Knowing what kind of personality and what characteristics should a psychologist have is quite essential. whether you are exploring a career in this field or seeking therapy. It is very important for psychologists to have interpersonal qualities that normally everyone looks for in a mentor or a friend and many successful and professional psychologists working for companies such as psychologist Newcastle agree to this.
A psychologist should be warm, encouraging, approachable and invested in your success. This is quite vital for the sake of both the client and the therapist because if the client does not open up to the therapist because the therapist seems a bit unapproachable, then there is no use of having therapy sessions.
Here are some of the top characteristics every psychologist should have:
- Passion for learning
One of the most important things that a psychologist should have is the commitment and passion for lifelong learning. In this field, new ideas and new therapeutic approaches keep emerging and in order to move forward, psychologists should attend weekly or monthly seminars, checking research findings using evidence and discussing it with colleagues. Psychologists should have the perfect knowledge and should be able to work on their mistakes if they make one.
- Empathy
Every psychologist should have the ability to empathize with their clients. They should show genuine concern for their clients. Clients feel encouraged to share their feelings and beliefs with the psychologist when psychologist is listening to the client actively. Furthermore, psychologists should communicate better with the clients by understanding and accepting them. They also should have the ability to manage and control their own feelings and reactions when working with an incarcerated client such as a sex offender.
- Problem solving ability
Every psychologist should have problem solving ability. Although, in many cases, psychologists do not give any advice to the client at the start. They wait for the client to open up to them. Then, they identify different kinds of problems in the client’s life and tell them the possible reasons of the problems and how to fix them. After that, a treatment plan is created and followed.
- Appropriate boundaries
Every psychologist should know the boundaries and never take over the client’s personal space. Furthermore, they also should not cross the boundaries of the professional relationship. They should be able to maintain enough personal distance. Many states even forbid psychologists, by law, to never have any kind of romantic relationship with their clients because of the difference between power and because of ethical codes.
- Trustworthiness
Last but not the least and the one of the most important characteristic that every psychologist should have is that they should be trustworthy. It is quite essential for a psychologist to be trustworthy while making sure that their clients feel the same way. Furthermore, to increase the level of their trustworthiness, psychologists sign a contract that emphasizes confidentiality, which means that whatever the client shares with them, stays with them.
