By Dr. Peterson Mwangi

Every semester, Psychology Undergraduate students both taking Psychology as a major or a minor look forward to gather and discuss issues affecting them. This semester, the baraza was geared towards exploring the placement opportunities available for graduates with a BA in Psychology. The event, held on Friday, 12 March, was hosted by Dr. Peterson Mwangi, the BA in Psychology Program Coordinator, and attended by 165 participants.

The key note speaker at the event was Dr. Nancy Nyaga, a USIU-Africa alumna, who holds a Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. In her address, Dr. Nyaga noted the relevance of the psychology program, given the number of psychosocial issues that have been on the rise in the society.

“With the fast tracking of the actualization of the Psychologists and Counselors Act 2014, followed by the release of the report on the Mental Health status of Kenya, the future of psychologists practice in Kenya is bright. We have also seen the creation of Psychology departments in many hospitals after the realization of the impact of psychology in the attainment of good health among the population,” she said.

“As students, it is important that you continuously aim at excellence, because opportunities for you are many. You can explore different career paths, including Counseling Psychology, Cognitive Perceptual Psychology, Behavioral Neuropsychology, Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Sports Psychology, Rehabilitation Psychology, Educational Psychology, Forensic/Criminal Psychology, Engineering Psychology, Environmental Psychology, Industrial Psychology, Health Psychology, and Biopsychology among others,” she added.

Dr. Nyaga also challenged the students to approach clinicians who can offer practice support as they prepare to launch their own private clinics later, noting that this was the path which led her into private practice, where she is the proprietor and Lead Psychotherapist at Blossom-Out Consultants.

She closed the session by urging students to always seek clarity on the dilemmas that they would face in their career pursuits, noting that this would get them to achieving their aspirations quicker, and in a focused manner.