Maybe you are thinking about studying Psychology and want to discover if you have the type of personality and qualities required to practice in this profession. Perhaps, on the contrary, whether you are a graduate or graduate, you are working as a psychologist and want to know how you could improve as a professional. Whatever your reason for being interested in qualities of good psychologists we hope the following descriptions help you.
In this PsychologyFor article we will answer the question of “What does it take to be a good psychologist?”
A good psychologist knows that the number of sessions needed per patient cannot be calculated in the first session. He also knows that sometimes a patient may cancel a session on short notice. A good psychologist is patient in these types of situations and puts himself in the shoes of the person who comes to him.
Knows how to put himself in the patient’s shoes
A psychologist will meet all kinds of people who will have made all kinds of decisions. The patients could have been unfaithful, they could have abandoned a perfect job, they could have stolen, they could have been in jail for years, they could have stopped talking to their parents. The good psychologist is prepared for all types of situations and knows how to accept each of his patients without judging her actions.
He has good concentration
While listening to the patient you will need to discover what problem the patient is experiencing in their particular situation, and how you can help them resolve the situation and feel better. To achieve these two tasks, the good psychologist will have good concentration during the session in which the patient tells him what has happened and how he feels.
It has good organization
What would happen if a psychologist forgets what time or day he has the next session with his patient? What would happen if the psychologist forgets to show up for a previously scheduled session? What would happen if he lost the papers and documents in which he had been writing down and updating his patient’s progress?
You want to improve day after day
To be a good psychologist, having studied a degree is not enough. Acquiring a lot of experience, specializing, learning from your mistakes, learning from other psychologists and acquiring knowledge day after day, staying updated on the latest developments and discoveries in Psychology, are some of the fundamental requirements to practice well as a professional.
Knows how to disconnect from his own problems
During each session it is essential that the professional knows how to put aside his problems to dedicate himself completely to listening to and helping the person speaking to him. The inability to adequately help a patient because our own problems overwhelm us prevents us from being good psychologists.
Must be a good professional
This means not discussing the conversation carried out during the session with other people and not lying about the necessary number of sessions per patient, although a higher number than necessary could benefit the psychologist.
Knows how to adapt to every situation
Helping a person who has been released from prison is not the same as helping a child who wants to drop out of school or who has family problems. Each situation will be different and the psychologist will need to know how to communicate with each of his patients.
He is a good communicator
A psychologist will not only need to know how to listen, but also transmit the knowledge acquired during the degree or specialization. The professional will need to make himself understood in order to help his patient.
A good psychologist has to know how to listen
Interrupting the patient and talking too much are two huge mistakes in the world of psychology. A good psychologist knows how to listen to each of his patients and always gives him the time he needs to express himself during the session. The good psychologist will not only know how to listen like a good friend does, but he will have to show the patient that he is listening, and he will achieve this by looking into the patient’s eyes.
You will also achieve this by asking questions when listening to what the patient is telling you, because in this way you will not only demonstrate that you are listening but will also be able to better understand the situation the patient is going through, and the way of thinking and reflecting. that the patient has.
You will be able to help you better by asking these types of questions while listening to him. Additionally, while listening to the patient you will also need find out what the problem is and how it will be able to help you, so listening will not be enough. You will need to perform both tasks at the same time.
If you want to find professional, empathetic psychologists willing to offer the best therapies, don’t forget to take a look at our section: psychologists near you.
This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to What does it take to be a good psychologist? we recommend that you enter our Cognitive Psychology category.
