When Ought Self Met Real Self

There is freedom to be found in not living up to others’ expectations.

- Marc Wilson

Take a moment to think about who you are. Then take a moment to think about the type of person you wish you were. What sort of feelings does this produce? Or maybe think about the person you think you “ought” to be, and the feelings that go along with this.

A clinical psychologist (I am not one) is someone who has not only completed a degree in clinical psychology and a postgraduate research degree, but is also registered with the New Zealand Psychologists Board in the relevant area – known as a scope – of practice. If you don’t meet these criteria, don’t call yourself a clinical psychologist. Or any kind of psychologist, in fact.

My first exposure to clinical psychology as an undergraduate was in my third year of study, in a paper entitled “Personality and Abnormal Psychology”. We learnt about psychological disorder in a variety of forms, and we watched footage of famous therapists in action. Working with the same client, named Gloria, each of these therapists was modelling a different approach to psychotherapy.