Monitor on Psychology - September 2011 - (Page 57)

By engaging in psychological talk, you also open yourself up to getting tangled up in duty-to-report troubles. “What if someone next to you tells you about child abuse?” says Younggren. While you haven’t established a professional relationship with that person, he says, you may still have a duty to report — even though you may not even know who your seatmate is. “Violation of duty is something you can get sued for,” he warns. Small talk over pretzels Potential liability probably isn’t something you want to worry about at 30,000 feet, or even in your neighbor’s backyard. How can you avoid such concerns? One common strategy is simply to refuse to engage. Younggren, for example, puts his headphones on immediately and doesn’t talk to anyone. “I can be pretty isolated on an airplane,” he says. When Vasquez is on a plane, she is willing to chat over meals, but if someone does ask a psychological question, she usually says “I’m off-duty right now,” or “I’m a psychologist, but I’m not your psychologist.” Psychologists should always be kind, however. “It’s important to be compassionate to someone, as a human being,” says Vasquez. If a seatmate reveals a problem, such as a grandchild’s autism diagnosis, Vasquez will explain that that’s not her area of expertise, make it clear she’s not acting in a professional role and then say something along the lines septeMber 2011 • Monitor on psychology of “It’s my understanding that what’s helpful to people in that situation is …” She’ll then go on to share general educational information, but also suggest other resources. Psychologists can steer seatmates to APA’s Help Center (www.apa.org/helpcenter), for example, which offers articles on anxiety, depression and dozens of other topics. Anton uses similar tactics. “I always try to be respectful of people,” he says. Outside the “therapeutic environment” of his own office, where informed consent and confidentiality rule, he limits himself to giving general advice and handing out business cards with an invitation to contact him for referrals to psychologists in the person’s home town. If the person next to him is afraid of flying, for instance, Anton might explain that flying is much safer than driving to the airport. “A lot of times, educating a person about unrealistic fears is in fact a therapeutic intervention,” he says. “A layperson could do it.” Occasionally, there will be an airborne crisis, whether it’s a fearful flyer having a panic attack or someone having some other kind of psychological emergency. If the person next to you seems to be in distress or announces that he’s suicidal, says Childress-Beatty, a psychologist could encourage the person to alert a flight attendant or do so him or herself. “There’s no psychologist/patient relationship, so the conversation is not confidential,” she says. Sometimes a flight attendant will approach a psychologist for help. After all, says Anton, the flight manifest typically indicates 57 © Alex Gregory/The New Yorker Collection/www.cartoonbank.com http://www.apa.org/helpcenter

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - September 2011

Monitor on Psychology - September 2011
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
From the CEO
Supreme Court hears psychologists on prison and video game cases
Antipsychotics are overprescribed in nursing homes
New MCAT likely to recognize the mind-body connection
A $2 million boost for military and families
In Brief
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS UPDATE
On Your Behalf
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
TIME CAPSULE
QUESTIONNAIRE
Speaking of Education
SCIENCE WATCH
An uncertain future for American workers
Advocating for psychotherapy
PRACTICE PROFILE
ETHICALLY SPEAKING
Seared in our memories
Helping kids cope in an uncertain world
APA and Nickelodeon team up
Muslims in America, post 9/11
Bin Laden’s death
‘They expect us to be there’
Answering the call of public policy
Candidates answer final questions
APA News
Division Spotlight
New leaders
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION
Disaster relief training
Honoring teaching excellence
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - September 2011