Baltimore Clinical Child Psychologist Uses Education To Advance Patients' Well-Being
ADHD. Chronic health issues. Depression. When struggles like these hit home for Baltimore's youth, the result is often a swift domino effect adversely impacting academic performance, personal development and even family stability. But the story doesn't need to end here – in fact, for Dr. Nina Kayce, her job has only just begun.
Providing assessment and treatment for children, teenagers and young adults, Dr. Kayce works as a per-diem psychologist at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital in Baltimore and also has a private practice in Ellicott City. Through teaching individuals about their own unique strengths and weakness, Dr. Kayce has found great success in improving the well-being of her patients.
But before she could embark on this noble path of helping others, Dr. Kayce had to first earn a B.S. in Psychology from University of Maryland in College Park and a M.S. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University in Maryland.
Could you have reached your present position without your education endeavors?
"Once I graduated college, I knew that if I really wanted to be a child clinical psychologist, I needed to go back to school and get a doctoral degree. In Maryland, you can only be a licensed psychologist if you have a doctoral degree and meet other specific requirements (training program, supervised clinical hours, national/state exams, etc.). So my education was the first path I needed to take to reach my professional goals."
How has education prepared you for your job?
"The combined M.S./Psy.D. Clinical Psychology program at Loyola University was a perfect program for me because of its scholar-practitioner training focus. It taught me the theoretical background that I needed to conceptualize psychological functioning and provide effective treatment to help others. My education provided me with the flexibility to easily adjust to changes in my job roles (e.g. clinician, supervisor, business owner) and job settings (e.g. private practice, hospital)."
What continuing education is required for your specific role?
"As a licensed psychologist, I am required by the Board of Examiners to renew my license every two years and must complete a minimum of 40 continuing education (CE) credits every renewal period. Of those credits, three must be focused on cultural competence and another three on laws and ethics. That is just the bare minimum to maintain my license. Because I also work in a hospital, there are also CE requirements to maintain my position as a medical staff member."
How do you keep your skills up to date?
"Psychology is a field that is always changing so you have to be aware of new research, trends and tools. I try to accomplish this by frequently educating myself though CE conferences, participating in peer supervision groups, using member benefits of the Maryland Psychological Association and being generally aware of psychology topics in mainstream media. One of my most valuable sources of information are my patients (even my youngest ones) and their families, who are always providing me with valuable feedback on their experiences."
Keri Ann Beazell is a Baltimore writer following the latest developments in arts and culture, natural wonders, lifestyle and pets. She enjoys promoting thought-provoking discussions, education, new ideas and smiles among readers. Follow her online at beazellblog.com and Examiner.com.
