Psych association: Be wary of bogus practitioners

Triwik Kurniasari ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sat, 10/04/2008 11:33 AM  |  City

The Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Psychological Association (Himpsi Jaya) is calling for Jakartans to be more selective in choosing competent and professional psychologists, as more people are fraudulently posing as such.

Himpsi Jaya head Lukman Sarosa Sriamin said bogus psychologists could offer false diagnoses and potentially worsen a patient's condition.

"Anyone looking for a psychologist should first get plenty of information before choosing a particular one to avoid consulting with a bogus practitioner. Many people still don't realize the importance of background checking," Lukman told The Jakarta Post recently.

He said people may pose as psychologists even if they are just psychology graduates or students but without a license to practice.

"In some cases, the poseur may not even have any training in psychology. In some worst cases, these frauds publicize themselves in the media. Many people then assume they are competent psychologists," he said.

"I've noticed more than 10 unlicensed psychologists across the city. That doesn't include the bureaus offering services," he said.

He said any psychologist who treated patients should have a master's degree in the field and a license to practice from Himpsi.

The license is valid for five years and it allows a psychologist to practice anywhere in Indonesia.

He said legitimate, licensed psychologists would introduce themselves to their patients, including showing their IDs and licenses.

"You should ask if the psychologist doesn't do that in the first place. It's also important to ask where the psychologist graduated from. It's a common question," he said.

"You should be suspicious if he or she refuses to reveal his or her background. If you face such a situation, you can call our office to confirm they have a Himpsi license to practice," he said.

Fabiola Priscilla Setiawan, a licensed child psychologist, said it would be safer for a patient to opt for a psychologist working within a governmental institution.

"It's important to have a competent, credible and trustworthy psychologist. An incompetent psychologist can do harm," Fabiola said.

"In the wrong hands, a child who has symptoms of depression, for example, can become acutely depressed."

Himpsi Jaya now has 3,587 members, 1,825 of whom are licensed psychologists.

Himpsi, however, has no role in riding herd over frauds.

"There is no law or decree which covers this. We can't report them to the police or punish them because they're not our members. We hope the government will issue a decree to address this," Lukman said.

Some patients confirmed they usually tried to gather information before going to a psychologist.

One patient, Wahyu, said she had asked her friends and relatives for recommendations because she had not known where to go.

"Once I got the psychologist's name, I checked it on the Internet to make sure she was credible," said Wahyu.

"When I decided to visit her, I didn't ask to see her license because she's quite popular and well known," said Wahyu.

Nana also said she was careful in choosing a child psychologist for her 2-year-old boy.

"I only took recommendations from doctors or relatives because it's about my son's development. I don't want to make a bad choice."

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