From setting up your specific 'operating space' to asking psychology specific questions, here are some simple ways to enhance your next mentoring session.
Article summary:
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Choose a mentor outside of your workplace to ensure impartiality
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Determine which 'space' you want to operate in for the session
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Ask your mentor to walk you through a real-life case that they've managed
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Ask specific questions about managing boundaries as a psychologist
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Remember that a mentorship is a reciprocal relationship
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Want to learn more about APS's mentor program? Click here for more details or to register your interest for the next intake.
When Dr Isabelle Bauer first stepped into the world of psychology in the early 2000s, mentorship wasn't something that was on her radar.
"I was living and working in Switzerland at the time and it just wasn't a concept that existed," says Dr Baurer who is a clinical neuropsychologist.
"I did have supervisors who would critically appraise the work I was doing, which meant I had a good analytical understanding of what my tasks were, but I didn't really know what it meant to be a psychologist."
Five years ago, after moving from being an academic back to a clinician, Dr Bauer had her first experience as a mentee.
"I had the skills and knowledge to work as a psychologist, but I needed support around progressing in my career, taking care of my health as a psychologist and becoming endorsed. Being a mentee – that's when it all clicked for me, and I felt confident to be a clinician."
Now, further along in her career, Dr Bauer is giving back by taking on a mentor role as part of APS's mentoring program.
"Besides the people we help every day as psychologists, I like to think about how I can give back and leave a mini-legacy."
Below, Dr Bauer shares her advice about how mentees can get the most out of their mentoring sessions.
Making the most of your session
When choosing someone to be your mentor, find someone who is outside of your work environment, suggests Dr Bauer.
"That way you'll get someone who doesn't have several agendas… and you can talk freely. It also has to be a safe and non-judgemental space, so make sure you identify someone who you feel comfortable with."
Ahead of your first meeting together, come prepared with a "self-reflection agenda" of things you'd like to talk about, she adds.
"That was really useful for me because it helped me understand what [my mentee] wanted to achieve; I wanted to make sure we were both on the same page."
Dr Bauer also took some learnings that she gleaned from doing the APS supervisor training course, which taught her about the importance of 'spaces' to operate in when having a coaching conversation (see infographic below for examples).
"I explained to [my mentee] that she might want a session where I simply listen to her or one where I help her make sense of something. The concept of spaces is really helpful because it means I don't come to her with my own ideas of mentorship, and I instead play within her space."
Another great way to ensure a session is valuable is to ask your mentor to share how they handled a specific case.
"And not from the perspective of how I score a test and so on, but how I handle the complexities of a case. For example, my mentee could ask targeted questions such as, 'How did you handle it when the parent called you afterwards?' or 'How did you handle that when you felt so emotionally tired?'
"I'm not there to be a counsellor to my mentee – that would be a breach of boundaries – I'm there to share knowledge and show her how I manage a specific case. Having a casual conversation about that, as peers, can be really helpful."
Another key piece of advice Dr Bauer has for mentees is to ask interesting questions (see infographic for some examples).
"For example, I was asked, 'What should I do when I meet new people? Do I tell them I'm a psychologist?' This isn't something I hadn't thought about before, but it's true that when people find out you're a psychologist, they'll often then start downloading all kinds of stuff on you.
"Some good advice I've heard is to say, 'I work in health science' or to tell people you're a psychologist but then add 'but I'm off duty' right now."
Shared learning
Mentorship is a two-way relationship. Even as a mentor, you can learn a lot.
"Reciprocity is key. Sometimes we split the session, and my mentee also talks about a case she's working on. She has a lot of expertise too and because we have different fields of experience, I am keen to learn something new from her.
"When you're in a profession for too long, you can become rigid in your thinking. That's why I always believe in interacting with younger people. It keeps my thinking flexible and keeps me on my toes. It's helpful to see how a younger person approaches being a clinician."
Finally, a mentor relationship should always be a work in progress, says Dr Bauer. As a mentor, you learn how to shift your approach over time and as a mentee you learn how to ask different questions that pertain to your career challenges at the time.
The APS Mentor Program provides both mentor and mentee with a mentorship agreement to get the best out of the relationship and provide clear guidance on what mentorship is and how this differs from supervision. For more information, visit the APS mentor page.
Want to learn more about APS's mentor program? Click here for more details or to register your interest for the next intake.