INTP's and Clinical Psychology

[Philosophyking87]

Do INTP's make good clinical psychologists?

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Do INTP's make good clinical psychologists?

Ohh god! The thought of an INTP being a clinical psychologist...Are you insane? Ehh, at least an INTP would be better than an INFJ.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

INFP.

 

[nanook]

yes and no. depends on what you mean by intp. it's not like there is any common sense about what this means. also on what exactly you mean by "clinical", because it's a huge spectrum from a materialistic psychiatric view of human nature, advocating functionality in a sick society to a humanistic or integral approach that deals with everything including spiritual crisis from a naturalisic/subject-friendly perspective. both are clinical, accepted by health insurance (we have that in germany), based on scientific methods!

 

[Zionoxis]

It depends on what you are referring to. I am sure an INTP could walk this patients through thought processes to get them thinking about the core of their problem. You know, the self-help process with a little extra help? The only problem would be if the INTP could effectively do this without confusing his patients. If you have no idea what level they are on philosophically, asking them to introspect would be an interesting endeavor.

 

[naama]

Ofc they would. that is if they arent immature egghead type of INTPs, but have some Si and Fe developed and actually care about helping the patients. ofc education will also help.

Im actually trying to get to school to study psychology(or perhaps cognitive sciences), main interest on research, but im thinking some clinical work could be ok too. but if i would do clinical work, id want to get some extra education on jungian psychology and use those methods. or maybe working with some bit more heavily ill people in mental hospital, but with them i think id need to study to be a psychiatrist and im more interested on being psychologist so..

 

[Philosophyking87]

Yeah, I can still try to go into research or something, but given the lack of opportunities where I live, it's likely I'll have to just go into clinical psychology to get a job anywhere. So I still have time to decide, now that I've chosen to major in psychology. I just wanted to see what most INTP's thought of the profession. I know a few go into clinical psychology, but not many. I wonder why or why not.

 

[Jennywocky]

Crossposting forums, aren't we? I think I just answered this somewhere else!

 

[Philosophyking87]

haha

 

[Vrecknidj]

I had a counselor who was an INTP, he was of great help to me.

Anecdotal, perhaps, but worthy.

 

[Jelly Rev]

not good at the empathy part. at figuring out the problems maybe the best. Create the knowledge base of psychology and Ne will be able to recongize the patterns of the general person giving it to Ti-Si making it a cakewalk

 

[naama]

not good at the empathy part. at figuring out the problems maybe the best. Create the knowledge base of psychology and Ne will be able to recongize the patterns of the general person giving it to Ti-Si making it a cakewalk

Not everyone are the stereotypical immature INTPs who have no empathy..

 

[Philosophyking87]

not good at the empathy part. at figuring out the problems maybe the best. Create the knowledge base of psychology and Ne will be able to recongize the patterns of the general person giving it to Ti-Si making it a cakewalk

Yeah, I tend to really agree with your assessment. I personally may be good at empathizing with poor, suffering individuals going through mental bouts/trouble, but the problem is that I tend to keep it introverted. I don't express my feelings; I just reserve them. So when it comes to "expressing empathy," there will be difficulty. Although, I'm not sure what percent of a clinical psychologist's work actually involves therapeutic empathy (like a counseling psychologist) and what percent involves diagnostics and other "problem-solving" matters. Clearly, when it comes to assessment, diagnostics, and treatment, Ti and Ne will be all over it with logical analysis.

So I guess it just really depends on a) how crucial empathy expression really is to a clinical psychologist's work and b) what amount of a clinical psychologist's work actually involves the empathy rather than the research, interviewing, assessing, and other diagnostics. From what I've read, they seem to follow the medical model of remaining somewhat distanced, seeing the client as a mentally ailing individual in need of professional assistance rather than a child who is complaining of being bullied at school in the counselor's office who needs to be hugged and kissed and told his boo-boo will be all better. I suppose there's a slight distinction there, but I'm not sure if it's really a valid difference between clinical and counseling psychology.

Thus, many questions remain unanswered in the back of my mind.
Would I be capable as an INTP of doing clinical work? Who knows. I need more info. Or... "more input" as they say.

Not everyone are the stereotypical immature INTPs who have no empathy..

This is definitely true. But most INTPs do have very undeveloped feeling functions, so it's sort of a general trend among us. In my personal case, I seem to have some level of developed Introverted Feeling, although with my Introverted Thinking dominant, it tends to be somewhat suppressed and unexpressed. So I may be feeling tons of empathy for someone, but I'll really feel incapable of expressing it, or really, extremely uncomfortable (so I'll usually express these feelings indirectly through my actions). As for Extraverted Feeling, I have almost none.

So it's definitely necessary to really question whether or not any INTP thinking of going into clinical work has the necessary feeling/empathic capabilities necessary for the job. As far as I'm concerned, I just would like to know to what extent these capabilities would be necessary.

 

[naama]

So I guess it just really depends on a) how crucialempathyexpression really is to a clinical psychologist'swork

you are supposed to keep a certain amount of distance to patient(at least in most fields of psychology), but being able to empathize is really important for having a working transference/countertransference relationship. but the point is that you need to keep your cool and not start crying or something like that NO MATTER WHAT the patient tells you.

Edit. blah he deleted his post..

 

[Jelly Rev]

<----use that guy as an example of how an XNTP would work the the health/behavioral professions. HOUSE FTW

 

[naama]

Thisis definitelytrue. But most INTPs do have very undeveloped feeling functions, so it's sort of a general trend among us. In my personal case, I seem to have some level of developed Introverted Feeling, although with my Introverted Thinking dominant, it tends to be somewhat suppressed and unexpressed. So I may be feeling tons of empathy for someone, but I'll really feel incapable of expressing it, or really, extremely uncomfortable(so I'll usually express these feelings indirectly through my actions). As for Extraverted Feeling, I have almost none.

i think its the same deal with all types that their tert and/or inferior is undeveloped at young age and some stay immature throughout their lives, dr. gregory house is a good example of this like jelly rev pointed out.

You know it doesent mean that your F is introverted even tho you arent good at expressing empathy. and what comes to this "Fi" in INTPs i dont thin INTPs use Fi, but what they quite often tend to do when they come conscious of their F side is try to Ti on their Fe and not let it come out as it is, since Fe is the opposite of Ti, so they try to control these Fe instincts by Ti analyzing it. this Ti analysis over Fe looks like Fi, because what comes from Fe is abstracted(removed from) with Ti analysis.

When this happens, F doesent really have orientation itself, because Fe instincts arent consciously controlled by using Fe, but is just reacted to with Ti.

This Ti trying to control Fe is a conflict between the opposites, Ti in ego tries to control unconscious instincts. i suggest reading this: http://www.nyaap.org/jung-lexicon/o/#opposites

You can learn to overcome these conflicts between the opposites by letting inferior come as it is and just taking it seriously, but using tert to keep unwanted impulses away. i suggest reading these:
http://www.nyaap.org/jung-lexicon/t/#transcendentFunction in typology this transcendent function is tert, but it happens in other situations also, for example when its about the relationship between analyst and patient, transference works as transcendent function(just thought id mention it as the topic is about clinical psychology and transference is REALLY important thing.

Also: http://www.nyaap.org/jung-lexicon/t/#tertium this also is about tert in typology, but also works in other situations outside typology.

But the deal with all this is that you need to have a big conflicts between the opposites in order to fully realize this. im lucky i had one REALLY big, since it really forced me to realize things about myself. including the fact that i wasnt using Fi, but was trying to control Fe with Ti. with INTPs its about letting your Fe say what it wants to say and reply to it with 'what is' from Si, instead trying to restrain it with Ti, this just leads to some fake Fi that will cause you troubles in some situations, especially on situations where its really important to use F correctly and consciously

 

[Philosophyking87]

you are supposed to keep a certain amount of distance to patient(at least in most fields of psychology), but being able to empathize is really important for having a working transference/countertransference relationship. but the point is that you need to keep your cool and not start crying or something like that NO MATTER WHAT the patient tells you.

Edit. blah he deleted his post..

Yeah, the entire "transference relationship" bit might be the hardest part. But I definitely don't lose my cool under such emotional pressure. I can usually remain level-headed during the most dramatic movie scenes, sad/depressing real-life stories, and those sad parts of TV soaps. I pretty much never cry.

also, who deleted what post?

 

[Philosophyking87]

<----use that guy as an example of how an XNTP would work the the health/behavioral professions. HOUSE FTW

Yeah, I had already thought about that, lol. House is the perfect example.

 

[naama]

Yeah, the entire "transference relationship" bit might be the hardest part. But I definitely don't lose my cool under such emotional pressure. I can usually remain level-headed during the most dramatic movie scenes, sad/depressing real-life stories, and those sad parts of TV soaps. I pretty much never cry.

also, who deleted what post?

Well transference comes from patient towards analyst, its a sort of projection of patient towards analyst. analyzing transference is one of the most important things in analysis. countertransference is analysts projection towards patient.

http://www.nyaap.org/jung-lexicon/t/#transference
http://www.nyaap.org/jung-lexicon/c/#contertransference
Jung_himself-on-TRANSFERENCE & Archtypes - YouTube

this transference and countertransference isnt just jungs thing, jung adopted the idea from freud and the term/concept is used in pretty much all sort of psychoanalysis today, not just with jungians and freudians.

You post didnt show after you started to edit it, dunno if you deleted it before editing or if its just some peculiarity of the forum.

 

[Philosophyking87]

Thanks for the links and information, naama. Highly appreciated.

 

[lmsw]

I joined just to respond to this question!

I'm not only a therapist, but an LMSW (clinical social worker) and an INTP. I had a 760 on the math part of my GRE and decided to become a therapist and save the children lol. I previously worked in the video-game industry and just had a change of heart. I stick out in my field and in my general profession. However, I find this to be helpful. I do a lot of DBT with clients, which is very reality based and aims to help people to adjust to their surroundings and acknowledge that they can't change other people any more than they can stop it from raining.

I'm seen as very firm and but very empathic and caring. I care deeply for the people I work with but I simply look to help them by providing them with tools to succeed. In reality, that's all a therapist should ever be doing. When you think of it that way, it sort of works for an INTP. Also, as an MSW, I previously had to get people in touch with the right resources to "make them work". The problem, however, is that it takes a little extra effort from an INTP to realize that many people are not logical, so you can lead a horse to water...etc. Also, being an INTP tends to enable you to remain calm in crisis. Since therapy in a clinical setting tends to have frequent crises and someone that is very emotional tends to escalate with the client, whether they are aware of it or not, which is very unhelpful for a client.

I think that as an INTP you can intellectualize a lot of things that you wouldn't normally do. My students (I teach at a college) think I'm extremely extroverted, though it's only because I use over-the-top humor to get people to open up and feel comfortable, rather than talk about their feelings.

It is typically not a good idea to be SO into your MBTI. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. What is the end result? Be a prick?

Also, check out some Adler (birth order). I've seen birth order trump MBTI quite frequently. None of this stuff works in a bubble and we need more people in all professions that think outside the box.

 

[Architectonic]

The question isn't so much whether you could be come a good therapist, but rather whether you could enjoy it long-term. In terms of psychology, INTPs tend to move to the more quantitative and multidisciplinary fields like community or industrial psychology.

Also, check out some Adler (birth order).

Oh dear... Adler is on par with MBTI in my opinion (both are pretty speculative).