Reflective Journal as a Psychology Placement Student

Author: Alifa Wijaya

Before the commencement of my 4th Year placement, I was scouring through the list of organisations that we can work with, looking for a project that might be of my interest. Out of the hundreds of potential placements, Axis caught my attention with how broad the project description they gave out (and I really do love surprises). So, I went to their website and the first thing I noticed was a photo of the team on hi-vis vests. What came to my mind was “In what instance do psychologists need to wear hi-vis for work?”. Long story short, that is how I started my placement journey with Axis.

As a student, when thinking about what being a psychologist might look like, I always imagined those long hours of clinical work and counselling sessions. While that is 100% true, doing my 4th year placement at Axis had given me so much more insight about working as a psychologist beyond the counselling room. With the primary goal of improving both physical and mental wellbeing of individuals and the workforce, Axis has quite a unique approach in providing their healthcare services.

When I first started, I was ready to apply all my knowledge about psychotherapy and mental health related theories. Turns out, the first thing I was offered to work on is, in fact, a project on psychosocial risk screening for injuries, and it was from a multidisciplinary team. Throughout my degree, I have never really touched on this topic before, and safe to say that it took me by surprise. But because I love surprises and new things, I decided to take on the challenge of delving into this project the best I could. With the help of the lovely team at Axis, I have learned so much more from doing this project on how psychology can fit into and be applied in various settings.

Through my conversations with a direct lead psychologist, I have also gained a lot of insights on how the onsite psychology service works. Indeed, having accessible support at work can really boost the productivity of the workers. It ensures the workplace provides a safe and healthy environment for their workers, whether at education facilities, factories, and even in regular white-collar offices. As each workplace has their own unique values and cultures, it is interesting to learn about the way Axis tailors the service for organisations and companies (also why they sometimes need to wear hi-vis!). This service also represents how it is important to build alliances not just with clients, but with employers, insurers, and businesses as well. After all, working is an integral part of everyone who is in the workforce, and it really can make or break their life. Having extra support at work can really be impactful in making sure that everyone can achieve the wellbeing that they deserve.

Not only have I discovered why a psychologist would need a hi-vis, I have learned how they still apply the very heart of psychology, that is helping people, at work. Onsite psychologists can assist workers in getting to be where they want to be in life and creating safe space for them to heal, both physically and mentally.