Originally published: . Volume 1, No. 9. Source pages: 14.
The public thinks all psychologists do therapy. They really have no appreciation of the role our professors play in providing an important body of knowledge that helps shape our clinical skills.
I get the impression that even the therapists among us sometimes forget the importance of our more scientifically oriented colleagues, particularly those who hold faculty appointments in our colleges and universities.
As a clinician who has completed your doctorate and received your license how often have you conferred with a professor from your alma mater on a theoretical clinical issue or pressing practical matter?
I realize that, once licensed as a psychologist, what’s happening in the psychology department that finally saw fit to reward you with a degree may seem to be part of your past, with little relevance for your future.
However, what distinguishes psychologist therapists from other therapists is that we do have an esteemed group of professors who use the scientific method to collect the data that helps verify the effectiveness of our various treatment methodologies.
That evidence-based practice is built on a foundation provided by our academic colleagues, and the connection between the two worlds, science and practice, has been lost, or at the very least, is in serious need of repair.
What does this have to do with media matters? Everything. We want and need the public to value us and choose us as their source of knowledge and service, and we are worthy of being their first choice.
Decades ago the simplest distinction was that psychiatrists prescribe, psychologists test, and social workers treat. Today the boundaries are blurred. Some psychologists prescribe, some social workers test, some psychiatrists treat, and LPCs exist in great numbers, adding to the confusion. Meanwhile, what has been true from our conception is that we are a science-based profession. We were born in a research lab. We practitioners and scientists need to remember this distinction, renew our appreciation of and relationships with each other, and let the public know we are their best choice!
Please email comments to Dr. Dardard at mediaservices@drsusandardard.com.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.