Assessor Role

As a psychologist, one takes on first and foremost the role of a counselor to his or her client. However, out of this single role, a vast array of other roles and responsibilities sprout out as the relationship between a psychologist and their client is by nature complicated. Unlike a straightforward business relationship or doctor-patient relationships that focus on more objective physical ailments, psychologists delve into the internal and emotional landscapes of their clients that often result in a highly intimate and complex relationship. The nature of the relationship between psychologist and client is especially complicated as the relationship often begins with a strong power imbalance since clients generally come into the relationship

The primary role of the assessor often begin with an assessment question which could be determining the intellectual functioning of a particular client or the personality of a client. Assessments and tests are then carried out in order to answer the specific assessment question and the assessor would then have to interpret these results and come to a conclusion that addressed the assessment question and come to a diagnosis of the client. (TEXTBOOK). The assessor can then sometimes be involved in more practical aspects of a client’s life such as legal cases or insurance claims. In such cases, a clinical psychologist may have to take both the role of an assessor as well as a therapist, resulting in them having a dual-role. Yet another role that is closely related to the role of an assessor is that of a consultant. A clinical consultant is someone who provides “information, advice, and recommendations on how best to assess, understand, or treat a client”(TEXTBOOK). Hence a consultant often works with professionals from other disciplines one common example would be working a psychiatrist or even other clinical psychiatrist who may consult you for a second opinion on how best to treat a

Roles that exist within someone’s own personal life can fall into the category of familial roles. A clinical psychologist can also be someone’s parent and more often than not, someone’s child. Although it is often said that professionalism requires that you separate personal from professional, this dichotomy is often not easily achieved and ethical conflicts can often arise. However, acknowledging that the realm of personal roles, by necessity, encompasses a high degree of individual differences and may not be easily generalized, we will not focus too much on the possible conflicts arising from