Psychology is the study of human mind and behaviour. Our mind processes both information and emotions: The latter influences our behaviour by their impact on our perceptions and reactions to the immediate environment. Psychologists are health care providers whose specialize in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses.
Psychologists help individuals understand and address the causes behind their symptoms. They work with the patient to help him develop better coping skills. Psychologists provide a patient, empathetic and non-judgmental setting to express one’s feelings in. Of course, the two are bound by trust and confidentiality as in any other therapist- patient relationship.
Since psychologists are not “doctors” in the typical sense, they cannot and do not prescribe any medicines. However, not all patients require medication. Nor does medication always adequately treat a problem. Some cases may require both a psychologist and a doctor.
The goal of psychological intervention is to relieve stress in vulnerable individuals, thus reducing their the risk of mental illness. Very often, psychologists often work with the patient’s family and other external social groups, by training them in stress management, and also preventive mental health.
Psychologists need to perform a variety of assessments on patients for different reasons. It’s quite like the temperature reading or the ECG graph taken by your doctor, which helps him diagnose and treat the patient accordingly. Similarly, these assessments help psychologists identify the problem and decide on the therapies required. Common among them are I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient), Personality, Aptitude and Achievement Tests, as well as Interviews and Behavioral Assessments.
The wide spectrum of problems a psychologist addresses and treats includes --- Learning Problems, Communication Disorders, Personal issues, Relationship & Marital Problems and mental illnesses such as Anxiety, Depression and others.
The common therapeutic approaches adopted by a psychologist are Counseling, Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Rational Emotive Counseling.