Blayney Kemp Clinical Psychology

Year graduated from UNSW:

1995

Degree/s completed:

BSc (Psych)(Hons), MPsychol (Clinical) (Hons)

Monica is a company director and a private Clinical Psychologist. She consults with individual adult clients on a daily basis. Her areas of specialty include Eating Disorders, Post-Natal Depression and adult trauma. However, she may also consult in other areas. Her practice employs 5 other Clinical Psychologists and two reception staff. Therefore her current job also involves business management, marketing, staff management, accounting and lots of PR.

Career path and profile:

“I pretty well ‘fell’ into psychology at University and found I liked it when many others dropped it because it seemed dry to them (let down by Hollywood-raised expectations).”

Monica’s first position within the area of psychology was as a Research Assistant for an Associate Professor at the University. She obtained this job while studying in order to survive financially, but it also taught her many things about being a scientist and researcher in psychology.

As a Clinical Psychologist, she was offered a position by one of her supervisors to work on a research project that treated Anorexia Nervosa and compared the treatments. Consequently, Monica developed an interest in Eating Disorders.

In the final months of Monica’s degree, she answered an advertisement in the newspaper for clinical psychology work in a private practice. She found the work very challenging, and continued working there until she graduated. After 4 years, Monica was offered, and accepted, the purchase of the practice. She therefore came to be a practice owner and businessperson, and has been running her own practice ever since.

“From graduation to business owner was about 4 years.”

Skills and knowledge acquired in work area:

“My steepest learning curve has probably been in the area of business skills – an area of expertise for which I never held any interest but have been plunged into by necessity. This includes managing staff (VERY different to managing clients, unfortunately), managing referrers (eg. GPs) and managing finances. Plus marketing, PR and lots of worrying.”

Use of skills in maximising career prospects:

“Both sets of skills – the clinical and the business skills – will no doubt play a role in my career prospects. I hope to be able to run the business to the point where I can reduce my own clinical load and can be more selective with the problem areas I deal with, without burning out. For this I need to be good at business and keep in touch with the aspects of clinical psychology and working with people that I really like.”

The value of the profession:

“My profession offers unquestionable value to the community. What we do is cost-effective, science-based and it works. We are trained in a way that, I feel, presumes respect for our clients and involves information-giving and training, not “doing” to them.”

Monica frequently gets client feedback about how valuable it is for people to have strategies that they can understand, rather than simply taking a prescribed drug, or simply talking about their problems.

Most enjoyable and inspiring aspects of the job:

“The most enjoyable and inspiring aspects of the profession for me are constant reminders of human resilience and what remarkable things people can do when they need to. It does restore your faith, it really does.”

Monica also really enjoys running a business, even though she had never originally intended to, and would love more time to take advantage of her autonomy and develop her organization in a way that optimises the benefits that clinical psychology could offer the world.

Most difficult aspects of the job:

“The most difficult aspects of the profession, I think, are separating yourself from human distress without becoming indifferent. There are many ethical challenges and often tough decisions that are unpopular, but I feel that constant exposure to lots of human suffering is the hardest part.”

“Following close behind all this, is the old time issue… time to keep up with reading and research, new treatments, plus throw in running a business and you’ve pretty well created the 36 hour day.”

Maintenance of skills and professional Knowledge:

Monica maintains her skills and professional knowledge through networking, citing peer supervision as “undeniably the most valuable thing” that she participates in.She also subscribes to regular catalogues and books, and attends conferences.

Balance of work and personal Life:

Monica claims that it is very difficult to effectively balance her work and personal life, however, she also claims that she hasn’t yet met another psychologist who can maintain a balance;

“We try hard and know more than anyone else how important it is to do this, but it’s tough. With time and experience I have learnt how to “process and dump” on the drive home, to set time and geographical boundaries on when and where I am allowed to think about work, and to be very strict with myself about my hours. I have learnt to debrief with the right people, and to not talk shop, or see violent films – just some of the ways I am reminded that in the end it just has to be a job, and not my life and that there is a side of life which has less sadness.”

Career goals and strategies:

Monica aspires to be able to be more selective in the type and amount of clinical work that she does, while running the business as a sound and ethical practice. In order to achieve her goals, she has already employed five clinical psychologists over time, and is trying to build her practice up slowly. She has also opened a branch of the practice closer to her home so that she can eventually work closer to home.

Final words of advice:

“Look after yourself as well as you can. Listen to the experienced and lean on them. Don’t lose touch with your peers and colleagues…. It can be a lonely and distorted view of life if you try and go it alone. Learn about business from actual business owners before you leap into private practice.”

Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety Disorders
St Vincent's Hospital

Year graduated from UNSW:

1995, 1991

Degree/s completed:

B.Sc (Psych) Hons, MPsychol (Clin)

“I chose a career in Clinical Psychology because I liked the balance between science and humanity. I wanted to do something worthwhile that would also be intellectually stimulating.

Since graduating five years ago I've been working in an adult outpatient clinic that specialises in the treatment of anxiety disorders using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). Over the years I've been involved in running group CBT programs for Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia and Social Phobia, although at present I'm working full-time with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

The skills I learned in the Masters of Clinical Psychology course have been essential in allowing me to work in this field, particularly the training in cognitive therapy and behavioural techniques, and their application to different disorders.

The most rewarding aspect of the job is being part of the process of change in so many people - seeing them gradually develop control over their symptoms so that their lives are not governed by fear. Of course it can be frustrating at times too, but more often it's inspiring to see how courageous people are once they've developed the knowledge and skills to change.”

NSW Department of Corrective Services, Metropolitan Medical Transient Centre, Long Bay Correctional Complex (male inmates, maximum security gaol)

Year graduated from UNSW:

1999/2000

Degree/s completed:

BA(Hons) 1992 (Syd); M.Crim 1994 (Syd); M. Psychol (Forensic) UNSW

Current job activities:

Amy currently works as a Forensic Psychologist in the Metropolitan Medical Transient Centre (MMTC), Long Bay Correctional Complex.

Amy’s current position involves a wide range of job activities. She conducts individual interventions for inmates (who are generally referred to her either by themselves, correctional officers or clinic staff) and also conducts group sessions. She also writes a variety of reports, such as pre-sentence reports for court, the Parole Board, case management teams within the gaol and for the Serious Offenders Review Council (SORC).

Amy also conducts case management of the inmates within the gaol, as well as conducting clinical and psychometric assessments of inmates for various purposes. She is also involved in crisis intervention and administrative duties.

Reasons for working in the Forensic Psychology field:

Amy’s interest in Forensic Psychology arose from a joint interest in Psychology and Law. She was initially placed within the Department of Corrective Services for Professional Practice during her degree and found the area both interesting and challenging.

Career path:

In 1993, while completing her first year Masters in Criminology, Amy partook in voluntary work experience with the Australian Institute of Criminology, Criminal Law Review Division, Attorney General’s Department and Ministry for the Status and Advancement of women.

From February, 1994 to February, 1995, Amy worked as a Tipstaff (research assistant) to Justice Carolyn Simpson, for the Supreme Court of NSW. She took this position in order to learn about the legal system while completing her Masters in Criminology.

From March 1995 to June 1998, Amy obtained a position as a Research Officer for the Royal Commission into the NSW Police Service. She obtained this position in order to utilise her research skills in the area of Criminology, while also gaining further knowledge of and experience in the criminal justice system. She then left this position to return to full-time study.

Amy obtained her current position through doing a professional placement (as a part of Masters in Forensic Psychology) in the Department of Corrective Services at Long Bay Gaol. She initially shared the job with another graduate and worked on a series of 4 month temporary contracts until she won the permanent position of psychologist in March this year.

Skills and knowledge acquired in work area:

Knowledge:

Amy has acquired a sound, basic knowledge of the operations of the criminal justice and legal systems in NSW. In particular, she has developed knowledge relating to specific areas, including;

Amy has also acquired a multitude of skills. These include:

The value of the Psychology degree:

The Psychology degree assisted Amy in gaining a lot of the theoretical knowledge required to work as a psychologist. Her degree also equipped her with research skills to know where to go for certain information, and provided her with an understanding of the relevant issues. It was also of benefit in teaching her good assessment and report writing skills. However, Amy felt that she would also have benefited from some instruction on dealing with the stress that can result from working as a psychologist, and the particular issues that can be faced.

The value of the profession:

As a psychologist working for Corrective Services, Amy believes that she can be of assistance in helping to reduce offending behaviour. She can also assist in dealing with the issues that underlie drug use and crime, and in discharging the Department’s Duty of Care to inmates.

Most enjoyable and satisfying aspects of the job:

“The most enjoyable aspects of my job are the interaction with both inmates and staff, but particularly inmates on a one-to-one basis and working as part of a team. I also feel that the professional support for psychologists working in Corrective Services is very good.”

Most difficult aspects of the job:

“The most difficult aspects are also dealing with inmates and sometimes staff, the incredibly high work load and pressure that comes with that, frequently dealing with suicidal and/or self harming clients, and the increasingly litigious environment of Corrective Services.”

Most motivating and inspiring aspects of the job:

Amy derives her main sources of motivation and inspiration from client (and some staff) appreciation for the work that she does. She is also motivated by seeing a real and positive change in some of her clients, as well as the constant challenge that working in a maximum security gaol presents.

“I find both my clients and the nature of the issues with which they present quite fascinating.”

Maintenance of skills and professional knowledge:

Amy maintains her skills and professional knowledge by attending workshops, courses and conferences. She also subscribes to journals, and holds membership of professional organisations. She also benefits from case presentations and discussions with other psychologists within the Department.

Work and life balance:

“Balancing work and personal life is difficult and it has taken me a considerable amount of time to really learn how to do this. Due to the amount of work, I often work quite long hours and take work home, particularly if I am writing a report.”

“I think the key for me has been resisting to some extent the pressure that is placed on you to do certain things and be very assertive about what you can realistically get done within a certain time frame. Initially it was hard for me to separate work and personal life but I have found that my professional detachment has improved greatly with experience and I have learnt to schedule my work more effectively to allow me more time away from work and free weekends!”

“I have found it particularly important to maintain friends and activities that are unrelated to work as the gaol environment can become very consuming. It can also be very stressful so I would recommend regular holidays (where possible) and making sure that you do not try to do too much after work during the week!”

Career goals and strategies:

Amy plans to remain with Corrective Services for the next few years, in order to gain experience in different environments, such as in a minimum security centre, the Long Bay Hospital and in therapeutic programs.

Amy is also interested in pursuing opportunities overseas within correctional systems, gaining further experience in conducting forensic assessments, report writing and possibly working in a more therapeutic environment. Eventually she would like to be in private practice.

In order to achieve her goals, Amy is committed to professional development, continual learning and puruses any opportunities that are offered to her. During her time with Corrective Services she has done numerous courses and is planning to continue to attend workshops, seminars and conferences. She is also considering further study, such as a PhD, at a later stage.

“There is great potential within the Department for working in different areas and to learn about different professional opportunities.”

Final words of advice:

“Make sure that you are aware of some VERY good methods of dealing with stress, keep up professional supervision, learn as much as you can about crisis intervention and dealing with suicidal clients.”

“Try to gain some different life experiences before starting and perhaps consider working in a gaol as a second or third rather than a first job. Also be prepared to be very flexible in your thinking and the way you work and to be able to negotiate and advocate well.”

Commonwealth Bank; Financial Risk Management

Year graduated from UNSW:

1990;1994

Degree/s completed:

BSc Psychology (Hons); MPsychol (Applied/Organisational)

What does a Human Resources Manager do?

Sue is a senior Human Resources Manager working to design various Human Resource systems for the Financial Risk Management Division of the Commonwealth Bank. Some examples of the work she has done include; designing and implementing succession planning systems; designing recruitment and development programs (for all levels of staff from graduate to general manager level); planning performance management systems and strategies, devising EEO and OHS systems.

Reasons for working in the Human Resources field:

Sue chose to work within this area, as she had a strong interest in working in Human Resources. She also wanted to work in a large organisation that gave her the opportunity to perform a wide range of tasks, rather than specialise in a particular area.

Career path:

Sue began working as Psychologist in the corporate Human Resources area of the Bank. This role provided her with a broad background to the Bank and a chance to apply what she had learnt at university.

In order to gain more experience in training and development, Sue subsequently obtained a position in the corporate training and development team, where she conducted training evaluations and training needs analyses.

She was then offered a role in the Corporate Human Resources Department involving graduate recruitment and development. She decided to take up the role, as she has always been interested in working with graduates.

As Sue had only ever worked in the Corporate Human Resources function, she was keen to experience Human Resources work in one of the departments of the Bank. She therefore obtained a position as Manager Succession Planning for the Customer Service Division of the Bank. This division is responsible for all customer interfaces, including personal and business customers as well as financial services, and comprises approximately 22,000 staff. She subsequently left this position for her current role, due to her interest in working with a different workforce.

Skills and knowledge acquired in work area:

According to Sue, the two most important skills are communication and business skills.

• Communication skills;

• Business skills;

“You must also have some basic business skills – knowing what makes the business tick, how to read a balance sheet, know business language etc. If you have no knowledge of these you will rapidly lose all credibility. You must also always be able to demonstrate how your work will effect the organisation’s business – otherwise why are you there!”

The value of the Psychology degree:

“I constantly draw on the knowledge and skills I learnt from university. I would not be as effective as I am without my degrees.”

The value of the profession:

“Psychology has a very great deal to offer the world of work over and above other Human Resources Professionals. We work from a sound base of knowledge that is based on theories and research about human behaviour.”

Most enjoyable aspects of the job:

According to Sue, the most enjoyable aspects of her job include interacting with other professionals and continually learning new things.

Most difficult aspects of the job:

She finds it challenging to work through the resistances of others, and making them realise the value of her work.

Main sources of inspiration within job:

Sue is constantly inspired by seeing people develop from having minimal skills, to becoming highly skilled, and having this make a difference to their job.

Maintenance of skills and professional knowledge:

Sue is on the Sydney Committee of the College of Organisational Psychologists. She organises and attends development activities, and also attends conferences and subscribes to the professional journals. She also takes advantage of a large network of other psychologists working in Human Resources, by using this network as a forum to leverage ideas.

Balance of work and personal Life:

Sue maintains a balance between her work and personal life by making sure that she takes time out to go for a walk each day. She very rarely takes work home, and if she needs to work on the weekend, she goes in to work.

“I try to draw very clear boundaries between the two – although at times this is very difficult to do.”

Career goals and strategies:

Sue aspires to lead a group of professionals that specialises in providing Human Resources advice and services such as organisational change and development strategies, and recruitment and learning. In order to achieve her career goals, Sue plans to build on her experience in Human Resources and work with diverse groups of clients.

Final words of advice:

“One of the most important things to do quickly is to build up a good network. Also I found it vital to position myself as someone who was a Human Resources professional – not just a psychologist. Industry still has a very narrow perception of what a psychologist is. The good news is that this is changing!”

Saville & Holdsworth (SHL) Australia Pty Ltd.

Year graduated from UNSW:

1994

BA Hons (1991);
MPsychol (Applied) 1994

SHL Australia Pty Ltd. is the Australian division of the SHL Group, which currently operates in 40 countries. They offer assessment and development solutions to clients to provide them with a competitive advantage through the more effective use of their human resources.

What does a Managing Consultant working in SHL do?

Hannah is responsible for the development of new business, marshalling resources, managing and coordinating project teams and delivering assessment and development solutions aligned with the company’s strategic focus. She also has additional responsibilities for the management and development of SHL’s national individual assessment service and student placement programs.

Reasons for working in the organisational psychology field:

Inspired by her school psychologist, Hannah developed an early interest in psychometric testing and its applications. Working within organisations seemed more appealing to Hannah, compared with clinical practice. She consequently chose to focus on applied and organisational issues.

First position obtained:

Hannah obtained her first professional position as a Research Assistant for Beryl Hesketh, the then Director of the Applied Masters Program. She worked on several industry-based training and development projects whilst completing her Masters degree.

Career path:

After completing her university studies, Hannah worked with Andersen Consulting as a recruitment specialist. She then moved from Andersens to SHL, where she has been working since late 1994. In 1996, Hannah was promoted to Senior Consultant, just before giving birth to her first child. She returned to work very quickly in a part-time capacity. In 1998, Hannah was promoted to Managing Consultant and for part of 1999 she worked in SHL’s Chicago office on an international secondment. She has also recently started an Executive MBA at the AGSM on a part-time basis.

Skills and knowledge acquired in work area:

“While knowledge and experience are important in progressing in my career, others have placed significant weight on my capacity to present with credibility and professionalism.”

The value of the Psychology degree:

For Hannah, both university degrees in addition to working within a university environment were instrumental in developing her analytical, problem solving and research skills. Given the nature of her work, Hannah found that it was enormously beneficial to have also gained such a breadth and depth of theoretical and statistical knowledge.

The value of the profession:

The corporate community is placing increasing value on the area within which Hannah works:

“Australian organisations are becoming more sophisticated in their human resource practices, and are looking to organisational psychologists for advice and support in the design and implementation of these practices.”

Most enjoyable, satisfying and inspiring aspects of the job:

Hannah particularly enjoys the close working relationships she has developed, both with colleagues and clients. She is also constantly motivated to provide professional, high quality and practical solutions:

“I find people inspiring.”

Maintenance of skills and professional knowledge:

Hannah views the necessity to continually update her skill set and professional knowledge as being crucial to continued career success:

“I work for an organisation committed to professional development; and with a team of organisational psychologists who provide constant learning opportunities.”

As a member of the APS and the College of Organisational Psychology, she receives Australian publications and attends professional development seminars. She also attends the bi-annual Australian Industrial/Organisational Psychology Conference, where she presented a practice forum last year. In addition, Hannah attends human resource related workshops and subscribes to a number of management journals.

Career goals and strategies:

Hannah displays an interest in interpersonal skills training and may move more towards coaching and executive development. In order to attain her goal, she intends to complete her MBA within the next three years in order to incorporate a broader business focus in her approach to the treatment of “psychological” issues.

Final words of advice:

“While a solid theoretical basis is important, a commercial orientation and a capacity to present with influence and credibility is essential. Finding work that allows you to develop these skills should be a priority.”

Bain International (currently on maternity leave)

Year graduated from UNSW:

1999

Degree/s completed:

Bsc (Med) BSc (Psych) PhD

What does a Management Consultant do?

Suzanne engages in planning business strategies for companies, focusing on several areas, such as enabling them to expand into different markets, increase profitability, re-engineer processes and redesign their organisational structure. Suzanne works very closely with clients and Bain team members, in order to provide an optimal tailored solution for the business problem at hand.

Reasons for working in the Management Consulting field:

Suzanne entered the management consulting field because she wanted a change from working directly within the area of psychology, whilst continuing to utilise the research and communication skills that she had acquired throughout her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

Career path:

Suzanne entered into the consulting field after completing her PhD in the area of child cognitive development. She has worked as a consultant for 15 months and is currently on maternity leave.

Skills and knowledge acquired in work area:
Suzanne has acquired incredibly useful training in communication skills, which has enabled her to present to senior management, to train people in a variety of business areas, and to communicate in an effective and efficient manner in all business and personal interactions.

The value of the Psychology degree:

The psychology degree has provided Suzanne with essential research and communication skills, which have enabled her to work in a job for which she had no prior content knowledge:

“The quality of the grounding which I received during my Psychology degrees has provided a solid foundation to enable me to succeed in an entirely new field.”

Most enjoyable and satisfying aspects of the job:

Suzanne enjoys the challenge of working with senior management. Seeing that her work has an impact on the success of the company is very rewarding.

Most difficult aspects of the job:

The most difficult aspect of her work involves the amount of energy and effort that goes into each presentation, which may or may not impact on the eventual outcome.

Main sources of motivation and inspiration within the job:

Suzanne is constantly motivated by her interactions with a variety of clients, where she is able to see the difference that her presence makes to their job.

Maintenance of skills and professional Knowledge:

Suzanne keeps her skills and professional knowledge up to date through networking, and in-house training sessions.

Final words of advice:

“It is very rewarding but very challenging to acquire an entirely new skill set and knowledge base – work hard but stay balanced!”

Current place of employment:

Allworth Juniper Pty Ltd.

Year graduated from UNSW:

1991

Degree/s completed:

BA (Hons), MPsychol (Applied), PhD

Current job activities:

Elizabeth primarily works in selection assessment. In addition to her practice management responsibilities, she is also involved in career development, customer and team surveying, and test research and development.

Reasons for working in the organisational psychology field:

Elizabeth chose organisational psychology for the opportunities it offers to be involved in assessment, measurement and analysis.

Career path:

Elizabeth obtained her first job in organisational psychology with Morgan & Banks. She left to set up her own organisational consulting practice. In 1996, Kate Juniper, also a graduate of the Masters program, joined her. Allworth Juniper was incorporated in 1997.

Skills and knowledge acquired in work area:

BSc Psychology (Honours); MPsychol (Applied/Organisational) Honours


Current job activities:

Kate is currently self-employed, running a small organisational psychology practice with her business partner, Elizabeth Allworth. Their company, Allworth Juniper Pty Ltd is in its fourth year of business and currently comprises five people.

Kate’s job activities include assessment for selection and development, which is implemented on an individual basis, and through assessment and development centres. Other activities include conducting job and competency analyses, implementing team development strategies, and training in behavioural interviewing techniques.

Skills and knowledge acquired in work area: