6 Myths About Psychologists

Everything that is connected to human psychology is very popular nowadays. There are so many books and trainings about psychology that one could think it is pretty an easy profession. But what is it indeed about?

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Myth#1 – Psychologist has to deal with “sick” people anyways. A normal “healthy” person won’t ever go to psychologist

1First of all, psychologist deals with completely healthy people who might have some difficulties at work or private life. Psychiatric deviations are to be cured by a special doctor called psychiatrist. This is a medical specialization. Psychologist, on the contrary, doesn’t have a medical education and even doesn’t have the right to cure.

Psychologist is like a consultant who gives recommendations. For example, psychologist together with his clients can make up a bunch of exercises that can help rest, relax, or on the contrary, concentrate.

Myth#2 – Psychoanalyst and psychologist are the same thing

2In fact, these words are NOT synonyms. Psychoanalysis is just one of numerous directions in psychology with its principles and working specifications. It is the work of a psychoanalyst you see when there is a person lying on a coach and telling about his problems.

Apart from psychoanalysis, there are other categories in psychology within which borders psychologists may work. They are gestalt psychology, cognitive psychology, existential psychology and others. Every approach has its principles and methods of work.

Myth#3 – The main task of every psychologist is to figure out the client’s problem ASAP and give them the most appropriate advice based on an extended life experience

Giving advices is not one of the main tasks of a psychologist. Psychologist mustn’t be sorting out the problems of his client and seek for the solutions. He should help the person create conditions so he can solve his own problems on his own. No one except the person himself can know the solution to his problem better, but there are too many factors interfering and not letting see the clear solution. So the task of the specialist is to create the optimal conditions so the patient is able to deal with himself. And this work is quite uneasy.

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Regarding life experience, it’s not necessary that the psychologist has the same one as the patient. On the contrary, it may only worsen the situation as the psychologist can lay his own problems on the problems of his patients. The experience in solving problems is much more valuable in this particular situation.

Myth#4 – Psychologist shouldn’t have any problems. Otherwise, what a psychologist he is and how can he help people?

4Psychologist is not God. And he can and he does have problems. The only requirement that stands in front of a good specialist is his capability to keep everything under control, especially his own emotions so they don’t interfere into an effective workflow. For this psychologist should also come through psychotherapies from time to time.

Myth#5 – A good psychologist after a short talk can draw a psychological portrait of any person

5The task of a psychologist is not to sort out someone’s life, but to help others do it themselves. That’s why there is no such task as to figure out what kind of personality is standing in front. Such labels attaching shows off not a good specialist indeed as pinning someone a label doesn’t help in detecting the core problem.

Myth#6 – Every person is a psychologist. The difference is that someone has a diploma and someone not

6If the conversations at the kitchen with a cup of coffee can be considered as a psychological help, let it be…there could be some psychological elements in the conversation of two good friends if they are not the type of mentorship like “advices of two girls-friends”.

However, the specification of a real specialist’s work is that he does it consciously. He understands the processes more deeply while interacting with a person which means he manages the whole process. In this case his work is more effective, more professional.

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