A PSYCHOLOGIST plays a very important role for many with their mental health and understanding how they feel and providing tools to address their challenges.
Their work is a variety of activities, depending on their specialty and the settings in which they work.
Dr May Chi is a local Clinical Psychologist for The Made It Clinis and has a focus on adjustment disorders. The clinic works towards a mindset of ‘making it’ involving caring for yourself and others, carving footholds into life’s challenges, and creating meaningful experiences through purposeful action.
She is also a supervisor at PsychLab, which is a group psychology practice that focuses on growing more psychologists for the region.
“Sometimes, brains gets stuck, feelings get tangled, situations are painful, and we don’t know what to do. This can cause suffering that drags on for hours, days, months, even years. During this time, it’s hard to maintain wellness”, says Dr Chi.
She believes Psychologists work with people to consider how their thoughts, emotions and behaviours can create or hinder wellness. They apply evidence-based psychological strategies and education to help people achieve their goals.
Common goals in psychotherapy are to improve relationships, harness emotions, and clarify life direction. Therapy goals are often closely tied to what the person perceives as a good life.
“Wellness is like riding a bicycle; its stability depends on forward momentum. A person doesn’t have to be unwell before they see a psychologist or otherwise work on their wellbeing. At any stage of the wellbeing journey, we can proactively work on the flexibility, drive, and compassion it takes to maintain wellness in ourselves and our communities.”
She says the signs that someone’s mental health needs attention are not always easy to spot. They are different for everyone.
Some common signs that she sees are:
• Feeling sad more often than usual.
• Feeling like important things have lost their meaning.
• Worrying so much that you can’t sleep or need to distract yourself all the time.
• Getting frustrated at small things.
• Becoming less reliable at work and in the home.
• Not confident to do what needs to be done.
“Some of these signs are visible to others, like reliability. But many signs are internal, like worrying.”
“Asking for help is so hard because you’re so vulnerable. It’s that moment where all the struggles you’ve been keeping to yourself suddenly become real and known.”
Dr Chi identified some steps, other than seeking professional support, that could help:
• Work on a hobby, learn something new, or engage in the arts. If the brain has nothing to do, it will start to eat itself (ruminate) rather than problem solve.
• Take a moment to reflect on your day in a way that acknowledges the good, bad, and ugly. What was the best part? What was the worst part? What is a hope for tomorrow? These sorts of reflections help you take everyday steps towards more good days and less bad days.
• Try out a wellness app with good credentials. Some people learn better from technology than in-person anyway. Apps focused on mood monitoring, mindfulness, and journaling can help with wellness momentum. These activities target awareness and metacognition, which helps improve your focus and perspective.
• Look at the flip side of your pain point and do more of what matters. For example, if you feel lonely, it means that connection is important to you. Engage in activities that make you feel connected.
If you are experiencing stress or mental illness, see your GP to discuss whether it may be helpful to see a psychologist.
