed scientifically when treating and diagnosing mental disorders. They don’t need to memorize every study or theory, but they require knowledge of general studies and have an understanding of how to interpreting them. To evaluate and interpret data effectively, they should think and reason scientifically.
Interpersonal skills; a clinical psychologist must be empathetic to the situation of the client and develop the required relationship to treat the disorder. The clinical psychologist does not offer the solution directly; he/she needs to win the trust of the patient to solve the problem much faster (Interpersonal Skills, 2020). He/she accomplishes this by resolving conflicts, offering emotional support, and educating others.
To achieve better communication skills, clinical psychologists should set the following goals; recognize and appreciate different cultural norms in different individuals. For example, in Finnish culture, maintaining eye contact shows that one is approachable while it is a sign of anger in Japanese culture. Secondly, learn to understand that gender differences influence nonverbal communication; that is, men and women have different ways of expressing themselves non-verbally. Thirdly, one should learn to regulate their emotional reactions as it is essential in a psychologist’s career to avoid provoking or embarrassing the patient (Griffin, 2020). Lastly, I should also teach myself when to talk and when to speak to ensure effective communication with the client.
To achieve better analytical skills, I should read different cases in books or other sources and try to solve them, whether with my colleagues or my instructor. Such may expose me to many different situations. The same case applies to science skills where much reading, understanding, and testing is necessary for batter understanding of the patient. For interpersonal skills, I should practice interviewing my friends and ensure that they leave feedback. Such practices may help improve on my career and ensure effectiveness in my job.
References
Alyson, J. (2020). What Skills & Aptitudes Must You Have to Be a Psychologist? Chron, 1-5. Retrieved from https://www.tuw.edu/psychology/important-skills-needed-psychologist/
Duverge, G. (2020). 6 Important Skills Needed to Be a Psychologist. Tauro University Worldwide, 1-4. Retrieved from https://www.tuw.edu/psychology/important-skills-needed-psychologist/
Griffin, T. (2020). How to Develop Interpersonal Skills. 2-6. Retrieved from https://www.wikihow.com/Develop-Interpersonal-Skills
Interpersonal Skills. (2020). Skills You Need 2-6. Retrieved from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/interpersonal-skills.html
Mahuron, S. (2020). Skills That a Clinical Psychologist Should Have. Chron, 1-5. Retrieved from https://work.chron.com/skills-clinical-psychologist-should-5474.html