Interview+with+Hallie+Rand

8.   ** What is the greatest sacrifice you have made in pursuing this career? **  9.    ** What are the most stressful parts of your job? **  10.    ** What is the most enjoyable part of your job? **
 * 1.   **** What exactly is your job title? **
 * I am a licensed professional counselor and a certified alcohol/drug counselor. **
 * 2.   **** If you were to hire a replacement for your position, what would the job description be? **
 * Professional psychologist needed ****. ** ** Opportunity for a Clinical Psychologist to provide outpatient, clinical care at 2 ****055 South Oneida Street Suite 290 Denver, Colorado 80224. **** Hours are full-time, Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 4:30pm.  **
 * 3.   **** What made you decide to go into psychology? **
 * In high school I was very interested in the physical workings of the brain. As many of my friends got into recreational drug usage, I watched as some threw their lives away to drug addictions and realized that I wanted to know why it was so difficult for them to extinguish their addictions. **
 * 4.   **** Where did you go to school? Did you attend graduate school, where? **
 * I graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2001. I originally entered as an art history major and did not realize my true passion for the human mind until my junior year, when I finally switched over to psychology. I then went on to get my master’s degree and am currently “en route” on my doctoral degree. **
 * 5.   **** Do you have any specialization in the area of psychology, such as couples or adolescent counseling? **
 * I specialize in alcohol and drug addictions, in addition to significant experience with loss/grief and adolescent issues. To be honest, I believe strongly in the humanistic experience, that we all go through the same stages in life (becoming self-aware, searching for identity, developing relationships, etc.) and that our schemas formed within these contexts is crucial to our later personalities. Part of my focus in adolescents is in prevention and early diagnosis of substance abuse is key to diminishing the number of future addicts who are more difficult to treat. **
 * 6.   **** If yes, what else in the way of education or training was required for that specialization? **
 * All I had to do really was choose a couple elective classes in child development and addiction. The psychology degree really is all encompassing, it is most important just to find out what you excel in and most enjoy and try to find internships or mentors who share these specialties. Specializations are developed with experience, which only comes with a lot of time and patients (no pun intended). Don’t turn away clients, but be prepared to advise them that you may not be the best prepared to offer them the treatment they may require. **
 * 7.   **** What were your expectations of your career before you started? **
 * I was anticipating receiving my degree, going to school for my next degree and getting an internship and opening up my own practice. In actuality, as a student I received supervised clinical training and experience, so that I was more prepared in working on my own. I had not really put much thought into writing a thesis, but ended up being required to write one in my master’s program. Finally, I was anticipating getting my license to be an extremely difficult process. While it was quite tedious, it ended up being what I consider my greatest accomplishment to date. **
 *  I don’t really view myself as having made sacrifices for this career. Rather, they are investments. I have invested a lot of time and money into schooling, in addition to licensing exams and fees. Graduate school is expensive, but it really is worth it. **
 *  Knowing that people’s minds are clogged with a lot of pent up anger, sadness and unconscious hostility. Your relationship with the patient can cause a lot of stress if you feel as though they are not opening up to treatment as much as you would like (especially with the stubbornness of adolescents trying to rebel against their parents who are often the ones putting them in treatment). It takes a lot to charge people a couple hundred dollars for an hour of your time and not see results because you begin to question your own ability and the quality of the care you are providing them. **
 *  Just getting the human interaction and feel that it is a great privilege to be allowed into clients' inner worlds to assist in their growth. **
 * 11.   **** If you could go back to college and choose a different major, a different career, what would it be? **
 *  I wouldn’t ever want to change my major or career path. I already feel as though I missed out on two years of education in my undergrad because I wasted all my time on this art history study that I was not interested in at all. **
 * 12.   **** Do you feel as though you are a more psychologically stable person because of your knowledge and experience? **
 *  Absolutely, I feel as though I introspect on myself frequently and process the meanings and motivations behind my own thoughts daily. **
 * 13.   **** How can I start my career while I am still in school? **
 *  Find a mentor. This can be easy or difficult based on your resourcefulness and special services available at your school. Get as much practice and experience as you can, study very hard and attend conferences when you are able. **
 * 14.   **** Is a PhD required to be in psychology? What can I do without a PhD? **
 *  No PhD is necessary in Colorado, now you can acquire something known as a PsyD, which is essentially the same as a PhD, only more closely related to psychology. You can provide therapy in Colorado without a degree by becoming a licensed therapist, though you cannot diagnose or provide medication for psychological disorders because you would not be a psychologist.  **
 * 15.   **** If you could give only one piece of advice for me going forward, what would it be? **
 *  Learn to take good notes in college! It will help you when you are taking notes in sessions. **
 * THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME! **** J **