Starting from scratch in psychology: learning from three professionals

The Past November 6, we had the opportunity to bring together Alicia Gonzalez, Laia Sabaté and Teresa Pretel in a round table on how to start from scratch in the practice of clinical psychology and undertake in this field.

The three speakers provided complementary perspectives from their extensive experience: Alicia Gonzalez, a health psychologist, communicator, author and director of her own mental health platform, with an approach focused on repairing bonds and creating safe spaces; Laia Sabaté, a psychologist who is an expert in couples, self-esteem, relational trauma and director of an online platform with more than 24 female psychologists, as well as a disseminator, teacher and content creator; and Teresa Pretel, a doctor in psychology, university professor and director of clinical innovation at IPSIDE, who specializes in systemic therapy, trauma and an integrative model focused on the relationship.

Here we share the main ideas and tips that came up during the conversation.

Can you start from scratch?

We often talk about starting without patients, without resources or without direction, but we hardly ever start completely from scratch. There is always a previous story, an emotion that drives us, an experience that guides us or a need that moves us.

For Teresa, starting from scratch is relative:

“I think it's impossible to start from scratch, because we've always made decisions... The big challenge is not to start, but to maintain, develop and keep growing.”

Alicia, on the other hand, experienced the beginning more literally:

“I'm a psychologist, not a businesswoman; I felt like I started a lot of things about materializing dreams... I supported myself thanks to my network.”

AND Laia remember that his starting point was unexpected:

“For me, it was starting from scratch, because my career took a turn that I didn't expect (during the pandemic)... We started on networks without many references and without expectations of a business coming out.”

Key Attitudes and Skills

Beyond academic training, starting a project in psychology requires attitudes, values and a concrete position. Often it is this personal base, rather than qualifications, that underpins the first steps and long-term growth. Let's see what attitudes and aptitudes helped start their projects and how they have evolved over time.

Laia highlights the importance of communication and perseverance:

“The first thing that has helped us the most is communication, knowing how to communicate... The difficult thing is not so much to start but to sustain.”

Alicia underlines humility, courage and collaboration:

“Maintain a balance between being humble, self-critical and courageous... Sharing knowledge and strategies to sustain oneself in times of uncertainty.”

Teresa aims at building safe teams and personal balance:

“Building a team that feels like family and taking care of the team behind the scenes too... The first step in creating something is passionate, the economic step comes later.”

Five Key Concepts for Starting Psychologists

When a person wants to start in the clinical field, there are certain essential pillars. That is why the following question arose: what are the five keys that any beginning psychologist should know how to handle yes or yes?

Teresa:

“In the beginning, it's very important to be in a team where management is present and involved... Starting working as a team allows for exponential growth and security... My own therapy process and having supervision are key elements.”

Alicia:

“It's key to be with colleagues, to observe how they do it, to make a lot of mistakes, to monitor everything you can... Start from the bottom and work it out with your hands.”

Laia:

“Having professional contact, even if it's voluntary or practical, helps to develop relationships with patients... Knowing the community, resources and potentials is essential... Charting a gradual path working in several places at once.”

Marketing and online presence

A common source of uncertainty when we start out is marketing and network presence. Constant questions arise: is it necessary to train in digital marketing? Have a community manager? That's why we opened the next block: what training or support have you had in marketing and digital communication?

Laia emphasizes that it's not enough just to be on networks:

“The most important thing is not to post things for the sake of hanging them, but to think about what people need to hear... No marketing service can replace this.”

Teresa matches:

“You can delegate execution or layout, but in the content it's very difficult to find someone who understands what you want to say.”

Training after the master's degree

The choice of training after the degree or master's degree can mark the professional path. With so many options - EMDR, brief systemic, sexology, trauma, etc. - it is common to wonder what is really a priority. That's why we wanted to know what training they consider essential to build a good clinical base after finishing university.

Teresa It is recommended to consult the Official College of Psychology as a platform for updating and choosing courses consistent with your profile and vocation:

“Everything we do has to have a basis; my basis is systemic family therapy, narrative and constructivist training, and from there I complement it with courses in tools and techniques.”

Laia points to the importance of specializing in currents that provide basis and focus, and combining it with practical courses:

“For being for guidance, for a model, and then supplementing with interventions, techniques and tools.”

In short, starting from scratch in psychology involves learn, make mistakes, train and rely on other professionals. As Alicia, Laia and Teresa shared, it's not just about technical knowledge, but also about attitude, vocation, teamwork, perseverance and conscious presence in the professional and online community.

By way of conclusion, these are the 5 key points that cannot be missed to start in psychology:

1. Start accompanied: Working in a team where management is present and supportive from the start provides security and accelerates learning (Teresa).
   
   
2. Learn from the team: Observing how other colleagues work, sharing doubts and supporting each other is essential to develop (Alicia, Teresa).
   
   
3. Ongoing monitoring: Have clinical supervision and, if possible, carry out your own therapeutic process to better support professional practice (Teresa, Alicia).
   
   
4. Practicing and making mistakes: Acquiring real experience, even from internships or volunteering, allows us to develop the therapeutic relationship and build clinical judgment (Alicia, Laia).
   
   
5. Gradual and diversified growth: Working in different contexts, getting to know the community and its resources, and building the path little by little gives strength to a professional career (Laia).
   
   

If you're taking your first steps as a psychologist, Eholo can help you organize your practice or center: manage appointments, patients and bills, automate administrative tasks and maintain clear control of your clinical activity. Its features are especially useful for new professionals who need gain safety and efficiency from the start.

💡 In addition, there will be a second part of the round table, only Q&A, to answer questions about how to start, grow and maintain your practice in clinical psychology.

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