Psychology technicians treat patients with mental disorders or conduct research on psychology. They assess patients’ mental and physical health, conduct therapy sessions, and help with personal care. They need to build rapport with patients and staff and understand their needs. Some also conduct psychological research.
A psychology technician is a person who treats patients with mental disorders or conducts research on various aspects of psychology. To succeed in this career often requires an individual with an analytical mind, a sympathetic nature and interpersonal skills. Technicians who treat patients usually work in a treatment facility and those who perform research usually work in a university or private laboratory. Some of the key responsibilities of a psychology technician include assessing patients’ mental status, monitoring patients’ physical health, helping patients with personal care, conducting therapy sessions, and conducting psychological research.
One of the most fundamental duties of a psychology technician is to continually assess the mental state of patients. For example, if a patient is schizophrenic, a technician might routinely check in to see how the patient is feeling emotionally. He may also conduct mental health tests to identify which behaviors need improvement. Doing so is necessary to keep patients comfortable and to prevent incidents such as violence and self-harm. This aspect of the job requires a person who can build rapport with patients and other staff members.
Monitoring the physical health of patients is also important. In addition to assessing mental health, it is often necessary for a psychology technician to check patients’ vital signs, such as heart rate and blood pressure. As many patients take some form of medication, it is important to ensure that there are no allergic reactions or dangerous side effects.
Along with this, a psychology technician is sometimes needed to help patients with personal care. For example, he can help the patient get dressed, brush his teeth and comb his hair. In the case of male patients, it can also help with shaving. This practice is important to keep patients neat and comfortable.
In many cases, a psychology technician will also conduct therapy sessions for patients. This can include individual or group therapy and is aimed at improving a patient’s stability and mental health. Being effective in this duty requires that the person understand each patient’s needs and respond accordingly. Consequently, a psychology technician must be able to form relationships with patients and establish a level of trust.
An additional task for some technicians is conducting psychological research. In general, a psychology technician who conducts research is one who works at a university or private laboratory. Typically, this involves things like reading past case studies, running experiments, and observing psychological phenomena in subjects. Upon completion of a survey, an individual can publish their findings in a psychology journal for other professionals to read.
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