What competencies are required for becoming an effective psychologist?
For becoming an effective psychologists, following competences are essential:
(a) General Skills (b) Observational Skills (c) Specific Skills
(a) General Skills:
• General skills are essential for all professional psychologists.
• These skills include personal as well as intellectual skills.
• Once ensuring that a student has these skills subsequent training in his/ her area of specializations to him/her intellectual and personal skill are as follows:
Interpersonal Skills: Ability to listen and be empathic. It may be verbal or nonverbal.
• Cognitive:
— Ability to solve problems
— Having curiosity and flexibility
• Affective Skills:
— Openness to ideas
— Agreeableness
— Honesty
• Expressive skills: Ability to communicate in verbal and non-verbal form.
• Reflective Skills:
— Intrapersonal intelligence
— Ability to examine own motives, attitude and behaviour.
• Personal skills:
— Personal hygiene
— Time management
(b) Observational Skills:
Psychologists should have training in objectives and systematic observation.
• They should have skill to observe various aspects of surrounding including people and varying events.
• Psychologists should engage in observing people and their actions with following precautions:
— Patience.
— Optimistic curiosity.
— Respecting clients privacy.
— Awareness of people reactions, emotions and motivation.
— Training good questions which could be answered during observation.
(c) If the psychologist wants to work in a specialized field then professional training in specific skill development is essential.
The main specific skills are as follows:
(a) communication skills
(b) Psychological testing skill
(c) Interviewing skill
(d) Counselling skill
