Top 10 Qualities of a Great Psychologist

Psychology is a rapidly-growing profession, and specialties

abound in the field. To be successful in the psychology field,
one must have certain qualities. A great psychologist should
have:
An Interest in Continuing Education: A great psychologist
pursues continuing education opportunities to keep abreast with
new research and other developments in the psychology
world.
Communication Skills: A great psychologist has excellent
written and oral communication skills and can effectively
communicate with diverse groups of people.
Compassion: A great psychologist is very compassionate and
can empathize with a patient's pain and other difficulties. They
are able to put patients at ease and make people feel
comfortable.
Emotional Stability: A great psychologist has solid emotional
footing and is able to handle the stress and emotional turmoil
working with distressed individuals can cause.
Ethics: A great psychologist has a solid ethical code and keeps
sessions with patients confidential. They are also aware that

their work can have significant effects on people, and they keep
this in mind when dealing with others.
Interpersonal Skills: A great psychologist has good interpersonal
skills and is able to work well with varying groups of people,
including colleagues and patients.
Knowledge of Laws and Regulations: A great psychologist is
familiar with state laws and regulations that control the industry.
They know how to work in the profession within the boundaries
of the law.
Open-Mindedness: A great psychologist is open-minded and
tolerant of all kinds of people and situations. They are also open
to new research and new ways of thinking that might challenge
their ideals.
Patience: A great psychologist is very patient, both during long
periods of research and with individual patients. They
understand that significant periods of time can pass before
substantial results can be seen.
Trustworthiness: A great psychologist is very trustworthy and
can inspire patients to confide in them and trust them with their
problems.

10 Qualities of an Effective Clinical Psychologist

If you

dream of helping people treat and prevent mental disorders, you

should consider a career in clinical psychology. Clinical
psychologists work in hospitals, private practices and other
healthcare or academic settings, and they may specialize in child
mental health, adult mental health, learning disabilities,
emotional disturbances, substance abuse, geriatrics, or health
psychology.

As therapists they work directly with clients and

keep detailed medical records, and as science practitioners they

perform research in their field. Their primary goal is to improve
their

clients

behavior

adjustment,

adaptation,

personal

effectiveness, and satisfaction, and many also aim to improve

medicines overall understanding of mental health. To be an
effective clinical psychologist, you should be:
Quality #1: A good communicator

It is estimated that 75% of

a persons day is spent communicating in some way, and that

might be a low estimate for clinical psychologists. As a
therapist, you must be a good listener who is capable of hearing
what your clients say and identifying the underlying meaning or
problem behind their words and their nonverbal cues, such as

eye contact and body language. You must also be capable of

communicating knowledge, compassion, and treatment options
to your clients. Your tone, intonation, expression, and choice of
words are important factors in how you communicate verbally.
Written communication is also important; you are the recordkeeper for your clients other clinicians and insurance needs.
Quality

#2:

Passionate

about

science

As

clinical

psychologist, you will be expected to engage in and be

accountable for your own research a fact that separates
clinical psychologists from other therapists and so therefore
you must be not only capable of but enthusiastic about thinking
scientifically:

asking

experimenting,

and

questions,
explaining

your

thinking

critically,

reasoning.

Those

communications skills will also come in handy when its time to

present your findings.
Quality #3: Curious

Clinical psychologists want to know

what makes people tick. Each client is different, and the answer
of how to help each individual is not always readily apparent.
Often the initial assessment is the first opportunity to gauge the
situation, so clinical psychologists must be able to ask insightful

questions and follow the trail of information to come up with the

best solution for that individual.
Quality #4: Creative

Since each client present a new and

different challenge, clinical psychologists need to be creatively

minded. You are responsible for coming up with new solutions,
techniques, and suggestions for bettering the quality of life of
your clients. Since the goals are both medical and subjectively
human, a creative approach allows you to be more
encompassing of the wide array of possibilities.
Quality #5: Confident

When it comes time to sit down and

conduct a therapy session with a client, the clinical psychologist

must have confidence and a strong capacity for self-reflection. If
you dont have a handle on your own triggers and issues, you
can inadvertently bring those into the therapy room and put them
on the client. You must present yourself a flawed human,
certainly, but a trained professional with poise and
integrity.
Quality #6: Thick-skinned

Clinical psychologists work with a

wide range of patients, from people with relationship problems

to substance abusers to depressives to those with severe mental
illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Simply

put: You cant let it get to you. You must be able to bear the
burden with grace, to adapt and roll with the punches, so to
speak, as well as bounce back from heartache. You must handle
the pressure, you must keep trying where others have failed, you
must keep trying where you yourself have failed.
Quality #7: Empathetic

As a therapist, you must be able to

offer a caring, understanding, and empowering environment for

your patients. You must be able to respect autonomy and
personal responsibility while acting as a guiding and validating
force for their health and well-being. You must be able to put
yourself in their shoes. You must accept who your patient is,
fundamentally, and support them unconditionally; you cannot
withdraw your support if they do something wrong or that you
disagree with. Your empathy helps create a connection with
your client, allowing you to sort through the inherent difficulties
of the human condition and address your clients unique
situation and find meaningful solutions.
Quality #8: Non-Judgmental

Clinical psychologists not only

support their clients unconditionally, they also dont criticize

weakness or incorrect action. Such value judgments weaken
your clients trust and regard and render your advice and

services less effective. It goes without saying, but no therapist

should discriminate against a client with a different background
or values though for some people, that is easier said than
done. You must be steadfast in your commitment to be nonjudgmental toward your clients.
Quality #9: Able to see patterns

Clinical psychologists must

be able to see patterns, both internal and external, that people

engage in. These patterns are often the key to identifying when
people are stuck in an unhealthy state of mind or relationship.
You can help your client immensely if you are skilled at
recognizing such patterns and bringing their attention to it.
Quality #10: Motivated

A clinical psychologist needs to

possess extensive knowledge of the theoretical, clinical, and

empirical bases of their field. The acquisition of this knowledge
takes considerable dedicated education as well as fieldwork and
training. After you begin practice as a clinical psychologist, you
will continue to be tested by long hours, piles of paperwork, an
ever-changing field, and the stressors of helping others bear their
mental and emotional burden. Clinical psychology can be an
immensely satisfying and meaningful career, and those who
succeed are highly motivated to contribute to the advancement

of individual health in the present and public health in the grand

scheme. .