More public awareness needed

CONCERNED about her young son’s inability to focus and sit still, Wong* (not real name) decided to get him tested for the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The psychologist she found online recommended a urine test.

“My main issue was the cost, which was a few hundred US dollars. He told me it’s because the test would be done by a lab in Australia.

“When I googled the lab’s name, I found nothing. And when I asked a psychologist friend from Australia, she said she has never heard of it,” says Wong.

When that friend also told her that ADHD is usually not diagnosed by testing urine, Wong decided to get a second opinion.

“I was confused but didn’t know how and where to verify my suspicions.”

An aspiring child psychologist, who only wants to be known as Y, learnt the hard way that it is not easy to become one.

She was looking for a part time child psychology course and found a website offering various programmes. When she told them that she only had a business degree, not a psychology degree, she was told it was fine – if she completes four courses, she would become a certified therapist.

When she started the course, she was shocked how simply it was carried out.

“During the first workshop, the psychology expert taught us very basic child psychology and asked us to buy five to six books to read at home. He said we would proceed with the second workshop after we have finished reading the books.”

In the second workshop we observed how ‘Parents Interview’ and ‘Child Assessment’ were carried out, she says, after which they had to do a report on three children.

“He said if we could not find any, then we could get from their existing cases, but we would have to pay RM150 for each kid. When I told them I wasn’t sure how to do the report, I was given a sample report to follow.”

Appalled, she started researching deeper into the “expert” and found many allegations of him being a bogus psychologist.

“I also found out that the courses are not registered under the MQA (Malaysian Qualifications Agency).I realised that I had made a mistake. I was told that if I completed the 12-month course I would become a certified psychologist and could start charging people out there a few hundred ringgit per session. That is ridiculous!! No exams, nothing! Just read books and do reports. So I quit.”

She says she then consulted a legal advisor from consumer rights organisation Fomca to get a refund. She also emailed Malaysian Psychological Association (Psima) and was told that the absence of a Psychology Act means they were not able to take legal action against bogus psychologists.

“I really hope Malaysia has a Psychology Act to protect us. Psima can then take legal action against him so fewer people would be affected,” says Y.

Psima former president Dr Goh Chee Leong advises those interested in pursuing psychology to stick to courses and institutions recognised by the MQA.

“Psychology degrees and postgraduate degrees need to be MQA accredited. Workshops and short training courses meanwhile are meant of people who already have a degree or Masters in psychology.”

He adds there is nothing wrong in attending short courses, talks or seminars on parenting, motivation and stress management if you only want to gain knowledge or improve your life.

But if the organisers promise you that you will be certified to be a psychologist – and it is not a master or degree programme – then it is a fake.

“If it promises you a licence to practice, you need to check whether the institution is accredited by MQA to offer a formal programme.”

There are also cases of bogus associations and accreditations – a strategy used by bogus universities and in this case psychologists to “self-accredit” themselves, warns Dr Goh.

“If people want to check whether an organisation is valid, they can go to the International Union of Psychological Sciences which has a directory of the world’s national psychological associations. Or you can contact Psima, and we will be able to give some guidance on the legitimacy of the psychologist you are seeing or getting ‘training’ from.”

MCA Public Services and Complaints Department chairman Datuk Seri Michael Chong supports the expert view that having a specific law will help regulate the profession.

“An official registry of psychologists will be good as those working with vulnerable people like those with depression and suicidal tendencies need proper training to help them.

“With a registry, people can refer to the directory before seeking consultation from any Tom, Dick and Harry who claim to be a psychologist. “

He adds that public awareness is also important because “there are many people like mediums using ‘psychology’ or mind games to cheat victims.”

Consumers Association of Penang president SM Mohamed Idris agrees that a law is needed to prevent bogus psychologists.

“The Government needs to regulate them while educating people about the dangers of unqualified psychologists,” he says.

Dr Goh agrees: “A Psychology Act is not a ‘nice to have’ but a ‘need to have’ legislation, because psychology has an important role to play now in society.

“No psychologist is saying that any service that involves human contact must be done by a psychologist. But in areas that require psychological expertise, our argument is that it needs to be done by a registered psychologist.”