Disclaimer: Information provided through Dochas Psychological Services blogs or vlogs are meant for educational purposes only. They are NOT medical or mental health advice. I (Kim Long) am a Registered Psychologist, but I am not your personal psychologist, meaning these blogs or vlogs do not constitute a therapeutic relationship. This means the information is general and therefore NOT therapy. So… I make no promises about any results or outcomes. This holds true for any practitioner from Dochas who is posting on our channel or website.

Please seek medical assistance before acting on anything mentioned in the videos/blogs. The information provided is accurate and true to the best of my knowledge, but there may be omissions, errors, or mistakes. The content is absolutely not a substitute for professional advice nor does it reflect the opinions of the College of Alberta Psychologists, Psychologists’ Association of Alberta, or the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. Please, please, please consult with a professional before taking any sort of action!

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Script: If you were to Google the definition of psychology, you’d read something like it being the study of how the human mind works and how it leads to certain behaviours in certain contexts. I like to say that therapy (in the psychological sense) is about figuring out what strengths a person has, what gets in their way, and how all of that works with what we know about development so you can have the life you want to live. To do this, psychologists are trained in a variety of techniques and models that have been proven effective through study.

Plant Analogy (Sorry… over the word limit for the script – had to cut something:))

So, why is it so freaking expensive to grow a plant, you might be asking. Well, ONE: a psychologist is trained in assessment, diagnosis and treatment, and behaviour change.
TWO: When you work with a psychologist, you are getting years worth of schooling, experience, up-to-date, specialized, scientific knowledge about techniques and approaches (because we have to continue our education) all tailored for your specific situation.
THREE: Our fees take into account that therapy isn’t easy so not everyone can provide it. For example, you wouldn’t hire me to fix your furnace when it goes out (and if you did, we have much bigger issues to discuss). Instead, you’d hire someone with the knowledge and expertise to safely repair the issue. And if it’s a crisis situation, well… let’s not go there.
Next, FOUR: The fee schedule also takes into account the costs of running an office and the fees associated with extra certifications, licences, and insurance. And finally,
FIVE: Because the term psychologist is protected by law, this means we have to meet very strict standards of professional and ethical practice to continue having our licences. So, this means YOU are protected, which is the most important thing! Not all mental health care providers have this expectation to this degree.
So the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta (for example), takes all of this into account when setting out our recommended fee schedule. Whew, right?!

Homework: I invite you to visit these websites (American Psychological Association https://www.apa.org/ website, Dochas www.dochaspsych.com website, PAA https://www.psychologistsassociation…. , College of AB https://www.cap.ab.ca/ website, Can Psych Assoc https://cpa.ca/ and CCPA https://www.ccpa-accp.ca/) for more information about what psychologists do and what therapy can provide for you.

As always, take care of yourself and thanks for listening!