MY EXPERIENCE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

When I was asked to write about my experience of community engagement, I experienced mixed emotions. I was happy to be asked while also humbled. I see community engagement as an intrinsic aspect of my life. The reason is that I believe that I have always been ‘engaged’ in the ‘community’, which for me is an inevitable part of being fully human and an active citizen. To me, engaging with people around us in a way that is influential, impactful and being of service reflects the reality that as human beings, we are all interdependent.

My first forays into community engagement began in my adolescent years with my involvement in my parish and various experiences of voluntary work. During my student and early adult years, this engagement was complemented by my involvement in different committees and leadership roles. These experiences were an essential element of my journey of ‘becoming’ that led me to my chosen career paths: social work and psychology. I am both a warranted social worker and counselling psychologist. I am a full-time academic with the Department of Social Policy and Social Work, and also work with the Departments of Counselling and Psychology. Being both a psychologist and social worker, I find myself in a unique position with regards to being an academic and to my experience of community engagement.

I understand ‘community engagement’ to be an intrinsic, multi-faceted dimension of what it means to be an academic within the Faculty for Social Wellbeing. Broadly speaking, my community engagement activities may be grouped into:

1. My role on Boards and Committees

2. Training workshops/seminars and conferences

3. Practicing as a counseling psychologist and providing supervision

4. Presence in the media

BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

Over the years, I have been a board member on various committees including interviewing boards. I have also been an evaluator of different courses for the National Commission for Further and Higher Education. Furthermore, in the early stages of my career, I was the Executive Secretary of the previous Malta Association of Psychologists for approximately seven years. In the past two years, I have returned to this role in the more recently formed Malta Chamber of Psychologists. I view this role as important in that the purposes of the MCP are to promote the discipline of psychology; to represent psychologists practicing in Malta; and to foster good relations among psychologists, between psychologists and other professionals as well as between psychologists and clients. Apart from being a union that represents psychologists, the MCP also focuses on ensuring ethical standards and practices of psychology in Malta. Another important role of the MCP is that of establishing links with similar unions, societies, associations and federations on the local and international scene.

As Council member, I form part of a team that ensures that the MCP reaches these objectives. I experience this as a great responsibility but also an exciting one. Two most recent examples of our work relate to helping our members adapt to the recent COVID-19 situation, which is challenging for all. We did this by offering

guidelines and training in the provision of online therapeutic sessions. We also organized a webinar on ‘The Resilient Practitioner’. These are examples of the MCP reading the signs of the times and meeting the needs of psychology practitioners. We also issue regular press statements on a number of issues such as homosexuality and migration. In an effort to strengthen relations with other professions, we recently held or planned meetings between the MCP and the MACP (Malta Association for the Counselling Profession) and the MASW (Malta Association of Social Workers). In my role as Council member, I also represent the MCP on the Malta Psychology Profession Board. One of the main functions of the Board is the vetting of applications for a psychologist warrant according to the Malta Psychology Act (Cap. 471).

TRAINING WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES

I have presented papers at conferences and have given workshops or seminars in different fora both locally and abroad. Topics include ‘Resilience and self-care for social work practice educators’, ‘Leading from within: Aligning yourself for full potential’, ‘Life review and change processes’, ‘Mindfulness and self-care for social workers’ and facilitated a Drachma seminar entitled, ‘Rainbow Ways: Stories of gay persons and relationships’. Other training seminars resulted from my PHD research topic: the spiritual dimension of psychotherapy. Some of the training seminars that I delivered include ‘Spirituality & Wellbeing’ that I gave to educators, ‘Spirituality & Health: Help or Hindrance?’ to the Association of Private Family Doctors (Malta), ‘Spirituality and Practice in Mental Health’ that I delivered to a mental health service organization and seminars on the spiritual dimension of counseling and psychotherapy that I delivered to members of the Maltese Psychological Association and the Malta Association for the Counselling Profession.

PRACTICING AS A COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST AND PROVIDING SUPERVISION

As a counselling psychologist, I provide counselling and psychotherapy to adults on a number of issues including: identity, relationships, work challenges, anxiety, depression, grief and loss. I find this work to be both challenging and very satisfying. It is a privilege to accompany a person in what is often a difficult period in their lives, and thereby to share their journey.

I also provide individual supervision to social workers and psychologists. For a number of years, I provided group supervision to the Malta Hospice Home Care Team. My understanding of supervision is that it is a mindful process of reflection and learning in relationship that creates transformation in action and in the person of the supervisee. I believe that the three goals of supervision are: client care, professional standards and professional development. I perceive the supervisor and supervisee to be on a journey together with my roles including facilitation, guidance, empowerment and education.

PRESENCE IN THE MEDIA

Another way in which I engage with the community is through my presence in the media, whether that is writing a blog, or article, sharing articles on social platforms or participating on the radio or TV.

CONCLUSION

Over the years, the way that I have chosen to engage with the community has been the result of values that I cherish, such as being of service, solidarity, compassion and attempting to create a drop of change in any way that I can. It is a part of my personal journey of life and expression of two professions that I hold dear: social work and psychology. As is often the case, in giving I have received more than I imagined.