Attributes Needed To Become A Component Health Psychologist

Attributes Needed To Become A Component Health Psychologist

Health psychology focuses on how biological, social, and psychological factors influence health and illness. Health psychologists use psychological science to promote health, prevent diseases and improve patient’s healthcare. Therefore, it is essential in the medical industry to explore motivations to embrace health promotion and illness prevention. Health psychologists are more focused on understanding how people react to, cope with, and recover from illness. Assisting people in making choices that positively impact their health and their family’s well-being, the workforce, and communities is at the heart of this dynamic field.

When it comes to HIV and AIDS patients, Health psychologists have an important role in designing behavioral change strategies and framing public health responses to the pandemic. Counseling these patients has become a core element in a holistic model of health care, in which psychological issues are identified as fundamental to patient management. Health psychology in AIDS has two core aims: preventing transmission and supporting those affected, whether directly or indirectly. Healthy psychology in the field of HIV is very important because changes in behavior can prevent further spread. Counseling is done in several stages of the disease, including pre-test counseling, post-test Counseling, and Counseling done during combination antiretroviral therapy. A good counselor must acknowledge a set of techniques and adjust some skills to make the Counseling more effective. These skills can bring in a good relationship between a counselor and a client. These skills can be practiced by verbal communication and demonstrated to the client by non-verbal communication. They include:

Good communication skills

Before testing for HIV, accurate and latest information about transmission and prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections must be given to the person undergoing the test. After the testing, negative people are given information on risk reduction, while patients who test positive are advised to cope with the diagnosis. Counseling during HIV care is also critical in that it determines a realistic assessment of individual adherence and supports the complex adjustment to a daily routine of taking medication. As a therapist, you must possess good listening skills and be capable of hearing what your clients say and identifying the underlying meaning or issue behind their words and their nonverbal cues, such as eye contact and body language. You must also be able to communicate knowledge, compassion, and treatment options to the clients. The tone you use, intonation, expression, and choice of words are fundamental in communicating verbally. Written communication is also essential because you are the record-keeper for your clients, clinicians, and other necessary institutions.

Empathetic

When psychologists meet a new patient, one of the first steps is always establishing a good rapport or connection. Creating rapport is very important because it encourages the patients to build trust with the health professional to open up about their feelings. Empathetic psychologists always have an easier time establishing a strong rapport. Psychologists are encouraged to use a careful tone of voice and communicate well to convey their genuine concerns and, at the same time, maintain a professional bearing. New qualitative research suggests that individuals with HIV are subjected to non-judgmental, empathetic care from their primary healthcare providers. Health psychologists are more likely to adhere to their life-saving drug regimes. (Nelson et al., 2019). Empathy, however, should not be confused with Sympathy. Sympathy is a shade of compassion towards the person living with HIV. It indicates a power relationship, but empathy, on the other hand, tries to bring equality between the counselor and the client in question. In simple words, empathy can be explained by “Putting one’s feet into the client’s shoes.” When the health psychologist tries to empathize with the clients, he/she will share his /her emotions and socio-economic and environmental background, leading to a more pragmatic design of the behavioral change plans. A psychologist must accept who their patient is fundamentally and support them fully. Supporting them means that you cannot withdraw your support if the patient does something wrong or disagrees. The support helps create a connection with your client, allowing you to sort through the human conditions and characteristic difficulties, address your client’s distinctive situation, and find meaningful solutions.

Patience

Clients may ask similar questions again and again; hence, patience is highly required. It happens due to little or sometimes wrong facts about HIV/AIDS and sexuality. The psychologist has to provide the same information repeatedly. Sometimes, it becomes strenuous for the client to reform his sexual habits immediately, and it may be required to organize multiple counseling sessions. A psychologist needs a lot of perseverance, continued observation of their effort, and repeatedly modifying their strategies. Psychologists should have a lot of patience in dealing with such situations.

In many cases, you are helping clients work through HIV and AIDS. It can take a great deal of time. It is essential to let the patient work at their own pace, which can be a heavy task without a great deal of perseverance. Therapy is not a fast operation. It takes time to help clients overcome significant problems in their lives. Psychologists need to have plenty of patience. They must maintain focus while patients talk through their problems since every patient must make progress.

In some cases, it may take years to make progress. Evolutionary psychologists are more and more interested in patience and often perceive tolerance as a form of decision-making. Patient people and non-human animals delay a smaller reward for a larger one, and this reward- gratification involves some degree of calculation. Many reactions to an HIV-positive result are part of the standard and expected range of responses to news of a chronic and potentially life-threatening medical condition. Many patients adjust exceptionally well with minimal intervention, while others will exhibit prolonged periods of distress, hostility, or other behaviors that are difficult to manage in a clinical setting; hence, patience with the HIV patient is very important. Also, effective management requires allowing time for the blow of the news to sink in; there may be a certain period of emotional “ventilation,” including overt agony. The psychologist should provide a guarantee of strict confidentiality and rehearse, over time, the solutions to problems such as who to inform, what needs to be said, the discussion around safer sex practices, and adherence to drug therapies. Clear information about medical and Counseling follow-up should be shared. Psychologists are realists who understand that long-standing, maladaptive behaviors cannot be unlettered quickly. Instead of informing the client what to change and how to change it, they patiently guide the client in the action of self-discovery. They accept that progress is nonlinear and drawbacks are very common. Angry or resistant patients are not forced or orchestrated into changing before they are ready to do so.

Problem-Solving Ability

Even though tempting, psychologists repel the urge to give advice. Instead, they patiently give the client time to open up, identify problems, and express dissatisfaction with life circumstances. Motivation is brought forth by pointing out inconsistencies between the client’s goals and misaligned behavior. Goals are discussed, and a treatment plan is developed, showing the next steps in therapy. Good psychologists often use logic to come up with solutions, usually from scanty information. They must demonstrate the ability to drill down through extraneous data to establish the root causes of patients’ distress and develop an accurate diagnosis. Often, individuals and families ask for a psychologist’s help because they don’t possess the skills to solve issues independently. A psychologist should have excellent problem-solving skills. Sometimes, the solutions to a problem in question are simple, but in many cases, coming to a solution will take a lot of creativity and ingenuity. Solving problems virtually and creatively is necessary for studying psychology since much of the subject focuses on assessing and curing mental and behavioral issues. If you’re interested in research than the clinical aspects of psychology, having good problem-solving skills will help you design and implement experiments to further your research.

Observational Skills

Much of psychological exercise goes beyond speaking to making keen observations. Most psychologists can accumulate a great deal of information about an individual or family simply by watching their interactions. Things like appearance and grooming, facial expressions, and mannerisms can tell a much larger story than words. These skills are vitally important in dealing with your patient in the “here and now” in that they allow you to respond appropriately (Ivey & Ivey, 2003). Observation is fundamental when dealing with HIV patients in that you can tell a lot based on the way the client responds to the questions asked. You can also observe changes in the body that make you able to make informed decisions on the patient. Observational tools psychologists typically use interviews, watching for specific behaviors, and giving psychological tests. Psychologists must know which observational methods to apply and how to blend the information from those methods to develop a client’s diagnostic and treatment picture. Being able to know how to design tests is an important skill as well. Occasionally, psychologists have to turn their observational skills to gauge how to improve their work or effectiveness.

Passion for Learning

A competent psychologist is characterized by a lot of commitment when it comes to life. Every time, new ideas and therapeutic approaches continually emerge. Hence, psychologists must stay abreast of their area of specialization by attending seminars looking at evidence-based research findings. Health psychologists should also do a lot of consultations with their colleagues. A growing desire to help people can backfire if the psychologist is not well prepared to work with a particular client or situation. Inappropriate advice or an imprecise diagnosis can profoundly harm a client. Each client is different, and how to help each individual is not always readily apparent. Often, the initial assessment is the first opportunity to weigh the situation, so clinical psychologists must follow the information trail to come up with the best solution for the individual in question. The science of psychology is changing now and then with new studies and insights. Hence, these professionals need to be updated to help their clients to the best of their ability. They may attend all professional events, such as seminars and lectures, network with their colleagues, and read professional journals to become more knowledgeable in the field.

Ethics

Psychologists understand very well that their work line can significantly impact people and hence keep this in mind when interacting with different clients. Psychologists should adhere to set boundaries and should never cross the line of their professional relationship. They are guided by a professional code of ethics, which they are supposed to follow to the latter. Their ability to follow this code of conduct reflects not just on the individual psychologist but also on the health psychology profession. The non-disclosure agreement between psychologists and their clients is venerated, and only one can go against it under extreme circumstances. Ethics arise when dealing with HIV and AIDS patients where health psychologists are in a dilemma where there are unsuspecting partners. The parties have to choose whether they should maintain confidentiality or cause a breach to save the trustful partner. Literature encourages health psychologists to consider less intrusive methods without destroying the relationship with the client. Although privacy is enabled, there are situations in which a breach is by law accepted. However, health psychologists should take precautions, consult, and review state laws before making any such decision.

Trustworthiness

Psychologists can only demonstrate trust if they emphasize the confidentiality of the information they are receiving from the client. As part of the initial intake, clients should be informed of their privacy rights and notified of any possible exceptions to their confidentiality, such as threats of imminent harm to themselves or others. Psychologists should also reassure clients that they are free to share thoughts and feelings without judgment. Feedback to clients is constructive and supportive, as well. People can know whether they can trust someone or not within the first few minutes of their meeting. Trust demonstrates itself when someone allows you to feel that you can have a good working relationship and believe that someone will not betray your faith. When it comes to HIV& AIDS, your patients should tell you that you accept them for who they are and that you are more focused on their interests and not your own.

As a health psychologist, sometimes you might hear intimate details of clients’ lives that may bring about ethical concerns. This knowledge means that you will sometimes be legally mandated to breach agreed confidentiality and proceed to report certain types of cases, such as suspected child abuse. Puzzles like this show the many kinds of ethical crossroads you may encounter when dealing with clients. Working knowledge of professional codes, principles, merits, laws, and regulations regarding clinical practice helps resolve ethical issues in Counseling.

The future of health psychology

As health psychology matures, people are likely to use intelligence about genetic factors in tailoring behavioral interventions. Health psychologists should be aware of and involved in such efforts. Health psychologists have already been involved in the development of new technologies for health assessment and the delivery of physiological interventions, which will be extended into the area of genetics.

Health psychology has undergone massive development over its first 25 years and is now an established field. Second, health psychologists are at the frontline of much new research; hence, there are many promising significant future contributions. Finally, health psychologists need to build and utilize new skills. The emergence of health psychology training initiatives over the previous ten years is a significant development. These training schemes need to be nurtured and supported because it is only by training new generations of health psychologists that future challenges will be effectively met.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that psychology training is devoted to studying human behavior. Hence, it has an essential role in designing behavioral change strategies and behavioral assessments. It informs public health response when it comes to the HIV pandemic. In this research agenda, psychologists take a leading role in curtailing HIV through increased behavioral research. Knowing what attributes matter most in a psychologist can be valuable. Personal Characteristics may be inherent or acquired. Successful psychologists possess many of the interpersonal qualities you look for in a friend, coach, or mentor.

Additionally, psychologists need regular training and credentials to counsel clients. Health Professional psychologists must be trained in various virtues to ensure they portray characteristics that support proper patient recovery. It is essential to note that none of these skills may be in isolation, but integrating them makes one an outstanding health psychologist.

References

American Psychological Association. (2002a).Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychologist, 57, 1060–1073.

Arredondo, P., Shealy, C., Neale, M. C., & Winfrey, L. L. (2004). Consultation and interprofessional collaboration: Modeling for the future. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 80, 787– 800.

Bums, D. D., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1992).Therapeutic empathy and recovery from depression in cognitive-behavioral therapy: A structural equation model. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 441-449.

Chesney, M. A. (1993).Health psychology in the 21st century: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome as a harbinger of things to come. Health Psychology, 12 (4), 259-268.

Ivey, A.E. & Ivey, M.B. (2003). Intentional interviewing & Counseling: Facilitating patient development in a multicultural society (5thed.). Brooks/Cole: California.

Kelly, J. A., Murphy, D. A., Sikkema, K. J., & Kalichman, S. C. (1993). Psychological interventions to prevent HIV infection are urgently needed: New priorities for Behavioral research in the second decade of AIDS. American Psychologist, 42 (10), 023-1034

Kindermann, S. S., Matteo, T. M., & Morales, E. (1993). HIV Training and Perceived Competence among Doctoral Students in  Psychology. Professional  Psychology:  Research  and Practice, 24b (2), 224-227

Norberg A, Nelson J, Holly C et al. “Experiences of HIV-infected adults and healthcare providers with healthcare delivery practices that influence engagement in US primary healthcare settings: a systematic qualitative review.” JBI Database System. Rev. Implement. Rep. 17(6): 1154-1228 (2019); https://www.rutgers.edu/news/adults-hiv-who-have-compassionate-care- providers-start-and-remain-treatment-longer#.XSiaRJNKi4S

Pryzwansky, W.B., & Wendt, R.V. (1999). Professional and ethical issues in psychology. Foundations of practice (1999). New York: Norton.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

---

In 2,000-2,500, describe the attributes needed to become a competent health psychologist. Consider including information on counseling techniques, necessary personal characteristics, professional ethics, knowledge of health care and treatment methods, etc. Your answers should show an understanding of the future of health psychology.

Discuss the experience of a patient in the health care system.

Choose a specific health issue and then discuss the challenges patients with this health issue face when trying to:

Form relationships with their healthcare providers

Navigate the healthcare system

Gain information about their health

Adhere to treatment.

Discuss why the attributes you suggested are important. How will these attributes help you to become a successful professional in the field?

Recommend what health psychologists can do to improve patient experiences in any of these areas.

Use six to ten scholarly resources to support your explanations.