Why seek psychological therapy?

Psychological therapy (psychotherapy) helps to alleviate emotional pain and to teach effective ways of coping with life stressors.

A wide variety of people seek the help of psychologists to treat many different problems. Some symptoms you might notice are:

*Experiencing more sadness, anger, or fear than usual.

*Eating or sleeping more or less than usual.

*Withdrawing from family, friends and previously enjoyed activities.

*Using alcohol, drugs, food or sex to cope with life.

*Struggling with concentration and / or self-expression.

*Difficulty managing behaviours or tasks in academic or career contexts.

*Having experienced trauma that resulted in injury or the risk of injury to self or loved ones.

*Losing someone or something that was important.

*Questioning if life is worth living or having frequent thoughts of death.

What do psychologists do?

Psychologists study how people think, feel and behave, and apply this knowledge to help people understand, explain and change their behaviour.

They engage in research, practice, and teach across a wide range of topics.

Psychologists who practice have the professional training and clinical skills to help people learn to cope more effectively with life issues and mental health problems.

Registered psychologists

After post-graduate education and supervised training, psychologists can become registered or licensed to practice (that is, to provide clinical services, including psychological evaluations and psychotherapy).

In order to practice as a psychologist in Barbados, individuals must apply for registration with the local regulatory body, The Paramedical Professions Council of the Ministry of Health.

To be eligible for registration, candidates must have earned at least a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology or Educational Psychology, with supervised training in the provision of clinical services.

Choosing a psychologist

To find a psychologist who might be a good fit for you, when you first make contact, ask:

*How long have you worked in this field?

*What is your training?

*What is your experience in treating the issue(s) that I want to work on?

Dr Natalie Moore can be contacted via email at [email protected]

Search the Yello Pages phone directory or FindYello.com to find a local psychologist. And, read more health and wellness articles in the front pages of the 2020 phone directories.