Davis
What types of emotional effects does spending a career helping others have on clinical psychologists?
Having a career goal of clinical psychology, it is difficult to find sources that discuss the "downside" of career choices. #psychology #clinical-psychology #therapy #counseling
2 answers
Samukelisiwe Mthembu
Samukelisiwe’s Answer
This question naturally brings on a myriad of answers, as well as debates, but I'll try to limit my response by basing it on my personal experience.
Firstly, any career that requires helping others is, not only, emotionally and physically taxing but also soul changing. There is a milieu that one needs to familiarise themselves with, mostly regarding your own immortality and accepting the chaos in the world, as well as, knowing when you should or shouldn't help, and when you actually can. Considering the aforementioned, a psychologist is constantly faced with 'doom', which naturally brings on anxiety and depression; the very same things that a psychologist is required to treat.
The truth is life is unpredictable and the world is a scary place. I have found that frequently being faced with the nature of mankind's existence creates a crisis of the unknown. This means psychologists may sit with feelings of incompetency when realising that the nature of the business (psychology) may actually mean not fixing at all but providing the conditions that allow for positive improvement. To this end I have found myself grappling with meaning, purpose, and what therapeutic change is. This brings on emotions of nihilism and also challenges the psychologist to be able to 'hold the space': empathising and being a support for the patient whilst they face an unchanging adversity i.e. the death of a family member.
Secondly, you are faced with your own problems by analysing other peoples problems. The more you familiarise yourself with psychological jargon the more you are able to put a name to some of the behaviours that are maladaptive in your own life. This brings on a criticism of self and of others close to you, making the idea of perfection or even happiness seem more illusive. I have found I have become more aware of myself, family members, and friends. Some senior psychologists have become very good at separating work and their personal lives, but for me shutting off the psychologist in me after working hours is still a work in progress. This ongoing psychological awareness brings on anxiety. It is as if you start to see the world inside of you and the world around you in such a different light; you begin to put understanding first before judging because anyone could be a patient even yourself. This sense of responsibility or skill makes it difficult to enjoy the company of people as you may see the pathology more instead of the person. For me this has meant isolation is more rewarding, not very good in a society where survival often means relying on or communicating with others.
Lastly, finding the balance of emotions is very difficult. For example, if you have just seen a patient who's partner cheated on them, and the description of their partner reminds you of your partner, this may make it difficult to go home and not create a problem that wasn't there to begin with.
Moreover, in psychodynamic terms they refer to the inability of a therapist to remain objective as countertransference. This is when the patient ignites something emotional or a feeling within you (transference) and you are unable to respond or react in an objective manner. Being able to separate your patients problems from your own requires an emotional balance which is very difficult to achieve. Simply, you have to try every single day to neutralise yourself from your patients experiences and emotions, thus not letting them become a burden to you. This entails self-care, and often seeking out your own therapist to help you balance your professional acumen and personal life.
Samukelisiwe recommends the following next steps:
Elaine Crawley
Elaine’s Answer
It has now been 20 years since I worked as a mental health therapist within an adolescent facility - and still the effects impact my life and my current career in secondary education. One hard part is that I now am FAR more aware of the dark side of human nature; I know that somewhere among the houses I drive past in my neighborhood there are destructive relationships secretly at work. I'm aware that many youth in the foster care system in my state are experiencing emotional trauma and significant hurts. When I am walking the corridors of a high school, I know that there is an undercurrent of deep need hiding below the boisterous, seemingly happy traffic between classrooms.
Being on guard against countertransference is essential, and requires the ability to take a step back and honestly review your own emotional landscape. Establishing and maintaining boundaries between work and personal life is critical. Samukelisiwe Mthembu described this well in the prior answer.
The magnificent side of the career is that on occasion, you will have a tangible awareness that something you helped support made a true difference in a life. That has happened twice for me in a very big way and those moments are still the biggest "paycheck" I've ever received in my life. Two young people that I worked with sought me out years later just to share that they were now thriving as adults. As a professional, you will never be able to seek out what became of the people you have worked with; that would be completely inappropriate (boundaries!!!). But every now and then, through no action of your own, you learn that you did help someone choose a better pathway for themselves.
Elaine recommends the following next steps: