COMMUNICATION SKILLS USED IN PYSHCOLOGY

Psychology is a rapidly-growing profession and to be successful in this profession, certain qualities are required such as the following:

Communication Skills: a good psychologist should have excellent and oral communication skills and can efficiently communicate with different groups of people.

Compassion: a good psychologist has to be very compassionate and emphasize with a patient’s issues. The psychologist should make patients feel comfortable.

Emotional stability: the psychologist is able to handle the stress and emotional disorder his or her patients have.

Ethics:  This is one of the most important aspects of psychology. A great psychologist has a strong ethic code and keeps patient’s information, confidential. The psychologist also understands his or her job can significantly impact people’s lives. It is noted that psychologists use the word ethics to refer both to the mandatory floor or minimum standards adopted by the profession (i.e., remedial ethics) as well as to voluntary efforts to live out moral ideals (Knapp & VandeeCreek, 2006).

Every aspect of psychology treatment has been impacted by technology. Psychologists take advantage of this “digital revolution”, using phones, text-messaging, instant messenger and Skype. My personal example is about my own psychologist, who has monthly sessions with me through Skype. My psychologist is in Argentina and the online communication with webcam, is the closest to face-to-face sessions.

Despite of the convenient use of technology, psychologists need to address the importance technology can have upon the ethical practice of psychology. A 1997 "American Psychological Association (APA) Statement on Services by Telephone, Teleconferencing, and Internet" by the APA Ethics Committee briefly acknowledges that the APA "...Ethics Code is not specific with regard to telephone therapy, or teleconferencing, or any electronically provided services as such, and has no rules prohibiting such services." Psychologists are told that after reviewing these services, they "...must then consider the relevant ethical standards and other requirements, such as licensure boards." No further guidance has been forthcoming from APA, although in 2002, references to "electronic transmission" were added. (APA, 2002).

I consider myself knowledgeable of new technology. In fact, I do almost everything through my computer and now on my Droid cell phone. Also, communicating with people around the world for free with Skype, brings a great deal of possibilities and freedom for me and my future patients; we do not have to be in the same city or even the same country, to have private sessions.

·         Knapp, S. J., & VandeCreek, L. D. (2006). Remedial and Positive Ethics. In S. J. Knapp, L. D. VandeCreek (Eds.) , Practical ethics for psychologists: A positive approach (pp. 3-14). Washington, DC US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/11331-001

·         Drude, K. (2005). Ethics and Malpractice. Retrieved from http://kspope.com/ethics/email.php