Sunday, July 6, 2014

Professional Interview and Response

Interviewee: Dr. George Ritchie Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist
• In what setting do you practice? How long have you been practicing?
Dr. Ritchie shares a practice with two other clinical psychologists. He has been a practicing clinical psychologist since 1985; however, he taught as a professor for five years while building a private practice with two other clinical psychologists.
• What are your specialties or areas of clinical focus?
Dr. Ritchie specializes in clinical psychology, clinical child & adolescent psychology, adult psychology, and behavioral and cognitive psychology.
• What are the most common disorders you treat?
Common disorders Dr. Ritchie treats are attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), adjustment disorders, depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Do you have any special certifications or training beyond your original graduate coursework?
Yes, certifications or training: the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) certification, applied suicide intervention skills training (ASIST), and continual training in cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT)
• How do you approach therapy or treatment? Do you use specific modalities, techniques, or interventions?
Dr. Ritchie believes in the importance of connecting with his patients in a means that will promote the processes. He believes in using evidence-based treatments proven as effective means for the conditions he treats; as well as Gottman's marital therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Dr. Ritchie takes a caring yet direct approach with his clients.
• What ethical and legal issues do you think are the most challenging or common?
For Dr. Ritchie, ethical and legal issues that he thinks are most challenging or common is maintaining a client’s confidentiality; especially, when clients are children, adolescents, and young adults.
• Do you have an opinion on where you think the field of psychology is heading?
Yes, Dr. Ritchie believes that the field of psychology is heading in a growing direction that is ever expanding in regard to treating clients and patients for varying backgrounds. Also, he is glad to see psychologists are starting to look less like him (a resemblance to Sigmund Freud), and that more resembles society.
• What do you enjoy most about your work?
Dr. Ritchie enjoys most when clients accept and enjoy who they are and are able to reestablish functional relationships with friends and family. Also, he enjoys helping clients make positive changes in their lives.
• What advice would you provide an aspiring psychologist or therapist?
Dr. Ritchie advises that aspiring psychologists or therapists should also find a psychologist to see to lessen the burden of the interactions between themselves and clients or patients, and in regard to how providing empathy and compassion for clients or patients can be overwhelming.

Interviewee: Johanna Covault, Johanna holds a master's degree in social work
• In what setting do you practice? How long have you been practicing?
As a social worker and rape crisis volunteer coordinator, Johanna works in human service agencies, such as domestic violence centers and hospitals. She has been working as a social worker for 14 years.
• What are your specialties or areas of clinical focus?
Johanna’s specialties are working with survivors of child abuse, sexual violence, and domestic violence.
• What are the most common disorders you treat?
The most common disorders that Johanna encounters are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Do you have any special certifications or training beyond your original graduate coursework?
Yes, certifications or training: Certified Domestic Violence Counselor (CDVC), Certified Forensic Counselor (CFC), Certified Sex Offender Treatment Specialist (CSOTS), domestic violence education, and victim advocacy.
• How do you approach therapy or treatment? Do you use specific modalities, techniques, or interventions?
Therapy or treatment approaches occur through family, couples, and individual counseling, trauma-informed counseling, post-traumatic stress debriefings, and play therapy for children. Johanna uses techniques such as support groups, safety planning, and continuing support.
• What ethical and legal issues do you think are the most challenging or common?
The most challenging ethical and legal issues that are most common for Johanna involve courtroom and victim advocacy; whereas, Johanna helps victims and the local police department prove cases of rape and abuse.
• Do you have an opinion on where you think the field of psychology is heading?
Not exactly, but Johanna believes the field of psychology has an important role in terms of her helping and counseling victims.
• What do you enjoy most about your work?
What Johanna enjoys most is being an advocate for women and children of domestic violence and abuse.
• What advice would you provide an aspiring psychologist or therapist?
Gain experience through volunteering before beginning graduate work to help determine the appropriate career path.

Similarities and Differences of Approaches of treatment and Settings
          As for the professional interviewees’ approaches to treatment in their settings, there are varying similarities and differences. In regard to the professional interviewees, one being a clinical psychologist or doctor in a particular field of psychology, and the other being a social worker; there are similarities and differences of approaches to treatment, and the settings where treatment occurs.
Similarities and Differences
            Some similarities exist between how a clinical psychologist and a social worker approach the treatment of a client and in what settings treatment occurs; that is in regard to therapy and the empathy and compassion that clients receive. However, numerous differences exist. Differences of approaches to treatment, and the settings where treatment occurs is a result of differing educational backgrounds, and the differences between the roles of a clinical psychologist and social worker. It is easy to suspect that differing educational backgrounds will lead to differences in approaches to treatment; but, there can also be similarities. However, clinical psychological background provides a clinical psychologist a means of using and applying psychological principles and approaches to treatment. Psychologists receive training or education in psychological principles and approaches that focus on the connections between the brain and disorders and behavior, methods of treating psychological and behavior disorders and problems, and research.
          Whereas, a social worker can have some background in psychology but not as a concentrated background in psychology as a clinical psychologist; therefore, approaches may not always stem from a psychological stance. Important Role of Social Workers (2012), “social work is based on humanitarian and egalitarian ideals and is dedicated to helping individuals, families, groups and communities improve or enhance their social well-being” (p. 1). Social workers receive training or education in helping individual cope with and solve problems that affect their lives and well-being. As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Ritchie approaches treatment in a clinical and private practice setting by applying interviewing techniques, psychological testing, and assessments to determine what if a client is suffering from any psychological and behavioral disorders and problems (Plante, 2011).
          Once uncovering any psychological and behavioral disorders and problems, Dr. Ritchie applies approaches such as cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness-based, and acceptance and commitment therapies as means of treatment. As a social workers, Johanna Covault approaches treatment in public human service agencies by assessing the problems of clients. With a historical involvement in psychotherapy social workers such as Johanna Covault use therapies such as family, couples, individual, and group therapies to help clients heal from psychological or mental, psychical, and sexual abuse (Lieberman, 1987). Similar to one of the functions of a clinical psychologist; however, a clinical psychologist has an invested interest in diagnosis and treatment along with therapy (Mitchell, 1919).  
Conclusion
          While some of what these two professionals do in regard to approaches to treatment is similar in nature along the lines of therapy and empathy and compassion for clients, there are also distinctive differences.

Lieberman, F. (1987). Psychotherapy and the Clinical Social Worker. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 41(3), 369-383.
Mitchell, D. (1919). The Clinical Psychologist. The Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 14(5), 325-332. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/614908371?accountid=458

Plante, T.G. (2011). Contemporary Clinical Psychology (3rd ed). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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