In my time working at Armchair Psychology, it has become evident to me that each of the Psychologist team members have varied and valuable skill sets. No one person can claim to know everything about everything, so it is helpful for me to know that wherever I might be stuck on something, or not sure how to best help a client, that there is another Psychologist available to lend an ear and share their knowledge with me.
We have found our weekly team meetings to be a supportive space in which we can share what we’re stuck on. We always make sure we de-identify any information, so that we honour our commitment to client confidentiality. We tend to talk about themes, psychological techniques, or other specific services, and not information about a client’s life that would compromise confidentiality or respect. Psychologists have an obligation to ensure that we attend “supervision” with other Psychologists to keep up to date on best practice, and continue our learning. Given the benefit of talking through things with my colleagues, I am reminded of the importance and requirement of doing this to maintain registration as Psychologists.
We also find that the team meetings are a space where we can feel safe and valued in sharing our knowledge where appropriate. This process of give and take helps us develop our psychological skill sets, and feel part of a friendly, supportive, knowledgeable team.
If you would like some helpful tips and feel like it is lacking in your workplace and would like support, reach out!
