Robert Switzer

Osten, K. A., & Switzer, R (2014). Integrating 12-Steps and Psychotherapy: Helping Clients Find Sobriety and Recovery. Los Angeles: Sage.

I have a passion for the practice and science of psychology. My first goal as a teacher is to impart not just knowledge but the passion that drives that search for knowledge. I prefer to do that by making the classroom an interactive experience between myself and the students where we explore the material together. I especially prefer to do this using actual clinical material. I strive to work with students to help then develop deeper and more rich ways to listen as well as think about the material that is being presented to them.

First and foremost, the client is a consumer. As a practitioner, we are required to provide competent, ethical services that the clients seek. Beyond that, I find that my role as a clinician or consultant to resemble that of a midwife, where I provide necessary information but mostly help guide someone through their natural process of healing. To do that, I strive to meet the client where-they're-at, providing services of a type and level that best meets their goals and needs.

The practice of psychotherapy is both a science and an art that requires the clinician to enter into the complexities of a clients world. It requires both intimacy and a high level of self-awareness as what occurs in the therapy relationship is co-created by the therapist and the client(s). I do not cure clients. Instead, the client and I together create what is curative.

The practice of psychotherapy is both a science and an art that requires the clinician to enter into the complexities of a clients world. It requires both intimacy and a high level of self-awareness as what occurs in the therapy relationship is co-created by the therapist and the client(s). I do not cure clients. Instead, the client and I together create what is curative.

I come from family with a long history of helpers and healers. I began college as a biology major, hoping to work in genetics. However, midway through the program I realized that my planned career lacked something. Although I could not name this missing factor at the time, now I can identify that it was missing hands on contact with people. Without a major or career goal, I then began searching for a new career and in the process began volunteering at a crisis hotline. There I discovered that I found it incredibly rewarding to sit and listen to someone's story and in the process of listening, understand what they meant, helping them to discover new meanings or just find comfort. To this day, my major sources of satisfaction in this field come from learning new information, applying knowledge, and essentially unraveling the puzzle that client information represents to the clinician.

School is not just a series of classes where you will gain knowledge. Instead, it is the beginning of a process that will change you in ways that you would not expect. Although it can be quite rewarding and exhilarating, like most growth expect it will be challenging, difficult, and emotionally challenging. Although you will gain much, school will require sacrifice and a great deal of effort. You need to be passionate about Clinical Psychology to succeed.