Reflective Growth Across a Psychology Career - Trainee Clinical Psychologist

Phil Pampoulov (: 22:53

Yeah. Oh, thank you, Marianne. And so heartwarming to hear about your first job because I think it'd be quite scary for third years especially thinking, oh gosh, I need to actually start applying for jobs and go to a job interview. And you sort of finding that you really loved that job and the people you were with, you learned so much from it. And I think that's probably where the placements have been really important. For me personally. On our course, I feel like I've learned so much from them, and I'm not sure how it was on your course, but with us, we sort of do two adults placements in the first year, both around five, six months long, and then two five to six months placements in the second year. One with children and young people, the other one with people with intellectual disabilities. And in the final year you do one longer placements around 10 months-ish long, and you can kind of select your top three choices for which way you want to be.

(: 23:51

So the final decision isn't yours, but you've got a lot more control. And I managed to get my first choice for my third year, and I was so over the moon. And I've said to my partner, I didn't for a second regret making that choice because I really feel like I'm learning so much and heading in the direction I want to be heading. It's not just trainee Phil, but also future qualified, hopefully Dr. Phil by the end of the year. So yeah, I think placements have a really big part where you can start learning a lot. I've dealt with a lot of things in my placements that I wouldn't have even dreamed of doing when I was an assistant psychologist.

Dr Marianne Trent (: 24:32

Absolutely. And you do just end up having to walk because you find yourself to be there. And I felt quite emotional as you spoke then. I felt I had the feels, it made me feel like I might have a bit of a cry, what privilege to be able to have that level of personal and professional growth and get paid for it. And I know if you're a cancelling trainee, you're listening to this thinking, I don't get paid and I have to pay. There's such an inequity, and I wish that could be changed. But speaking as a qualified clin psych who got paid to train, not every day was easy. Of course it wasn't, but just incredible. And I still think I've got the best job in the world. I love it, I love it.

Phil Pampoulov (: 25:16

Same. And you just kind of feel when it's right that you, it's hard to verbalise it, but you definitely at the end of the day when you come back and you're like, yes, it might've been a tough day, but there's something about this that I really, really

Dr Marianne Trent (: 25:29

Love. Yeah, absolutely. Is there anything else on this topic around what we learn along the journey that we haven't said or that you think might be useful or that comes to you for that kind of podcast? Topic title?

Phil Pampoulov (: 25:45

And I guess I'm kind of addressing this to anyone who might be watching this, not necessarily trainees qualified. It could be aspiring. It's whatever stage you are, really pause and think about who you are. Because I remember one kind of teaching that we had is where the lecturer said to us, imagine an animal. Pick an animal that you want to represent you as, or where you would like to see yourself as a clinical psychologist. It was something along those lines. And I remember I thought really, really long for that. And in the end, I chose a chameleon. And so each one of us, we went around and each one of us spoke about why they chose the animal. And I said, well, I chose the chameleon because I feel like in a sense, I want to be someone who is flexible and adapts well to different environments and different needs, but at the same time, at the very core, I'm still the same person. So I might change sort of the colours, but I'm still, the fill is still there. So I kind of want to incorporate that malleability and flexibility, but still stay true to what's important to me. And my partner drew a chameleon and gave it to me as a birthday gift later on, and I still have that. So every time I see it, it reminds me, yes, this chameleon is me, and I know why. I understand why. So really think about who you are and how other people would see you.

Dr Marianne Trent (: 27:14

I think that's such a nice reframe on a chameleon, because for me, sometimes the term chameleon is almost lobbied about as a bit of an insult. But I think you're right, it's about survival, isn't it? It's about being a part of something and helping it, I dunno, helping what needs to happen happen, but in a way that isn't putting all your own stuff and your own agenda onto what the process is. I don't think I'm explaining this very well, but I get what you mean. Yeah. It's not an insult, is it? It's a real skill to be able to do that. But of course to remain, like you said, to still remain the same underneath, but just to be able to, it's an amazing survival strategy, isn't it? It's amazing as a, it makes me think about Harry Potter and his invisibility cloak. What could you get up to if you had one of those? What can you do if you can just be yourself, but know how to help others around you maximise everything that they're doing?

Phil Pampoulov (: 28:28

Yeah, and I totally get what you mean when you first say, yeah, I wouldn't think about that way because when I first thought about that, I was like, oh, but then people might think I'm being a phoney or hypocrite or something and not really lying just to kind of please them or sort. But I was like, no, I don't see it personally that way. The important thing is that bit about the core, core review is always the same about you. If I'm always the same, if I don't adapt to different environments, I'm not going to, as you said, yes, survive, but also thrive. I think that's the other important thing. Thrive in an environment where I feel happy and passionate about what I'm doing. So that's kind of how I personally see it. But every time I see that picture, I'm like, yes. It just warms my heart.

Dr Marianne Trent (: 29:16

I come from a slightly earlier era in life where we actually used to write each other letters and put stamps on them before emails dawned. And one of my friends used to write a little quote or a little like pause for thought nugget on the back of every envelope because he didn't want the postman to be bored. That is genuinely why he did it. And it reminded me of a little communication because postman must read postcards and Well, this isn't a postcard, it's a letter. And on the back of one of them, it said, if you've always done what you've always done, then you'd always get what you've always got. And that's in essence what that is, isn't it? I have loved our chat today. I'm so excited for just for you to become qualified for you to stand there in your graduation robes. And for me, in terms of change, I think I noticed it most, I didn't go to my master's graduation because I think they forgot to tell me about it.

(: 30:17

Oh gosh, that's not good. Yeah, they sent me a certificate in the post six months later. Well, I said, well, where is it? They didn't tell me. Oh gosh. So I only went to my undergrad and my doctorate graduations. So I only went to my undergraduate and my postgraduate doctoral graduations in my under graduation. I felt a bit embarrassed. I felt a bit silly, felt silly in my robes. I felt a bit like a phoney . I didn't feel like a psychologist. I guess what I know is that I wasn't one, and I was just a bit embarrassed. I loved being with my family, I loved being with my friends. I loved going out for dinner afterwards with our extended family, but I didn't necessarily feel proud. Whereas my doctorate's graduation, I honestly felt so very proud of everything I'd achieved of wearing my little soft floppy cap of being there with all of these incredible people who I called friends and colleagues.

(: 31:20

And I was so pleased and proud for them as well. I had this moment of standing, I did Coventry and Warwick Uni, and they take it in turns for the graduation. One year will be in the Coventry Cathedral, one year will be in the Warwick in their theatre there. And we had the Coventry graduation and it was just standing queuing up by these amazing stained glass waiting to go and get my handshake from the dean, whatever it was with my parents watching and who is now, my husband was in a lecture theatre with his parents watching elsewhere. And I just felt so incredibly proud. And that is safe to feel about yourself, but also really lovely. And I hope that you have that similar pride when it comes to be your time as well, Phil.

Phil Pampoulov (: 32:16

Thank you. Marianne. Yes. So fingers crossed my graduation will be next year. I think they do it the summer after. There's quite a big gap. But hopefully a proud Phil, proud Dr. Phil could be standing there and I think we should be proud at any point in time, even at the undergraduate. That's massive. That's a very big step in anyone's life.

Dr Marianne Trent (: 32:41

Yeah, I guess that evidence is just how much I'd changed from the age of 21 to the age of, I think I was about 30. I'd grown a lot. I've done a lot as well, had a great time personally and professionally. There'd been highs, had been lows, but genuinely, and I guess by the time I did my graduation for doctorate, I'd already, I think that was November. I was just about, I think to start my qualified role. I actually had some time off unemployed because there was no jobs. But yeah, I just loved it. I loved it. And in terms of growth, there's nothing like it. And then of course once you qualify, you continue to grow and you absolutely should. So yeah, just yesterday someone had said they'd been stopped from progressing to eight a because someone had said, well, you haven't done a specialist core thing.

(: 33:37

You haven't done a bolt-on therapy since qualifying. And that wasn't something I'd ever heard of, but just in case people are listening, just try to get some sort of therapeutic skills advancement when you first qualify in the first couple of years. But that said, you can go straight to eight A from qualifying, so that's not always necessary. But part of the podcast, I like to kind of educate people as and when I hear things, so that might be something people might like to consider. So Phil, thank you very much. You are going to be joining us for another episode because I've so enjoyed our chat that we've decided we're going to do. What was our original plan as a second follow-up episode because it's just been so lovely to speak to you. Have you got a last nugget of advice for helping people avoid burnout on their way as aspiring psychologist Phil?

Phil Pampoulov (: 34:30

Gosh, I could say so much about that, but I'll keep it simple. Do you know yourself best? So one thing at a time, that's something that has personally helped me a lot, both before and during the doctorate, just chunking things. Otherwise it can easily get overwhelmed. But how much stuff is happening altogether? Like, Nope, I'm going to do first this, then that, then that. And obviously life doesn't work that way, but I think even just saying it to myself helps a lot. So give it your best shot. If it doesn't work, that's okay. Just be kind to yourself.

Dr Marianne Trent (: 35:06

That's so nice and just keep doing it. If you think it's a bit of you, like it was for you, what's another year between friends, if this might end up being your fantastic, beautiful, joyful career.

Phil Pampoulov (: 35:23

Exactly. Thank you very much. Thank you so much.

Dr Marianne Trent (: 35:26

I've loved it. I've loved it. Phil, thank you for sharing your time so warmly with our audience as well, and if people have enjoyed what we've said, then they can look out for our next episode, which will be coming probably in the next five or six weeks. What an absolute pleasure it was to speak to Phil. I liked it so much that we are seeing him again for a future episode as well, so stay tuned for that in the next few weeks. If you are intrigued to see what it is we are going to be talking about, I would love to know what you think to this episode. Come along and let me know in the Aspiring Psychologist community, which is my free Facebook group, if you like the way I do reflection, if you like the way that it sounds like I can help you to grow and to shape your experiences and to get to where you want to be on the psychology career ladder, please do consider coming along and joining the Aspiring Psychologist community, which you can do from just 30 pounds a month with no minimum commitment. Please take a moment to rate and review, and if you're watching on YouTube, please do subscribe, like tell your friends, do all those good things. I hope you'll find some of the videos on screen coming up very shortly on YouTube to be useful for the next choice for you to watch. I'll look forward to coming along and seeing you for our next episode of the podcast. Whether you listen or whether you watch from 6:00 AM on Monday, take care. Thank you so much for being part of my world.