Psychology is not ‘just’ about Mental Health  

There are some issues if understood in time would be a good thing to take it to the long run. ‘Psychology is all about Mental Health’ is the one.

I am avidly promoting Mental Health through the work I am doing and constantly participating with other friends in the promotion of Mental Health; but at the same time being a student of Psychology first- I am little concerned when Psychology is limited to just the clinical perspective. And here is something I wanted to write for a long time to balance the view.
I am very much excited when Psychology is given emphasis these days. From the time when I started to study academic Psychology in under graduation to this time of my graduate Psych studies, there is a big difference on the way the mass is concerned about this subject and the way mass is starting to recognize it as the today’s need. There are many positive changes but I am concerned on the overall development of the field of Psychology.

Whenever we mention Psychology-the general view is ‘it is concerned with mental illness or mental well-being’. Many of the times, in programs, when psychologists are called- they are only made to talk about the topics of ‘Mental Well-being’. But to remind you again- Psychology is the scientific study of Human Behavior and Mental Process’. And when we talk about Human behavior and mental process, it can be anywhere and anything related to this.

Social Psychology is the one. It is basically concerned with the interaction of human in the society and yes it is also the Psychology.

Likewise, Industrial Psychology is another. How wonderful the recruitment process or HR Department would turn out to be if there are industrial Psychologists placed there. Don’t you think the productivity will just go up or better perform if they have someone to ‘scientifically study human behavior and mental process in the industrial setting?’ THINK ABOUT IT!

Likewise, Environmental Psychology is the next. I personally only knew about this topic when I was in first year of my Master’s program. How wonderful it would be to have someone in Kathmandu studying the human behavior around Bagmati River and help the people living around to make the effective and efficient progress to make it clean. Do you know ‘The Polluted Cloud you see in the horizon is very much responsible in degrading your formation of memory?’ How wonderful it would have been if we have Environment Psychologist recruited in the Agencies which work for promotion and betterment of Environment.

And to remind you again, there are many other.

HERE MY POINT IS- SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST, ENVIORONMENT PSYCHOLGIST, INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGIST DO NOT TREAT AN INDIVIDUAL CLINICALLY. THEY DO NOT GIVE COUNSELING. THEY ARE NOT WORKING IN THE SECTOR OF MENTAL HEALTH. BUT STILL…THEY ARE PSYCHOLOGIST.

Don’t you think it’s also time to give the space to those ‘diversity’ of psychology rather than thinking Psychology and just concerned with Mental Illness and modification of behavior.

Likewise, there are many fields of Psychology from Sports Psychology to School Psychology  and many many other fields. (Google can be a good friend to find about them more).

Here, my concern today is not regarding the career prospects of Psychology. We can find whole new prospects of career, it just depends on how much explorative you are. Here, my concern is ‘WHY don’t we see Psychology other than Mental Health?’

The biggest problem is the academic limitation in Nepal which gives very few options in the applied and academic setting.  Hence the students of Psychology in Nepal do not get the exposure in other varied subjects of Psychology. Clinical Psychology-Academic-Research-Social Psychology are few things which attract me in Psychology. I honestly am so glad to have seen the change regarding the recognition of Psychology in masses. I feel proud to be associated with the change. But I was little worried when a younger (who is interested in psychology) asked me suddenly:  ‘’Kripa didi, I want to study Psychology but I don’t want to work in clinical setting.’’ Poor thing!

Biggest concern here again, as a student, and a promoter of the field of Psychology- Let’s start talking about PSYCHOLOG-IES rather than PSYCHOLOGY.

And to everyone, who are students, who are not studying Psychology at all and specially to those young minds who thinks they should study psychology only if they want to work for mental health; I want to make it clear.This is NOT the Case. Feel free to explore. Its not about PSYCHOLOGY. There are PSYCHOLOGIES!

There are many fields you can hop in. If you are interested to study human behavior-mental process, there is not any field where we cannot integrate it. Feel free to explore. Feel free to take psychology in a different way.
We, as passionate promoter of Field Psychology, its again optimum time to emphasis on the research, social psychology, environmental psychology and many other aspects of PSYCHOLOGY to promote our field!

We are doing great job promoting Mental Health and awareness.  But don’t you think it’s the time to promote our FIELD as a WHOLE!