If you are not necessarily a "people person" should you avoid the psychology field?
Or can you LEARN to be a good clinical psychologist? I am not 100% confident in my people skills but I am just curious if that is a major issue for this profession.I dont know if I want to be a researcher or what...just some advice please
Answer:
Believe me, you don't need people skills to be a good clinical psychologist. I absolutely have no people skills and if you don't believe me I'll kick your butt. Just kidding, but I had a successful clinical practice for many years without them. You really want to remain detached from your clients anyway. Also there are other things to do besides being a clinician. It all depends on where your talents are. Research is good, so don't downplay it.
to obscure: stay obscure and don't talk about things you know nothing about.
well i think a general interest in people would help
but at the same time you have to be distant
with your own emotional attatchment to other people
the answer really to your Q is 50/50 either way
Sure. I'm not a people person - I hate people. I learn psychology so I can manipulate them and use them for my evil deeds. It's fun. I plan to use my knowledge of psychology to become a lawyer... heh, that's where the real fun will begin. (foreclose homes, help big companies get away w/ murder, fight to restrict the constitution... yeah boy)
No, you don't need to avoid the field. You can learn to become a great clinical psychologist, just like people who are "people persons" can learn (through experiences) to dislike all people. If you really like psychology or find one school of theories particularly appealing, go with it. Maybe not being a "people person" will help you become an exceptionally impartial psychologist because you may be more likely to say what needs to be said not what the client wants to hear or soften the blows. I wouldn't necessarily call Freud a people person. And I don't like people either, I'm extremely introverted, yet received a BS in psychology and am continuing on. It can take extra energy for introverts to develop careers in people-oriented fields, but for most the payoff of helping others and personal growth is worth it.
People can adapt to almost anything...don't underestimate yourself!
I've never been to a psychologist but, have known many people who are or are becoming psychologist. They honestly are all messed up people that have suffered some sort of problem which probably sparks the interest in how the mind works.
Not being a people person is probably fine you'll of coarse want to change that. People have to open up to you. Of coarse the plaque and the confidentiality tends to do most of the work I suppose.
There is a lot of research to support therapist warmth and client success. That is something that is important to therapy. Just a tidbit of experience: Psychologists are allowed to have emotions while being a psychotherapist. Look into Dr. Irvin D. Yalom's "The Gift of Therapy" for more info on that.
With that said, I wouldn't count myself out based on that fact alone. One of the best things you can do is make changes yourself. That experience can be instructive for you as a therapist. I am not sure of your personality either. I mean if you are cold and unwilling to warm up then it may not be the right field for you but I would think that you might avoid it in general anyway if that were the case. I think if it is merely a tendency toward introversion ten I think you are much like the therapists I have met. Most therapists develop and hone those skills and their own tendency toward being an introvert help them to become more insightful and searching with their clients whcih is also a good trait to have.
If you would be willing to try an experiment....attend therapy yourself. Go for at least 20 hours. Talk about this issue in therapy maybe in the beginning. See where it goes. When it is over evaluate your experience. Would you like to do this with others?
I would say it depends. If you a solitary person, but still like to help others and can relate to them, I would think you could do fine. If this describes you I actually think you could be a much better psychologist then the average one. People spend far too much time talking, and to be a good counselor it's really about listening and empathizing. Read up on person centered therapy, which is made for a solitary individual I think. :)
But, if you absolutely do not like people at all, I would think you should not be a counselor, but find something do do alone that you find fulfilling (could be research etc).
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Answer:
Believe me, you don't need people skills to be a good clinical psychologist. I absolutely have no people skills and if you don't believe me I'll kick your butt. Just kidding, but I had a successful clinical practice for many years without them. You really want to remain detached from your clients anyway. Also there are other things to do besides being a clinician. It all depends on where your talents are. Research is good, so don't downplay it.
to obscure: stay obscure and don't talk about things you know nothing about.
well i think a general interest in people would help
but at the same time you have to be distant
with your own emotional attatchment to other people
the answer really to your Q is 50/50 either way
Sure. I'm not a people person - I hate people. I learn psychology so I can manipulate them and use them for my evil deeds. It's fun. I plan to use my knowledge of psychology to become a lawyer... heh, that's where the real fun will begin. (foreclose homes, help big companies get away w/ murder, fight to restrict the constitution... yeah boy)
No, you don't need to avoid the field. You can learn to become a great clinical psychologist, just like people who are "people persons" can learn (through experiences) to dislike all people. If you really like psychology or find one school of theories particularly appealing, go with it. Maybe not being a "people person" will help you become an exceptionally impartial psychologist because you may be more likely to say what needs to be said not what the client wants to hear or soften the blows. I wouldn't necessarily call Freud a people person. And I don't like people either, I'm extremely introverted, yet received a BS in psychology and am continuing on. It can take extra energy for introverts to develop careers in people-oriented fields, but for most the payoff of helping others and personal growth is worth it.
People can adapt to almost anything...don't underestimate yourself!
I've never been to a psychologist but, have known many people who are or are becoming psychologist. They honestly are all messed up people that have suffered some sort of problem which probably sparks the interest in how the mind works.
Not being a people person is probably fine you'll of coarse want to change that. People have to open up to you. Of coarse the plaque and the confidentiality tends to do most of the work I suppose.
There is a lot of research to support therapist warmth and client success. That is something that is important to therapy. Just a tidbit of experience: Psychologists are allowed to have emotions while being a psychotherapist. Look into Dr. Irvin D. Yalom's "The Gift of Therapy" for more info on that.
With that said, I wouldn't count myself out based on that fact alone. One of the best things you can do is make changes yourself. That experience can be instructive for you as a therapist. I am not sure of your personality either. I mean if you are cold and unwilling to warm up then it may not be the right field for you but I would think that you might avoid it in general anyway if that were the case. I think if it is merely a tendency toward introversion ten I think you are much like the therapists I have met. Most therapists develop and hone those skills and their own tendency toward being an introvert help them to become more insightful and searching with their clients whcih is also a good trait to have.
If you would be willing to try an experiment....attend therapy yourself. Go for at least 20 hours. Talk about this issue in therapy maybe in the beginning. See where it goes. When it is over evaluate your experience. Would you like to do this with others?
I would say it depends. If you a solitary person, but still like to help others and can relate to them, I would think you could do fine. If this describes you I actually think you could be a much better psychologist then the average one. People spend far too much time talking, and to be a good counselor it's really about listening and empathizing. Read up on person centered therapy, which is made for a solitary individual I think. :)
But, if you absolutely do not like people at all, I would think you should not be a counselor, but find something do do alone that you find fulfilling (could be research etc).
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