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Lee High School

How does a psychologist help todays youth with abuse and brain dysfunction?

Brianna Zambrana
Senior Capstone
Mr.Cahoon
March 28, 2016
Brianna Zambrana
Mr.Cahoon
Senior Capstone

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18 April 2016
How Psychologists Benefit Todays Youth
Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness
of the soul, according to Dave Pelzer. For centuries on end, children of all ages, races, and
religions have been a victim of some form of abuse. Stated by ASCA, there is no single diagnosis
or condition that describes the psychological effects of child abuse (Abuse-related Conditions).
Although, most children who encounter abuse usually suffer from brain dysfunction and mental
disorders such as depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and PTSD. Without being properly
diagnosed, the victims can possibly encounter unstable and unhealthy lives. In the early 1800s
there were not any existing resources to protect and help abused children leaving many victims
with their abuser and or undiagnosed. Although, in todays generation things have changed such
as laws that now protect children up to the age of eighteen. There are also many resources a child
has the option to use, one of the many forms of help people seek for victims are psychologists. A
psychologist can contribute to the well being of todays youth who suffer from abuse and
brain dysfunction by addressing psychological, emotional and behavioral needs.
Psychologists have procedures they are required to conduct on each of their patients. The
first being an assessment, this usually consists of numerous tests, any school or medical records,
and medical evaluation (Eabon and Abrahamson). It may even require getting to know the family
and friends of the victim, to get a better understanding of who they are and who influences them.
The psychologist will then be able to determine the information that is necessary to use for the
following steps in the procedure. All of the components of the assessment stage are important to
the psychologist because it gives background information on the victim and can be used to
determine things such as any psychological disabilities and if traumatic brain dysfunction is

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actually present. Patients will benefit from this step because it gives them a better chance at
properly being diagnosed and the necessities they will need to live a healthy life with the
diagnosis.
The psychologist will then continue to the next required step referred as the intervention
stage. Psychotherapy and behavior management are the two main things that are worked on
between the victim and the psychologist in this step of the procedure. According to the National
Institution of Mental Health, there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach (Psychotherapies).
Psychotherapy can even be one of the best treatments for some victims considering there are
many different forms. Depending on the illness and how well the victim reacts or does not react
to psychotherapy, they may be put on medication. Most victims usually have a hard time getting
through everyday life without the necessary coping skills, this stage benefits them tremendously
because its important for the victim to know how to deal with any stress or unhealthy thoughts.
After psychotherapy, the psychologist will then continue to behavior management. This gives the
child the tools they will need to cope with their disorder, as well as giving them an understanding
that what they feel is normal. The psychologist will not only focus on one environment but
multiple, this helps the victim feel more comfortable in any given situation. The hope is that the
childs behavior will then positively change in a school, workplace or home environment because
they have a different perspective of how to control themselves in multiple situations.. Combining
psychotherapy and behavior management has been a way psychologists have contributed to
todays youths well-being.
Particular forms of diagnosis for children can also conclude in Rorschach inkblots test
and role playing. These two forms can be more interesting to the kids and even more useful for
the psychologist. The Rorschach inkblots test was the most frequently used psychological test

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used the 20th century (Framingham). The test is conducted by simply showing the patient a set
of cards with meaningless, mirroring images on them, each answer is recorded and then gets
interpreted by the psychologist. The answers will then determine a certain personality that the
patient portrays from what meaning they put to the picture. To the child this can just be an
entertaining game but in reality, they are giving more details about themselves than they know.
Since the psychologist documents all of the patients answers, its easy to take further action in
how to deal with the child and how to relate to their personality. Role playing, also known as
fixed role therapy is another way to connect with the child while making them step out of their
comfort zone. Center Site states that the purpose of the therapy is not to develop a fake
personality, but to practice living life from a different perspective which a patient wouldnt
normally consider (Dombeck and Wells-Moran). This will show the child a different side of
themselves and help them be more comfortable expressing themselves in many situations. These
two techniques that psychologists use benefits the patient by giving them the necessary tools they
will need within their social in life.
Children are delicate individuals, they become the environment they are raised in and
sometimes being able to help them can seem impossible. Being able to even step in a room with
suffering patients doesnt come easy. After talking to Sylvia Malcore, a clinical psychologist that
works at Spectrum Health Hospital, it became evident that there is much more to being a
psychologist than procedures and questionnaires. In a recent interview, Dr. Malcore stated,
Many people get confused on what it is that I do, but its actually really simple. Im not here to
necessarily cure my patients, Im here to be their support and give them the coping skills they
will need. She then went on to tell how clinical psychology, especially with children is such a
competitive field and years of education doesnt do justice because nothing prepared her for the

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heart breaking situations her patients were in. She even stated that not emotionally getting
involved with her patients is the hardest part of her job but its what keeps her going. One of the
last questions that was asked to Dr.Malcore was What characteristic does a psychology have to
portray? and she instantly replied Empathy (Malcore). Dr. Sylvia Malcore has personally
benefited children as well as many other patients by her leading them to live healthy
psychological and emotional lives.
One can see that psychologists have a major impact on todays youth. They do consistent
and accurate procedures to make sure the patient is not psychologically suffering from any form
of abuse and can properly function even if their is brain dysfunction present. Although they dont
just focus on psychological needs but emotional and behavioral needs as well, the well-being of
todays youth can be elevated by addressing these specific needs that correlates with their
situation. A psychologist is an integral part of the lives of todays youth who may suffer from
abuse or brain dysfunction.

Works Cited
Abuse-related Conditions. Adults Surviving Child Abuse, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
http://www.asca.org.au/WHAT-WE-DO/Resources/General-Information/Abuse-related-c
onditions
Dombeck, Mark, and Jolyn Wells-Moran. Psychological Self-tools. CenterSite, n.d. Web. 28
Mar. 2016.
http://www.centersite.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=9774&cn=353
Eabon, Michelle F., and Dan Abrahamson. Understanding Psychological Testing and
Assessment. American Psychological Association, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2016

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http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/assessment.aspx
Framingham, Jane. "Rorschach Inkblot Test." PsychCentral. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
http://psychcentral.com/lib/rorschach-inkblot-test/
Malcore, Sylvia. Personal interview. 8 Jan. 2016.
Psychotherapies. National Institute of Mental Health, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies/index.shtml
Rorschach Inkblot Tests. PsychCentral, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
http://psychcentral.com/lib/rorschach-inkblot-test/

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