Topic 2: Psychologists as Professionals

By the end of this topic, you should be able to do the following:

1. Define the terms “profession” and “professional”.

2. Describe the characteristics of a profession.

3. Explain the professional requirements for a psychologist.

4. Differentiate between personal and professional values as a

psychologist.

5. List the professional requirements to become a psychologist.

INTRODUCTION

Imagine that you are an employee of a multi-national company. You seek

help from a registered, practising psychologist from your organisation to
deal with your work dissatisfaction and frustrations. You disclose your
feelings, thoughts and behavioural symptoms. You are angry and
frustrated with your immediate boss for not doing his role to promote staff
wellbeing and career advancement.

After three sessions with the psychologist, you receive a warning memo
from your boss for questioning his credibility and leadership. How would
you feel? What do you think of the psychologist’s action in informing your
immediate boss regarding your issues while the counselling is in progress?

This topic discusses the role of psychologists as professionals. In doing so,

several questions are posed to help you engage with your reading such
as:

(a) What is a profession?

(b) Who can we call a professional?

(c) How do we negotiate our values as a person and a professional?

(d) What are the professional requirements for a psychologist?

(e) How can one be a professional psychologist?

Referring to these questions as prompts, we are going to discuss the

following

three important themes in this topic:

• A discussion on the definition and specific criteria for a profession;

• Focuses on values, especially the psychologist’s values as a person and
as a professional; and

• Specific professional requirements for a psychologist. So, stay tuned and

enjoy reading!

2.1 PSYCHOLOGY AS A PROFESSION

Psychology is accepted as a profession in countries like the United States

and Australia, but in Malaysia, it is still under continuous assessment.

These are among the questions which will be addressed shortly:

• What exactly is a profession?

• Can all paid jobs be categorised as professions?

• What are the specific criteria for a job to be called a profession?

To be a professional in some activity does not mean merely earning a

living through the expertise. Such confusion about semantics is not
uncommon as it could be difficult to draw a line between what is a
profession and what is not.

This subtopic focuses on defining some of the key terms regarding

psychology as a profession. Understanding the terms such as profession,
professional, and professionalism can contribute to one’s confidence to
becoming a psychologist and boost motivation to strive for
professionalism in the practice.

2.1.1 Definition of a Profession

The word profession is sometimes lightly used as a synonym for:

• job;

• occupation; or

• vocation.

What does profession mean?

In particular, a profession refers to a type of work (such as being a

counsellor) that needs specialised education and training, among other
professional requirements, to effectively provide quality services to
consumers or clients.

Among the jobs that are categorised as professions are shown in Figure
2.1.

Figure 2.1: Among Jobs that are Categorised as Professions

 - Doctors
- Accountants
- Engineers
- Architects
- Psychologists

Can you detect any shared common characteristics of these jobs? Why do
you think these jobs can be called professions? There must be certain
varying criteria an occupation must meet in order to be considered a
profession. The following subtopic discusses these criteria in detail.

2.1.2 Specific Criteria of a Profession

What are the characteristics of a profession? Johari (2001) gives a detailed

list on the criteria as listed in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1: List of Criteria of a Profession

1. Specialised knowledge : Work or professional tasks necessitate know-

how and know-what knowledge. The practise can only be carried out if the
practitioner has sufficient and in-depth knowledge of the profession. Many
counsellor education programmes have sprouted up in Malaysia since the
1980s, providing specialised training to guide teachers, in-service
counsellors, and trainee counsellors to become professionals in the
counselling profession.

2. Intensive and continuous training : A professional counsellor needs to

undergo intensive training which includes an intellectual/academic
component of counselling at the university for about four to six years. The
training must be continuous and has a final component called a
professional internship outside campus. To become a counselling
psychologist in Malaysia, students have to participate in counselling
practicum (on-campus, laboratory-based training) and counselling
internship (off-campus, real-life training) with continuous supervision
(Lembaga Kaunselor Malaysia, 2003).

3. Professional bodies : Every professional must belong to a professional

body or a professional association responsible for outlining the standards
and membership requirement for new members. The association is also
responsible for producing the code of ethics for their respective
profession. For example, the American psychologists have their own
professional body called the American Psychological Association (APA), the
Australian psychologists have their Australian Psychological Society (APS),
while the Malaysian psychologists and counsellors have their Persatuan
Psikologi Malaysia (PSIMA) and Persatuan Kaunseling Malaysia (PERKAMA),
respectively, to govern their professional membership and practice.
4. Licensure, accreditation, and certification : There must be a specialised
body for every profession to function as a registrar and an accreditation
body for the licensure and certification of members of their respective
profession. For example, in Malaysia, since the introduction of the
Counsellors’ Act (580) in 1998, there is a specialised body called the
Malaysian Board of Counsellors or Lembaga Kaunselor, which functions as
a registrar and an accreditation body for the licensure of counsellors. With
this recognition, counsellors in Malaysia have a professional identity
(Abdul Halim Othman et al., 2000).

In addition, two more criteria (refer to Table 2.2) were emphasised by Feit
and Lloyd (1990) when they reviewed the status of counselling as a
profession in Malaysia. Their article entitled A Profession in Search of
Professionals describes the two additional criteria for the profession apart
from those listed in Table 2.1.

Table 2.2: Additional Two Criteria of a Profession

1. Ethical standards : This has been discussed in length in Topic 1. The

main idea is that every profession or professional must have a code of
ethics as a guide for practice.

2. Professional identity : This refers to a strong identity within the field as

a profession or vocation. For example, counsellors in Malaysia have been
professionally identified after the introduction of the Counsellors’ Act (580)
in 1998.

Another two commonly known criteria are as described in Table 2.3.

Table 2.3: Two More Commonly Known Criteria of a Profession

1. Autonomy: A person who is involved in a profession is highly regarded

and well-respected by the society.

2. Important to societal well-being: The jobs involved in a profession are

highly needed by society who perceive the services as important.

The availability of these criteria is very helpful in order to discuss the

current status of psychology as a profession in Malaysia.

These are among the challenging issues facing every professional in

Malaysia:

• Have psychologists really gained professional status in the eyes of

Malaysians?
• What are the impetuses for accrediting psychology as a profession in
Malaysia?

• To what extent do people who call themselves psychologists act as

professionals?

In the following subtopic, we will define the term „professional‰ in order

to be able to address some of these questions.

2.1.3 Professional and Professionalism

Apart from knowing what a profession is, we must understand who we can
call professionals and what exactly professionalism means.

Any common dictionary would define the term professional to refer to

Either a person who works in a profession (professional as a noun) or a
Quality of service or practice when working in a profession such as
Competent, meet the standards or exceed the standards (professional as
An adjective).

So, the term professional can be used to refer to:

(a) Anybody who is a doctor or a lawyer because these two are among the

recognised professions around the globe; or

(b) The quality of a certain:

(i) Object or guideline (e.g., professional code of ethics, professional

training standards);

(ii) Work (e.g., professional training, professional communication); and

(iii) Profession (e.g., a professional psychologist means a competent

psychologist whose work is based on ethical standards set by the
psychology professional body).

According to Johari (2001), there are two types of professionals as listed in

Table 2.4.

Table 2.4: Two Types of Professionals

Professional Consultants : Acting on behalf of individuals who become

their clients and receiving service fees directly from the clients. For
example, counsellors, lawyers, and psychiatrists.

Paid Professionals : Perform duties assigned by their superiors (top

management team) in the work organisation. For example, lecturers,
researchers, and engineers.
There are some differences between the professional consultants and paid
professionals as follows:

(a) Involves Issues on Payment of Service Fees : They are directly linked to
ethical standards (e.g., refer to Standard 6: Record keeping and fees in the
APA Code of Ethics 2010). If you are a professional psychologist who owns
a private practice and provides some psychological services to diverse
clients, you must be familiar with the guidelines regarding financial
dealings and fair trading. How much should you charge? What would
happen if there is a change in a client’s financial circumstances?

(b) Involves in the Professional-Client Relationship : Counsellor-client

relationship is based on the assumption of equal distribution of power but
a lecturer-student relationship emphasises power imbalances.

(c) Involves Ethical Dilemmas : Paid professionals face lesser dilemmas

than those experienced by professional consultants because the latter
have to use their own professional judgement and knowledge to resolve
them.

The three criteria of a professional consultant are:

• Providing important services to clients;

• Exercising monopoly in a service; and

• Having the ability to control and monitor actions.

Now, let us try to define the term „professionalism.‰ According to the

Merriam-Webster Dictionary :

Professionalism can be defined as the conduct, aims, or qualities that

characterise or mark a profession or a professional person.

For example, a high level of professionalism is expected when counselling

psychologists are working with culturally different clients in a multicultural
context. Although this definition is generally acceptable, it includes the
complexity of the relationship between professional conducts and ethical
behaviours. Corey et al.’s (2010) comment as follows may cast some light
to understand the term professionalism:

Professionalism has some relationship to ethical behaviour, yet it is

possible to act unprofessionally and still not act unethically. For instance,
not returning a client’s telephone call promptly might be viewed as
unprofessional but it would probably not be considered unethical unless
the client was in crisis (p. 14).

2.2 THE PSYCHOLOGIST AS A PERSON AND AS A PROFESSIONAL

The common theme which underlies psychologists as a person and as a
professional is value.

The term value can be generally defined as beliefs and attitudes that
Provide direction to everyday living. (Corey et al., 2010)

As a person, psychologists have their own sets of values which are greatly
influenced by their:

• family

• upbringing

• schooling

• socialisation

These personal values can consciously or subconsciously influence

psychologists’ ways of thinking and behaving. As a professional,
psychologists also have ethical values which they must adhere to in order
to uphold the professionalism of psychology. These ethical values and
standards guide and monitor their conduct when working with clients from
all walks of life. By adhering to these standards, psychologists would feel
confident that their conduct is right and proper.

The most unsettling situation which any psychologist may encounter is

when they experience conflicting values.

This subtopic discusses possible value conflicts which psychologists may

experience in their line of duty. Firstly, this subtopic will define the term
“value conflict.” Then, it will present a scenario that may require the
psychologist to resolve, using a step-by-step ethical decision-making
process to deal with the situation. Finally, we will also discuss some steps
and strategies to deal with ethical dilemmas pertaining to a conflict of
values.

2.2.1 Value Conflict

Do you know when does value conflict occur?

In a helping relationship, value conflict occurs when the counsellor and

client have opposing views on certain issues.

Value conflict can arise as a result of differences in:

• religion

• sexuality

• morality

• political views
• culture

• life experiences

Dealing with conflicting values can be challenging. As psychologists, we

cannot avoid facing value conflict when providing psychological services
to our clients.

Value conflict is also known as a clash of values and it can happen in

situations or cases when:

(a) Psychologists’ values and those of their clients clash to such an extent
that these psychologists do not feel confident with their ability to be
helpful (Corey et al., 2010); and/or

(b) Psychologists’ personal values clash with their professional values to

the extent that they are not able to function effectively.

Both situations can lead to a referral dilemma – to refer or not to refer.

Corey et al. (2010) recommended psychologists:

(a) To refer „as the last resort‰ if a client’s needs are outside the scope
of your competence. But referral is the appropriate and ethical course of
action to take when any of the following situations arise:

(i) When moral, religious, or political values are centrally involved in a

client’s presenting problems;

(ii) When the therapist’s boundaries of competence have been reached;

(iii) When the therapist has extreme discomfort with the client’s values;

(iv) When the therapist is unable to maintain objectivity; or

(v) When the therapist has grave concerns about imposing his or her
values on the client.

(b) Not to refer, if you feel that you are confident you can “work through
such conflicts successfully” (p. 82). So, the challenge is two-fold:

(i) How to self-assess your confidence and competence levels; and

(ii) What possible actions to consider before making a referral? These will
be discussed further in the next section.

For example, Malay-Muslim psychologists or counsellors may experience

conflicting values when working with a lesbian client because lesbianism
is a culturally sensitive issue in Malaysia among Muslims. As a person,
psychologists may have a strong opinion regarding a lesbian’s lifestyle but
they have to remain objective and neutral in order to help this client. So,
the challenge lies in the negotiation process which gives rise to ethical
dilemmas.

Even Western-trained professionals in the field of applied psychology may

sometimes experience instances where personal values conflict with
professional values, especially where ethnicity and religion are concerned.
Would you be prepared and confident to deal with, say, a lesbian client?
How would you deal with such a client?

2.2.2 Strategies in Dealing with Value Conflicts in Counselling

These are among the questions which will be addressed in this subtopic.

• How does one deal with value conflict?

• What are the strategies to consider before deciding to refer or not to

refer?

• How can one refer a client without causing harm to the client’s well-
being?

Corey et al. (1998) illustrated several case studies that indicate possible
conflict in life experiences and philosophies, including working with:

• an elderly person;

• a person of a different racial, ethnic, or cultural group;

• a physically handicapped person;

• a delinquent or a criminal; and

• a person who is having alcohol or drug-related problems.

When there is conflict in terms of life differences and philosophies, a

referral dilemma may enter the counsellor’s mind: to refer or not to refer.
So, what are the strategies to consider before deciding to make a referral?
Refer to Figure 2.2.

Figure 2.2: Three Steps in Dealing with Value Conflict Source: Corey et al.
(2010)

Step 1: counsellor should have self-awareness and self-determination

regarding their own values and their role in their professional work. Not
accepting other people’s values as his/her own but be secure in his/her
own values.

Step 2: listen carefully in order to be sensitive to the needs of the clients.

Understand the whole situation. Make sensitive assessment for any
discrepancy between: the clients’ beliefs/values and their assessment of
their behavior and the clients’ beliefs/values and those of the counsellors’.
Step 3: Must be able to communicate acceptance, i.e. , refers to a
willingness to let his/her clients be who they are without trying to
convince them that they should see life the way the counsellor does. Have
sufficient knowledge and skills in order to provide sensitive treatments to
clients.

In case you are curious to know more about how to tackle lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) issues, the next
subtopic discusses guidelines and strategies for counselling them.

2.2.3 Guidelines and Strategies for Counselling Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,

Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) Clients

The ethical codes of the American Counseling Association (ACA), the

American Psychological Association (APA), and the Australian for
Psychological Society (APS) clearly state that discrimination based on
minority status – be it race, Ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation – is
both unethical and unacceptable. Thus, counsellors or trainee students
should have sufficient knowledge and Skills to provide sensitive treatment
to gays and lesbians.

Specifically, Corey et al. (1998) proposed the following specific five steps
and Guidelines (refer to Figure 2.3):

Figure 2.3: Five Steps and Guidelines for Counselling LGBTQ Clients

Step 1: challenge counsellors’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men.

Step 2: acquire a body of knowledge about community resources for these

clients.

Step 3: confront counsellors’ personal prejudices, myths, fears, and

stereotypes regarding sexual orientation.

Step 4: acquire specialised knowledge about gay population in general

and about the meaning of a gay identity to particular individuals.

Step 5: continue to educate themselves about gay identity development

and management.

Table 2.5 lists the examples of biased and exemplary practices when
counselling LGBTQ clients.

Table 2.5: Examples of Biased and Exemplary Practices When Counselling

LGBTQ Clients

Examples of Biased Practices

• Automatically attributing a client’s problems to his or her sexual
orientation.

• Expressing attitudes and beliefs which trivialise or demean gay and

lesbian individuals or their experience.

• Showing insensitivity to the impact of prejudice and discrimination on

gay and lesbian parents, and their children.

• Providing or imparting inaccurate or biased information about lesbians

and gay men.

Examples of Exemplary Practices

• Not attempting to change the sexual orientation of a client without

evidence that the client desires this change.

• Recognising that gay and lesbian people can live happy and fulfilled
lives.

• Recognising the importance of educating professionals, students,

supervisees, and others about gay and lesbian issues and attempting to
counter prejudices and misinformation.

• Recognising the ways in which social prejudices and discrimination

create problems for clients and dealing with these concerns during
therapy.

2.3 SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS

In order to become a licensed-practising psychologist, psychology

students have to meet legal and ethical requirements in their specific
cultural contexts or countries, some of which can be summarised as
follows:

(a) Earning a degree from an accredited institution. For example, to

become clinical and counselling psychologists in the United States, a
doctorate in psychology is usually required. In addition to the doctorate
degree, an approved internship, and one to two years of professional
experience are also needed.

The details of the professional requirements on education and

accreditation are:

(i) Clinical psychologists

• Medical model based

• Ph.D., Psy.D

• Research oriented

• Work with the mentally ill; organic causes

(ii) Counselling psychologists

• Ph.D., Ed.D., Psy.D

• APA internships favoured

• State regulates title „psychologist‰ (license)

• Fighting for limited authority to prescribe drugs

• Can administer psychological tests; fighting for exclusive rights

• Licensure laws allow counsellors to do testing in 94% of the states

(iii) Professional counsellors

• Educational/developmental roots

• MasterÊs Ed.D., Ph.D.

• 48 to 60-hour programmes

• Broad range of specialities

• Licensure in 45 states

(b) Completing the requirements to achieve professional licensing in the

state where one wishes to work. (Note: This is not yet available in
Malaysia because of the limited number of professional psychologists in
the country).

(c) Completing requirement for speciality certification for psychologists.

For example, in the US, there are 13 different areas for speciality
certification. Some examples of these are psychoanalysis, rehabilitation,
forensic, group, school, clinical health, and couple and family.

According to [Link] (n.d.) website:

To obtain board certification in a speciality, candidates must meet the

general criteria which consist of having a doctorate in psychology as well
as state licensure. Each candidate must then meet the additional criteria
of the speciality field, which is usually a combination of postdoctoral
training in their speciality, several years of experience, and professional
endorsements, as determined by the American Board of Professional
Psychology (ABPP). Applicants are then required to pass the speciality
board examination. Source:
[Link]
(d) Becoming a member of a professional psychological association or
society.

(e) Completing the requirement for advancement for psychologists. For

example, psychologists can improve their advancement opportunities by
earning an advanced degree and continuing their education. Many
psychologists opt to start their own private practice after gaining
experience working in the field. (Source: [Link] website at
[Link]

Apart from these professional requirements, psychologists must have

good personal qualities as shown in Figure 2.4.

Figure 2.4: Nine Good Personal Qualities of Psychologists

- Emotionally stable
- Good at dealing with people
- Sensitive
- Compassionate
- Capable of working independently
- Detailed-oriented
- Willing to work as a team
- Patient

In order to become a good counsellor, the following characteristics are

needed (refer to Figure 2.5):

Figure 2.5: Nine Characteristics to Become a Good Counsellor

- Stability of character
- Harmony with self and others
- Constancy and purposefulness
- Flexible
- Seeking goodwill for others
- Sensitive for oneself and the effect you have on others
- Knowing your own wounds and working to resolve them
- Energetic
- Intelligent

In Malaysia, Akta Kaunselor 580 (1998) describes the requirements for

registration of counsellors and practising certificates in Part IV.

Among the topics discussed in the Act are:

(a) Counsellors must be registered. For example, no person shall:

(i) Practise or carry on or operate, or hold himself out as practising or
carrying on or operating, or take up employment, as a counsellor;

(ii) Use the title „registered counsellor‰ or any title in any language
which may be reasonably construed to imply that he is a registered
counsellor; or

(iii) Use or display any sign, board, card, or other device representing or
implying that he is a registered counsellor, unless he is registered under
this Act. (pp. 14–15).

(b) Practising certificate is required. For example, “No person shall

practise as a counsellor unless he holds a valid practising certificate
issued under this Act.” (p. 15).

(c) Qualification for registration.

(d) Application for registration.

Overall, psychologists have legal and ethical requirements to meet in

order to be recognised as a professional. They must not only have the
right knowledge and skills but must possess the necessary qualities to
become effective helpers.