Luca started working at U-center after completing her bachelor's degree in health sciences. "At the time I was still in doubt whether the mental health system would suit me, but when I got the chance to work at U-center I got into the mental health system after all. It really is a very nice environment to work in and you work together in a very close team." Luca has now been working at U-center for several years as a sociotherapist and recently started working as a psychologist.
Sociotherapist at U-center
As a sociotherapist at U-center, no day is the same. You work together with different therapists, participate in groups and refer people to other therapists and therapists if necessary. You also keep a close eye on how clients are doing. "You're basically the source of information for all the other practitioners," Luca says. "You also experience the informal moments with the clients, such as playing a game with them in the evening. That also makes the work a lot of fun. Nevertheless, I soon felt that I would like to do more and decided to continue studying to become a psychologist."
"In consultation with my supervisor and my team, we coordinated together what I needed to be able to do my work as a sociotherapist, Master of Mental Health and research internship at the same time. I had a lot of support in this, also from my colleagues. I did three days' internship as a psychologist at the national clinic and the other two days I continued to work as a sociotherapist at the international clinic. This combination was only possible because we have two clinics. It would be very confusing for clients if you had a different hat on all the time."
From sociotherapist to psychologist
"I really hesitated about my switch to psychologist," says Luca, "But I have a colleague who is still working at U-center after retirement. I thought if at that age you are still thinking 'this is the profession for me' then it must be right!"
What is the biggest difference between the two positions? "That as a psychologist you treat more purposefully," Luca says. "As a sociotherapist you are a listening ear, but as a psychologist you help people live through it more and go deeper into it. For example, I talk to people who have never been able to be open about their feelings or have never given themselves space to feel. Suddenly your feelings are allowed to be there. That's what I love about my profession.
Also, of course, you use certain techniques, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Mentalization Based Therapy." According to Luca, her experience as a sociotherapist still comes in handy in her current position as a psychologist. "As a sociotherapist, you already know the dynamics in the clinic and know what people are up against. I also gained a lot of knowledge about medication and addictions through working with nurses, so I know what to look out for with clients."
What makes your work special?
Luca: "Almost all forms of treatment out there, evidence-based, we offer. In most clinics they don't have such a variety of different techniques. When creating a treatment plan, we also look carefully at what is needed for the client in coordination with the client. Because we have so many different options, we can use a treatment technique for any problem a client may have. Of course this does not apply to every day, but there are many days where I think 'so we really did something nice today'".
"Learning at U-center is very fast and you gain knowledge about so many different problem areas," Luca says. "You learn to really understand individuals and their underlying issues. You get a kind of specialized perspective that you didn't have before."
