A lot of people express an interest in studying psychology. In fact, it has long been one of Australia’s most popular undergraduate degree choices. Not everyone who studies psychology has in mind to go on to a career in clinical psychology, or even to pursue studies beyond the undergrad level. For those who do, however, what are the personal attributes and traits that help them to become good psychologists?
1. Their Learning Never Ceases
No psychologist worth their salt would ever declare the end of their formal education to be the end of the learning curve when it comes to a formal career in psychology. They will search online for professional psychology development courses, they will attend lectures and seminars led by the current thought leaders of their profession, they will engage in a never-ending lifetime of reading, absorbing and digesting new ideas.
A good psychologist knows all too well that they live and work in an evolving field and that therefore they cannot sit still and declare that nothing is different or that nothing has changed. They can also therefore never declare that they’ve learned all that they need to know.
2. They Need to Be a Strong Communicator
Psychologists set good stock in communication skills, both the ability to express complex ideas to others and the ability to listen and process the thoughts and input of others. People who seek the help of a psychologist might be suffering from quite a complex condition that takes time and patience to explain and understand.
Psychologists working as professionals within their field also need to communicate their ideas, theories, research findings and more to their peers both in written and spoken form. With new ideas emerging, the level of skill required to communicate radical new thoughts and ideas to one’s peers is very high.
3. They Need to Be Strong Observers
If you’ve ever wondered if you’d make a good psychologist, one useful thing to reflect on is how well you observe the things going on around you. Are you the type of person who doesn’t just see things in front of their eyes, but rather can read into those things and understand them on a different level? Psychologists have to observe on a daily basis, but it takes a deep and empathetic mindset to understand cues like body language, facial expression and other things that other people take for granted.
4. They Need Boundless Patience
When working in the realm of mental health, the processes in helping people overcome their difficulties such as processing trauma can take anywhere from days and weeks to months and years. Where many medical practitioners can put accurate and reasonable predictions on the timeline of their work, it is much less the case when it comes to the work of a psychologist. It’s also true that while many patients they see may exhibit similar traits and have problems or disorders of the same clinical name, the exact conditions vary enough to make each case feel quite unique. To deal with all of that takes a phenomenal amount of patience and understanding.
5. They Need to be Trustworthy
Finally, psychologists who work with patients in counselling sessions become privy to not just sensitive information, but what for these people could be their proverbial deepest, darkest secrets. It’s not easy to share that kind of information, and when people do, it’s because they have enough faith in their psychologist’s discretion and professionalism.
Indeed the sensitive nature of work in psychology does demand a great deal of trust between all parties. Trust is the key that unlocks the hidden levels of mental anguish that defines what’s really wrong with those seeking the help of psychologists, therapists and counsellors.