BLOG | 29 OCT 2021
Psychologists: WHy we do what we do
There is a commonality in human suffering. I do not believe that any one person has lived their entire life without experiencing some type of suffering. Everyone’s experience and the way that they view and cope with the suffering is individual and different; however, the feelings can be quite similar. Sadness, stress, anger and grief are all emotions, and just like happiness, joy and excitement, they can bring people together. It is common that people only want to talk about and share happy emotions and life successes, and find it difficult to talk about those harder life experiences and emotions. A space is needed for people to talk about these hard times and difficult emotions where they feel safe, and I really wanted to provide that space for people. I feel so honoured and privileged to have people share their lives with me, the good and the bad. To be a small part of somebody’s story as they forge their own path forward to where they need and want to be.
I find being a psychologist so rewarding, to see clients come in (mostly at their darkest times) and then to grow, develop and change, and start living the lives they want to live. When I first started studying psychology the main reason I wanted to be a psychologist was to help people. I now want to be a psychologist to help people help themselves. It is a subtle difference, but I have learnt that it is so much more valuable for people to learn to help themselves, and that that is where we see long term change. This makes my job an odd one in a way, because my primary goal is to make myself redundant.
I love being a psychologist because I have learnt so much from my clients and continue to do so every day. I can’t help but be inspired by my clients, seeing how strong they are to share their stories and vulnerabilities and to have the courage to strive for a better life for themselves. I am also challenged by my clients as their stories and experiences offer a different perspective to my own. I can honestly say that I do learn something new every day. Also, no two people are the same and that means every hour of my job is something different. Being a psychologist is a lot of fun and makes me happy, I really enjoy the amazing moments I share with my clients and feel that I am living a life in line with my values.
By Caitlin PIKE
Psychologist
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