Real Versus Quacks!

Psychology is simply put the study of behavior, any behavior (seen/unseen; human/animal etc) However there has been literally an oversimplification of the subject matter of Psychology amongst the public. Even before fully grasping what actually the subject entails people make some assumptions- Most common ones- Random people say on the first introductions- “Ooooo! so i guess you can read my mind, tell me what am i thinking right now?” “oh, right, so you hypnotize people for a living?” when every tom, dick and harry says- ” Hey, i know a bit of psychology myself, if you blink your eyes and turn your head left, it means…” “According to the psychology of the human mind,….” “My child runs around a lot, he has ADHD.” “I broke up with my boyfriend. I’m in depression” Friends,spouses and family “ Aha! perfect..you have a masters in psychology, you would make the perfect wife., no don’t learn beyond it, people will think you are crazy, and you may never get a guy” ” Don’t you dare use your mind games on me” “All those years studying crazy, maybe the crazy actually got to you.” “So you counsel people. Do you counsel about god?,After all you are a counselor right?” The list is quite long… Really? I mean really???

Psychology is a social science and incorporates the scientific method for studying behavior. it isn’t based on religion, mere observations and a single person’s experience. It is strictly evidence based, resultant of rigorous hypothesis testing methods of study done on large samples of subjects. Only a few papers of psychology are actually practice oriented- actually 7 according to the American Psychological Association (APA) So in order to apply what’s studied one must pursue a training program that offers training in specialized skills, that helps apply this science to practice. Would you consult a doctor, who hasn’t even dissected a dead body, let alone did a correspondence course in medicine? Then why do let ‘quacks’ tamper with more significant things like say for instance- YOUR MIND??? Think and decide carefully, make the right choices, for yourself and ensure you get quality and not get carried away by illusions.

#Awareness #ClinicalPsychology #mentalhealth