Psychotherapy. Reaction Paper. Psychology Assignment.

Reaction Paper
Student’s Name
Institution
Reaction Paper
Part A
Psychotherapy
I chose the topic of psychotherapy from unit 8, which is a type of treatment for mental disorders (OpenStax, n.d.a). This topic is relevant to me because I understand the importance of mental health in the workplace and society. However, I currently live in a country (China) where psychotherapy is highly required but its practice is limited. According to an article published by Clay (2019) in the American Psychological Association, the practice of psychotherapy in China is limited to hospitals. As such, it is only psychiatrists who have the training on and practice psychotherapy, and there are only a few psychiatrists. Matching societal need for psychotherapy will require an increase in practicing psychologists even in the workplace, which is why psychotherapy is relevant to me. I believe in having the necessary tools to help people deal with issues and promote their mental health. Specifically, my interest is more in Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). According to Ng, et al. (2016) CBT is a more acceptable form of psychotherapy among the Chinese, and this is an area that I would want to understand and contribute to the growing acceptance of psychotherapy in China, whether as a potential patient or as a potential psychologist.
While going through the topic, what was new to me is the fact that there are many types of psychotherapy. Before enrolling for this course and learning about psychology, I only thought that psychotherapy is the same as counseling where you sit with a counselor/ psychologists and talk about your issues. It is through this topic that I came to understand that what I have always thought to be psychotherapy is psychodynamic psychotherapy or talk therapy (OpenStax, n.d.a). Learning about other types of psychotherapy has shifted my perspective and I am more informed on the issue now.
I agree with the authors that deciding on which type of psychotherapy to utilize relies on factors such as the utilization of evidence-based treatment, clinical expertise, and patient characteristics (OpenStax, n.d.a). More importantly, I agree that culture matters and I think it probably carries more weight. This is because different cultures have different beliefs and practices which may hinder the effectiveness of the treatment. For instance, I come from a culture where talking about our emotions is uncommon and as such, talk therapy may be less effective.
I have a friend who has been seeing a therapist but only shared this information with me when I told them that I am taking a course in psychology. They told me how talking to a therapist has helped them deal with loss since they lost several family members during the first wave of Covid-19. This gave me a new appreciation for psychotherapy.
Sexual Victimization
In unit 9, I chose sexual victimization as a relevant topic. This topic is relevant to me because it hits closer to home. Understanding the issue of sexual victimization and specifically, child sexual abuse (CSA) is crucial to me on a personal level. I know someone who was sexually abused as a child by a trusted family member and no one believed them. It baffles me why anyone would do that but going through this topic shed some light on the issue and placed me at a better place to understand the impact of child abuse. Also, I found this topic relevant because I learned that victims of childhood sexual abuse have the potential to recover and lead normal lives (Chapter 15: Gender and Human Sexuality). Learning this was such a relief. More importantly, I became curious to find more about the topic and how victims can recover. I learned that although the effects of CSA can be lasting, victims can recover when they receive pharmacological and psychotherapy treatments (Lev-Wiesel, Bechor, Daphna-Tekoah, Hadanny, & Efrati, 2018). I am also in a better position to empathize and help victims get the assistance they need to get better.
What was new to me about this topic was the fact that child sexual abuse occurs even in the absence of physical contact. I learned that watching a child undress or viewing child pornography is a form of child abuse ((Chapter 15: Gender and Human Sexuality). In my mind, I know these things are disgusting and wrong, but I would never have classified them as child sexual abuse before going through this topic. This is ignorance on my part and I am glad I gained this new information.
I also agree with the authors that parents fail to notice child sexual abusers who present themselves as trusted people because of the belief that CSA is only perpetrated by strangers. This explains why in some cases, parents and family members fail to believe a child who reports sexual abuse. They believe that a child could be lying because they cannot fathom why a grown, trusted individual would take advantage of a child in such a manner. The reason I agree with the authors is that I saw this happen to someone close to me. They reported being abused by a close relative who had been left to take care of the child. When the child reported that the relative had touched her inappropriately, the parents did not believe it and even told the child never to repeat the story to anyone. Inappropriate touching is one of the behaviors characterized as CSA.
Job Satisfaction
In unit 10, I chose job satisfaction because working and having a fulfilling job is one of the core desires of any working individual. This topic is relevant to me because it provides me with information on how I can improve my job satisfaction as well as help others who are unsatisfied with their jobs. I have always wanted to understand why some people are satisfied with their jobs and others are not, especially when they have the same job description and responsibilities. Gaining this information is relevant to me, especially because I aspire to be a future employer. I have learned that job satisfaction is linked to improved organizational performance (OpenStax, n.d.b), and as such, as a potential employer, I now know which areas I will need to focus on to enhance performance. I also wanted to know how job satisfaction affects an individual at a personal level. From further research, I learned that job satisfaction promotes physical and mental health (Allan, Dexter, Kinsey, & Parker, 2016). This information is relevant to me because it sheds light on how personal well-being can be safeguarded within the workplace.
I have gained a new understanding of job satisfaction and the role that psychologists play in situations that can affect job satisfaction. I was not aware that psychologists are involved in managing organizational changes that result in stressful situations that ultimately affect employee job satisfaction. This new information has broadened my perspective on the many fields where psychology can be applied. It makes sense to involve psychologists in managing change because they understand how the human brain works and how a smooth transition can be facilitated.
I agree with the authors that a person’s cultural background affects their job satisfaction. This is information that I had not read about before but my interaction with people from different backgrounds made me come to the same conclusion. Our cultures affect how we navigate through life, including our jobs. I agree with the author because sometimes back, I was working part-time for this company based in China. I had a colleague from the western culture who was so unhappy with the work and I never understood why. He often questioned the bosses and hated constant supervision, something most employees with Chinese roots had no problem with. It turns out that people from cultures that have high power distance, such as China, have higher job satisfaction when under supervision than those from cultures with low power distance (Locke, 2020). My colleague came from a low power distance culture.
Lately, I have been unhappy with my work and I am at ...