Philadelphia Therapist Uses Wide Range Of Experiences To Broaden Career
Darby Fox is a child and adolescent family therapist who treats patients in the Philadelphia area. She graduated summa cum laude after receiving a BA from Middlebury College. She has pursued extensive post master's specialized training from Columbia University, Yale Child Study Center, NYU Silver School of Social Work, Mel Levine's All Kinds Of Minds Institute, Harvard Medical School and The Ackerman Institute for the Family. She currently divides her time between pro-bono work for Horizons Student Enrichment Program, a non-profit agency working with at-risk kids, and private practice.
Where did you get your degree?
"I received my Master's in Social Work in family and child therapy from Columbia University."
Can you describe your duties as a psychologist?
"The role that I play in working with families and children is to help them adjust to problems that inhibit their daily functioning. The issues range from anxiety and low self-esteem to eating disorders, social adjustments, ADHD, school anxiety, and any range of issues that are causing friction or less than expected performance for children in their family settings. It is my job to assess the child's strengths and how to use them to minimize their perceived weaknesses. As an MSW I look at the client from a multidimensional approach. It is called a bio-psycho-social perspective. We try to consider the many different pieces that impact one's life instead of just looking at a psychological perspective."
How has education prepared you for your career in psychology and social sciences?
"My education has helped my career because I have had a wide range of educational experiences all over the country. The broad exposure gives me a variety of disciplines to draw on when working with my clientele."
What advice would you give someone who is pursuing a career in psychology?
"There are a variety of degrees for therapists/psychologists. It is important to look at what a particular degree will allow you to do. A Master's In Social Work with clinical training allows someone to go into private practice with third-party reimbursement, because they have trained with over 1,000 hours of direct clinical experience. However a Master's in Psychology is research oriented and you would always need to be working under an M.D. or Ph.D. The laws also change state to state so it's important to know exactly what degree will allow you to work the way you want."
Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
