For the psychology students...

[dreya]

As we've noted before, there are LOTS of fishies who are psychology students!

I wanted to ask the other psych students something -

Do you plan to work with ED patients? Do you want to work primarily with ED folks, work with them sometimes, or avoid working with ED patients altogether? And, if you don't mind my nosiness, why?

curious dreya :pinkfishy

[Angeldust]

I plan to work with people with all sorts of problems - not specifically eating disorder related, and definitely not only eating disorder related. I want to help people, and I think that having been to the depths that I have been to has given me an understanding about mental health problems that most people wouldn't have. I think I notice how people are *really* feeling much more than I used to, even if they are trying to hide it - because of how I have felt and what I have done to hide from it.

:hugonDreya:hugoff

I wouldn't go into that field with things the way they are at the moment - will definitely only start working in that area when I am fully recovered.

Hope that helps with your question!!!

[fefa]

:hugon dreya :hugoff

I plan to work not only with e.d but also with it. i plan to worl work with e.d since I was twelve years old, much before my problem started. I guess I want to help people and show then that their value is much more then just weight, that there are lots of things out there. i also plan to work as a body teraphy.( bioenergetics).

Right now, I got an intership in the e.d area at a hospital. I will start in february. This is my dream, and it keeps me fighting. I think I am ready right now.

[Isabel_Knight]

:hugon Dreya :hugoff

I am a psychology student but will probably not go into clinical psych. It's just one possibility at the moment.

If I ever do go into clinical psych, it would almost certainly be to do child and adolescent. No, I definitely wouldn't want to work primarily with eds.

Isabel :pinkfishy

[Sunflower*]

Another Psych :fishy! :winky

Well, I've just started my fifth semester which means finally starting the three BIG fields of Psychology: educational, clinical and organizational / work.

I need to chose two out of those three as majours for my Master's Degree.

I'm most interested in clinical psychology and I really want to become a therapist and work with patients. Which over here kinda includes EVERYTHING. and that'S kinda what I want to do. Just work with people, no matter what problems they have.
Since I suffer from an ED & agoraphobia myself, I realize more and more how difficult it will be to treat patients with those problems when not fully recovered yourself. So I'm kinda focusing more an that right now.

And well, I'm also interested most in working with children and adolescents...

Another option I'm also interested in a lot is educational psychology (school psychology, developing learning software,.. - it all belongs to this field over here). It's something I'm interested in and it's an option if I never recover as fully as I think is neccessary to work with patients.

And well, my biggest dream anyways is to stay at Uni. Do research, teach,.. I'm already working there as an assistant to a Prof and a Doctorand, and I :love it.


Actually I worry more about other issues regarding working as clinical psychologist - after gettting your Master's, you have to do a three year trainign for most clinical jobs and to be able to become a licensed T. It's EXPENSIVE, and I'm already much older than the average Psych student (turning thirty). So thaT' another obstacle I'm facing in terms of becoming a clinical Psychologist. The decision to work or work not with ED people is FAR away...

:love,
Sonja

[Jezebel]

I guess I'll be the first to reply that I definitely want to work with ED's. I was not interested in psychology at all until I began to suffer. The ED sparked my interest in the mental health field, and I feel that it is something I would like to specialize in. :happy I have had so many people help me along my path towards recovery that I feel as though it is my obligation to help others in return. I've learned that helping others is one of the most successful things in keeping myself healthy...because I know that I must take care of myself if I am to help anyone else. :yay And seeing as though I am not easily triggered (if I can be at all!) I don't think I would have a problem becoming involved with patients that are very deep into their disorder both physically and mentally. I'm always up to a challenge. :winky

Although I want to specialize in ED's, I most likely will not see patients exclusively for that. I actually plan on focusing on women's issues...eating disorders, rape, sexual abuse, post-partum depression, etc. :ummm Even so, I will not turn down any males either. Even though the above are typically termed "female problems," males are not immune.

Anyway, to get myself to stop rambling :cute, I will just say that I want to specialize in eating disorders, but would be more than happy to deal with any kind of mental illness. Just so long as I can help other people. :supergrin To me, that is the greatest satisfaction in life.

[Madelyne]

Dreya,
This is a good question--one I get asked a lot when I do speaking about ED. I am a graduate social work student...and i absolutely do not want to work with eating disorders! It's not that I think I would be "triggered" or anything, I've been recovered for over four years, but.....I don't know......I for one am not that interested in working in a mental health setting (I'm interested in medical and policy, as well as social justice), and I just have spent so much of my life surrounded by eating disorders, treatment, etc. it is very empowering for me to move ON! I give back to the community and to schools by doing public speaking and volunteer work, but proessionally, I am content to pursue other areas.

Maddy

[dreya]

For me....originally I had planned to work with people with eating disorders - I figured that since I understood it so well, I could be helpful.
But now, I definitely don't plan to work with EDs at all. Because I'm not "better" enough. And I'm afraid I'd make someone worse, which would be so unfair to them.
Maybe someday if I recover completely, though, I'll want to work with ED patients. I think I, for one, would probably relate better to a therapist who knew just what I was going through.

dreya :pinkfishy

[Scrabble]

I'm not exactly a psychology undergraduate but merely studying psychology for A Level. I probably won't take it any further but I do plan to do a counselling course.

I want to work with people with eating disorders primarily but hope to work with people with co-existing mental health problems too. As Angeldust said, I think it comes down to personal experience. I hope to open up a unit with a certain other fishy and no this isn't me living in fantasy land, I'm definitely going to achieve it. But I need to recover first... that's scary.

[soopajess]

oooh good topic!!!

i am a psychology student, but also an english and health science student. Honestly, i am more interested in working with disorders outside of eating, because i feel i cannot be objective at this point in my life.

However, i may change my mind later and include eating disorders into whatever practice i may have. i am looking into clinical psychology, but also marriage and family therapy. Primarily now, i will be focusing on working with alcohol and substance abuse.

However, much of my creative writing, which i am also looking into MFA and doctoral programs for, includes eating disorders as a focus or subplot.

Though i think that recoverd ED folk can make wonderful therapists, i believe it must be supervised carefully, both for the best interest of the client and the therapist. i highly recommend therapists having their own therapists!

[dreya]

I really appreciate your responses! I'm bumping this up, hoping to get additional input. Thanks -
dreya :pinkfishy

[J!]

Heya... I dont think I quite qualifiy to answer this post just yet as I'm only at the stage of deciding which uni im gonna go to in sept/oct... but I have applied to study psychology so I will soon be a psychology student.

Being the very indecisive and impressionable :fishy that I am, I haven't really applied to study psychology with the definite aim of going into clinical fields. It's a possibility but too be honest me graduating is so far away that I dont know where I will be myself at the point... or what ill want... or be interested in etc.
For me the choice to study psychology was more due to the flexibility of the course and the wide range of future careers it could lead too.
But as far as going into treating ppl with eds... it would ttally depend on where I was ed-wise by that time. I swing between the idea that my own personal insight would be a positive thing, and the fact that maybe it could also cloud my judgement.
ive rambled on and on as usual :sarcasm. but i was just a teensy bit bored of revision and this caught my eye... definitely interesting to read for future pyschology student.
Thanx Dreya!
Loadsa luv
Jo
XxX

[Anonymous_Member006]

I am studying Psychology as part of my health course. I am applying for a degree in Speech Therapy, my favourite course has a very strong psychology component ( UWIC :winky)

I really enjoy psychology and keep getting good marks (begining to think im doing the wrong course...) I find it very relevant to myself and IM learning a lot, but in a detached, logical way...

for eg. we are looking at compliance at the moment and with my abuse issues...its really helping me.

[mattsdancer]

it has always been my dream to help/and maybe inspire ppl with ed's to recover!!!!!
so i am working intensly w/my t who knows my dream of being a t....on getting to a strong strong recovery base...even stronger than i am now! take care of :stars YOU :stars

[believeyoucan]

i plan on majoring in psy next year...
primarily so i can work in a womens unit in an ed treatment center.... and i am SO ready for the challenge! i want to help people like i was helped in ip...

[Camellia]

:hugon Dreya :hugoff

I was a psych major in school (graduated three years ago) and wanted to (part of me still does want to) go into clinical psych. I've never wanted to work with clients who had eds, but did *really* want to do research in the area of eds. At this point, I don't want to work with ed clients because I might find them too triggering for me--its that whole countertransference thing :cheesy I also wanted to work with clients or do research in the area of depression, another struggle for me, but currently am kind of re-evaluating that. Have also strongly thought about the area of child abuse & neglect as a potential research area for me or as a client population (an area that I am currently working in). I've had many other areas of thought too in terms of what I want to work with/do research in, but won't go into them...

Anyway, *sighs* I guess atm the I am trying to decide where I feel I can make the biggest difference, and I am not that sure that it is as a therapist or a researcher. Atm, I think I might do better as a lawyer doing advocacy work and/or research in these areas in order to try to get mental health/health care policy / laws changed.

Just my thoughts :cheesy

:greenfish Camellia

[Sasha]

My supporting major is children's studies so i'm looking at kids.

I'm definitely starting in clinical psych but i want to come to the US and do a Diploma in Dance Therapy and then return and do that with either children or adults. I think it would be good for ED patients but not sure i'f i'd ever specialise in EDs - though we have a distinct lack of Psychs with good ED knowledge!

[Kaspa]

I'm not quite a psychology student since my undergrad degree is in english and sports studies, however i'm doing my dissertation on exercise as a treatment for depression and I'm either going on to do Social work or mental health nursing next year with a view to eventually trying to do a docotorate in clinical psychology.

I don't want to specialise in eating disorders, I want to specialise in dual diagnosis (Eating Disorders/Substance Abuse).

:love

Kaspa

:bandwagon