Professional Interviews

Professional Interviews Socorro Contreras Psy/480 Elements of Clinical Psychology March 18, 2013 Dr. Carla Wright Professional Interviews Clinical psychology is a broad ranged profession but the main focus is based on assessment, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. Two interviews were obtained so that a comparison can be made between a clinical psychologist and a clinical therapist and the roles both professionals play in mental health. Some special areas are child, adult mental health, substance abuse, and abnormal emotional disturbances (Cherry, 2013).

Therapists are just as important in the treatment of clients. The role in which a therapist plays is counseling one person or a group mostly in psychological or emotional issue. A clinical therapist uses tools to obtain information, such as a questionnaire. It is used to implement treatment. The main role of a clinical therapist is to modify behavior, for example stress by managing stress with relaxation (Dot-Job-Description, 2012). Interview with Dr. Steibe-Pasalich, PhD Dr. Steibe-Pasalich is a director of the counseling center at University of Norte Dame. She has been practicing for since 1978. Dr.

Steibe-Pasalich’s area is individual, and group counseling, also outreach, and crisis intervention. Dr. Steibe-Pasalich also counsels faculty and family members. His specialty area is providing intake and emergency services to the students. She oversees internship programs and supervises unlicensed practioners. She also functions as the chief psychologist. Dr. Steibe-Pasalich does not hold any other special certifications but she has the knowledge to facilitate positive behavior. Dr. Steibe-Pasalich approaches therapy through regular APA standards and does use different techniques for intervention.

Dr. Steibe-Pasalich state her challenges with ethical and legal issues include managing a talented mental health staff in which is respectful. Workload and self-care is just another challenging struggle and learning to delegate tasks appropriately. Dr. Steibe-Pasalich believes the future psychology is balancing the mission of counseling centers on campuses of higher education with respect to treating serious disturbed students while providing preventative outreach to those students experiencing developmental challenges.

Second is the issue of privacy versus the role of consultation with parents and or other university administrators. Another emerging challenge is the role and place of clinical psychologists on threat assessment teams, groups designed to manage and assess risk as it pertains to high-profile or acting out students on college campuses. Another view is the salient issue and the need for education still to be done on campuses in reducing the stigma associated with emotional illness. She enjoys seeing the changes in individuals and enjoys being the director at a higher education setting.

Interview with Kimberly Taylor Livsey, MS, LPC Kimberly practices in an outpatient setting and she treats patients at home as well. Kimberly has been in practice for nine years. Kimberly’s focus is in the child and adolescent population. Her specialty is sexual abuse, sexual offenders, substance users, depression, and anxiety. Some of the most common disorders in which Kimberly treats are Major Depression, Bipolar, General Anxiety, Cannabis Abuse/Dependence, ADHD, Adjustment Disorder, and PTSD.

Certifications can be expensive but Kimberly has had extensive training in additional areas, such as evidenced-based treatments for trauma including TF-CBT and additional coursework in substance abuse treatment. Kimberly approaches treatment by using CBT and behavioral and play techniques. She also mixes other techniques to serve her purpose. The most challenging ethical and legal issue is with insurance companies, which Kimberly believes does not compensate as it should and the other challenge is working with children and not breaking confidentiality with his or her parents and struggle to contact DCFS in some cases.

These cases make it difficult because of ethical guidelines she must follow. It was interesting to know that Kimberly thinks the field of psychology is losing ground because of health coverage but re-energizes when events, such as violent crimes because people need proactive mental health services other than reactive mental health services, which takes stigma away from receiving therapy. Kimberly enjoys about her work is to see the progress in which people make to get better.

Kimberly’s advice to people who want to become either a psychologist or a therapist is stick through the struggles and obtain license right away if a person has the love for helping people. Important emotions to have when becoming a therapist include patience, empathy, and compassion. When reading these two interviews, one can acknowledge the similarities and differences. Both use techniques and therapeutic methods, which bring the change of individuals to achieve positive behavior and a successful lifestyle. Both can treat individual or group and organizations.

Some differences between these two professionals, psychologist will diagnose a mental disorder and works together with a medical doctor. Psychologist can also do research. A therapist can be psychoanalysts, social workers, and counsel marriages and help clients to solve problems also provide guidance (All Psychology Schools, 2013). At the end both professionals work toward making people feel better about him or herself. Reference All Psychology Schools (2013). Therapist vs. Psychologist. Retrieve from http://www. allpsychologyschools. com/psychology-careers/article/therapist- psychologist