PSYCHOLOGY TALKS 2011BY DR GREGOR LANGE (NUS)27 JAN 2011, THURSDAY, LT12

Background of SpeakerSenior LecturerClinical Superviser, CHPC, NUSClinical Pyschologist, Private PracticeBorn in GermanyB.A. (Hons) Psychology, UCD, Dublin, Ireland MSc. Applied Psychology, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland- Short 1-year course- Took all clinical modules- Sound theoretical basis- Can do this course first to accumulate experience first before applying to a

Clinical course again

D.Psyc.Sc, UCD, Dublin- 3-year applied course- Practical clinical experience

Ireland Public Health Services sponsor your studies, which can be costly- Bond of 2+ years- Scholarship is still ongoing- Criteria may be more stringent for non-European citizens

Clinical Psychology is a wonderfully creative degree that allows you to explore many different options- Dr. Lange participated in staff training in NGOs in Vietnam- Manager of counseling serves- Moved to Singapore in Jan 2010 to become a full-time lecturer- Shortage of clinical psychologists in Singapore- Also enables work in private practice

On becoming a clinical psychologist

Aim to set yourself apart due to the intensive competition Make yourself unique to grab the attention of the interviewer Be strategic and plan your professional path early

- Choose a university that suits your interests, timeline and financial ability- Don’t limit your options

Fulfill the criteria that will strengthen your application to a Masters in Clinical program e.g. Work experience

Planning during school term will help you Believe in yourself, as confidence is an important attribute. Don’t give up. Even high-flyers may not get selected due to the stiff

competition. Put in a lot of effort

- Study hard- Accumulate experience first

Why become a clinical psychologist?

High demand profession- Pretty recession-proof- Huge shortage in Singapore in hospitals, private practice clinics- Good job opportunities for the next 10 years- Worth the effort

Many work options- Clinical work (Child, Adult, Specialist)- E.g. Neuropsychology, IMH- Teaching- Research- Consulting (E.g. Task force for problem gambling)

Stable career and good pay (?)- Varied work scope- Income depends on the amount of work you do

o E.g. Publish books, Lecturing, Private practice- Interesting and exciting job: no two clients are the same

o Dr. Lange works with a variety of patients. 1 or 2 cases were up to a year. Average patient time is from 10 to 20 sessions.

You can get to help people

You can influence public policy and clinical psychology in Singapore (and around the world)- Take part in policy formation- Make an impact to communities

New and rapidly developing discipline- Modern technology for therapy

Possibility to work across disciplines- Work with doctors, nurses, parents and children

Challenging and rewarding- Making a difference to patients’ lives- Influence on policy making

How to become a clinical psychologist

Academic Requirements:- Study hard!- Ideally First Class Honours, Min 2nd Upper/ 2.1- Standard is very high- Many people are competing for very limited places- Any other clinically relevant courses? (Set yourself apart.)

o E.g. Do external evening classes, weekend classes, extra experience will boost your application CV

Research experience:- Do your Honours Thesis!- To secure an interview by demonstrating the ability to take up a research

task- Choose a clinically relevant topic for your Honour Thesis- Talk about your thesis in the interview- Aim for awards and funding for your thesis to distinguish yourself- Work as a research assistant

o E.g. Photocopying questionnaire, entering data into SPSSo You can start early, but your level of expertise will determine the type

of work you can do.o Actively search for ongoing projects, email professors and graduate

students, offer them free labour. o Start early, you can even start in your first semester.o The sooner the better, the more the better.

- Publish your works!o Even your undergraduate thesiso You can publish your works in Student Society publications, or

newsletters for Singapore Psychological Society (SPS)o To set you apart from the other candidates

Relevant Work Experience:- Volunteer in a clinical setting to get a wealth of experience

o Start early! Try any organizations that deal with people and broad mental health issues

o E.g. Local church counseling service, IMH volunteer programs, VWOs, Family Service Centres

- Network with professionals and they may offer you opportunities- You have to take the initiative! And make the commitment!- Key is to work with a variety of clients and presenting issues- Or find paid work (which can be rare and difficult)- Do long-term volunteering to show your commitment and a longer

learning curve- Start early and find organizations to volunteer in, it will be easier than you

think. Many organizations are under-staffed.

Key skills and Personal traits:- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

o Able to relate to different peopleo Develop these skills by volunteering

- Analytical skills- Friendly, warm and easy-going personality

o To establish trust and good rapport with the patients- Adaptive and culturally sensitive

o Work setting is not rigid and dynamico Varied styles of communicationo Different work routines and disorders

- Non-judgmental and open-minded- Independent work and team skills

o Being able to establish good relationships and negotiate o Work across disciplineso Try to demonstrate this in your CV and interviewo Sell yourself both on paper and interview

- Scientist-Practitionero Be both actively involved research and evaluate it to be scientifically

sound, with clinical value and:o Have hands-on experience with patients

- Other skillso Patience! (Key ability as treatment can go very slowly or in the

wrong direction)o Resilience under stress

The Interview- Prepare- Practise- Exude confidence and professionalism. Go for interview training

workshops- Talk to someone who went for the interview

- Take control of the interview and talk actively about your experiences- Stay calm and professional

Challenges of becoming a clinical psychologist

Highly competitive to achieve qualification

Stressful and long training- NUS: 2 years- US: up to 5 years- Learn intensive new information and applying it

High caseload (especially in the public health sector)- Working with many clients- Be mindful not to take on too many cases

Lack of supervision- From senior psychologists- Shortage of seniors in Singapore to conduct supervision- Workplace may not accommodate such supervision

Requires lifelong training - Continuous professional development- Lifelong learning in attending courses, reading journals

Multi-tasking

Stressful cases- Dealing with suffering and unhappiness daily- Decide on whether this is what you really want

Risk of burnout

Client suicide- Stressful event- Manage your own distress- Don’t romantize the work that you will be doing

Manage your own psuchological helath- Seek help when necessary- Discuss with your supervisors

Not a good idea to become a clinical psychologist if your aim is to…

To solve your own problems and understand yourself - Will become a barrier- It often shows up in your application

To solve your family/friends’/partners’ problems- Shows immature and insufficient thought to clinical work

To solve everyone’s problems

To heal the world- Show that you are firmly grounded in reality in your application

If you can’t even manage your own emotions

If you can’t separate your work and personal life

Other Options/Alternatives to Clinical Psychology

Masters in Clinical Psychology- Can practice in Singapore and Australia- But not in US (at least Doctorate level)

Doctorate (Psy.D, D.Psych.Sc)

PhD. Clinical Psychology

2 year, 3 year, 5 year + Programmes

Apply for more courses, local and overseas

Plan and investigate the research interests in the various schools- Find out more information from offices, professors, students- Plan what you want to do when you graduate

US Programs- Competitive, but there are many schools- Expensive- PhD route: 5 years (Better for theoretical training and a future in research),

1 year Post-Doc internship- Psy.D route: 3 years. More practical hands-on training (Better if you want

quicker clinical qualification and practical work)- More prestigious schools give you an edge

When to enter a Master’s program

- Work experience is often a pre-requisite, so most likely you will have to work before applying for Master’s

- You need to invest time in activities to distinguish yourself- Honours thesis is a requirement- Try many schools (e.g. Australia)

Similar work/ Other options if you do not get into Clinical Psych- Masters by research- Counselling psychology- Clinical neuropsychology (MSc/Ph.D)- Forensic psychology- Educational psychology- Special Education- PhD research- Bottom line: Don’t limit yourself! You may return to Clinical Psych again in

the future. All your experiences and qualifications will help you. Plan your route and how it can help you to achieve your goal.You may take different routes, you may take a longer time.

Envision your future In Singapore, Australia? Which area of work? Which population? Which setting? For the time being, get experience in different areas to identify your own

interests or rule out those you don’t enjoy! The only way to find out beforehand is to get yourself involved. Put in effort to volunteer.

Q&A

1) Besides work experience and volunteering, what other activities can you engage in to boost your CV?- Anything clinically relevant- Even in other fields of psychology- Take external modules, summer school

2) How established is the NUS Master’s Programme?- It is very new, getting more applications- NUS-Melbourne is a joint degree (3 years)

o Vacancies around 5, depending on the calibre of the applicants- NUS only is 2 years

- Theories and practical syllabus are essentially similar- Check the website for full information

3) How is the Master’s thesis like?- Topic will be of your interest.- Need to find a supervisor- You can get access to clinical populations, but you need to get ethical

approval first- Start your thesis in the middle of the first year- Start with coursework and practicum first- Full schedule is on the website

4) Where can we find established and affordable PsyD research programs?- Do your own research and double-check.- Look online and in libraries

5) What is the main difference between public and private practice?- Public: Salaried worker

o Organization dictates how many and which type of clients you are going to see

- Private: You are the bosso You decide your client number and population, charges.o Set up your own office, form associates with other practitioners o Advertise yourselfo Network with doctors to get referrals to yourself

6) Given your amount and variety of work, do you suffer from burn-outs?- You need to manage your work-life balance- Dr. Lange exercises regularly and is good at managing his work schedule- Many programs make it compulsory for trainee psychologists to go for

psychological assessment/counseling/therapy

7) Different psychologists work different according to their own approaches and styles?- Absolutely.- Most programs train you in the more established therapies.- But ultimately how you decide to practice is your own decision.

8) How do you deal with client suicide?- The most difficult professional crisis- Share with your peers and supervisors- Learn your code of conduct and precautionary measures and minimize

such instances

- Learn to move on and learn from experience

9) What is like in a clinical placement?- Placement in own clinic to supervise- Start with easier cases- With experience you will handle more complex cases- 2nd placement may be at the IMH, hospital- Lots of paperwork and reports to be done after seeing patients- Lots of research- Remember scientist-practitioner- Part of your practice

10)What is that keeps you going? What is your greatest satisfaction?- Varies - Last year Dr. Lange did not see any patients - Took a break - Having a good mix of different jobs helps too.

If you have more queries, feel free to email Dr. Lange.

Disclaimer: The above notes were taken down to the best of our abilities during the course of the talk. NUSPsyche is providing this for the benefit of students who were interested in the talk but unable to attend due to various reasons. We shall not be responsible for any changes in the information or uncovered topics during the talk.