Interview With a Psychologist
Dr. Christine Rufener is a licensed clinical psychologist in California, and currently works as a local recovery coordinator and staff psychologist at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. She holds a doctoral degree in Psychology, and completed an internship and a clinical post-doctoral fellowship as part of her degree program. Dr. Rufener recently opened her own private practice, where she specializes in individual and group adult psychotherapy.
Q: What made you decide to pursue a career in psychology?
A: For me it was an easy decision – there just wasn't anything else that appealed to me, or seemed to come as naturally to me as psychology. I've always been interested in trying to figure out why people think and act the way they do. I'm also a very curious person by nature, which has made me a good listener.
Q: What training did you undergo to pursue psychology professionally?
A: I completed a bachelor's degree in psychology and wrote an honor's thesis, which I later presented at a national conference. I spent four years in graduate school and then completed the required one-year full-time internship with a VA hospital. In addition to coursework and practicum (working as a psychology assistant in community placements), I wrote a master's thesis and dissertation.
Q: What were your favorite and least favorite parts of the studies required?
A: It can be a very long road: when many of your friends are out joining the workforce and you're still on a student schedule, it can be hard to share experiences. Fortunately, most graduate students form tight bonds with their classmates.
There also are a lot of hoops to jump through that can seem endless. To become a psychologist, there are very specific requirements that you must meet, and that doesn't always allow for a lot of flexibility in terms of what you want to study and the timeframe on which you wish to do it.
My practicum experiences were probably the most valuable part of my training. Actually seeing and working with clients within a variety of environments is training that you can't get from a textbook or lecture. What's nice about graduate school is that you're doing both at the same time, so ideally you can use your real-world experiences and apply them to your coursework.
Q: Describe a typical day at work.
A: There is no "typical" day for me at my job, which is a big part of why I love it so much. On any given day, I will run a group therapy session for veterans with serious mental illness or SMI, mostly schizophrenia; meet with a trainee to provide supervision on their individual therapy cases; have a meeting about program development; and then answer emails and phone calls from veterans, other providers, and community members who are interested in services…
I do regular data analysis to ensure our clinics are operating at their top potential and that our veterans are receiving care that is satisfying to them and effective in helping them reach their individual goals… I also run a family group that is designed to teach veterans’ friends and families more about mental illness and how they can best support their loved ones.
Q: How has your career developed over time, and how do you see it developing in the future?
A: My career goals have changed a great deal over time. I started out graduate school interested in anxiety disorders (especially Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD), then switched to health psychology, and even did my dissertation on the effects of emotional eating.
It wasn't until my internship that I had the opportunity to work with people who had schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses, and that's when I really found my niche. I can't imagine working with any other type of population and I love what I do now.
Q: What is the most rewarding part about a day at work for you?
A: Most of the clients I work with have been stigmatized because of their illnesses, and as a result, are extremely grateful to have someone treat them respectfully and openly… Comments such as “I wouldn't be where I am today without your help” are incredibly rewarding and make the daily hassles and frustrations much more tolerable.
Q: And what is the worst or most frustrating aspect?
A: The hardest part of my job is remembering to practice self-care. When you're in a helping profession, your day is dedicated to taking in and trying to solve other people's problems. It's extremely important for me to use my time off-work to do things like play tennis, travel, and spend time with loved ones who are outside of the field to balance my life.
Q: What advice do you have for students planning to work in this field?
A: Your desire to be a psychologist should be based on more than just wanting to “help people.” There are a lot of helping professions that are more easily attainable than a doctorate in psychology (you’re very limited with only a master's degree), and obtaining your doctorate is a long road with a lot of hurdles. I wanted to pursue my doctorate so that I would be qualified for virtually any opportunity in the field.