Clinical Psychologists work with people with mental health problems (such as psychoses and schizophrenia), marital difficulties, behavioural problems, psychosomatic disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, and so on. Clinical Psychologists have trained insights into the working of the human mind and its effects on human behaviour. They rely heavily on traditional psychotherapy – a verbal form of treatment for people with psychological problems. Their work involves developing positive, therapeutic relationships with their patients; then, based on what they observe, documenting and analysing information to help them select appropriate strategies for intervention. Through discussions about the past, family relationships, childhood traumas, dreams and fears, a clinical psychologist helps her patient to overcome neuroses and change negative behaviour. She helps him to see patterns in his life that continually create difficulties and, in the process of seeing, helps him to create new, more positive ones.

Clinical Psychologists working with young children often use play therapy to help their patients resolve issues they may be too young or too traumatized by to articulate verbally. By observing carefully the way a child plays with dolls and other toys, by noting which games are played over and over again, the psychologist is able to draw conclusions about events in the child’s life that may be troubling him and preventing him from living normally.

While the kind of psychotherapy described above should be a component of the training for a psychiatrist as well as for a psychiatric social worker, in India it is often neglected. In fact, it could well be made part of the curriculum for many of the therapies, as the skills acquired in mastering its principles are an essential part of being a good therapist. Too often, psychologists in India learn only to diagnose emotional and psychological problems but are not prepared for hands-on remedial work.