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for one-on-one psychotherapy with a licensed professional. If you
feel you have issues that need to be addressed professionally, please
consult a licensed psychotherapist in your area. This article/column
may have first appeared in the Del Mar Times.
Ask
Dr. Ceren: Are Earnings Based On Worth? Parade Magazine's annual "What
People Earn" cover story created much discussion among psychologists
nationwide. Especially offensive is the photo of a "child psychologist"
dressed as a clown with reported annual earnings of $10,000.
Although managed care has significantly
impacted the earnings of many doctors, surveys conducted by professional
organizations show the average earnings to be well above the poverty
level.
So shocking was the cover story,
that a colleague went through the trouble of researching the credentials
of the woman in question.
Not only is "Child Psychologist"
Rosemary Short not a licensed psychologist, but she may not be
any more involved in the practice of psychology than the waitress,
bartender or body piercer on the cover who reported higher incomes.
It turns out that she is a member of the Greater Shreveport Chamber
of Commerce and is listed as follows:
Just because someone
identifies herself as a psychologist, does not necessarily make
it true. In California, as in most other states, it is unlawful
to mislead the public by claiming to be a psychologist, when he
may be a member of another mental health profession with less
stringent requirements, or may not have any other professional
license or credentials.
A psychology license ensures that
the applicant has the required experience and training, has passed
written and oral examinations, has a Ph.D., PsyD or Ed.D in Psychology
from an accredited university, and completed pre-doctoral and
post doctoral internships. Continuing education is required and
must be reported in order to maintain the license.
Among other mental health care
professionals are psychiatric social workers with masters degrees,
marriage family child therapists with masters or doctoral degrees,
counselors with master's degrees and psychiatric nurses. Websites
for all professions list requirements for licensure.
A psychiatrist is a doctor of medicine
with a specialty in psychiatry and requires four years of medical
school (post college) and a clinical rotation in psychiatry. Most
psychiatrists complete a residency in psychiatry requiring several
years in a hospital setting, experience in medication management,
inpatient and outpatient treatment modalities and crisis evaluations.
Board certification requires additional training and education.
When seeking professional help,
it is important to check credentials, shop and compare.
Returning to the PARADE cover story.
Although the amount of earnings
cited in PARADE may not be entirely accurate, we do know that
CEO's of major companies, and celebrities are paid far more than
those whose work may have more socially redeeming value.
Teachers exert critical influence
on the shaping of our future citizens, but this is not reflected
in their earnings.
Artists, musicians, entertainers
and writers stimulate, amuse, make us feel better, but many must
work two jobs to make ends meet.
Inequity exists in the earnings
of our workers. It is a fact of our society. Does it reflect our
values?
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