https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OrN7R–BlLDNp5SZc3r_wIPMqgyjeBpy?usp=sharing
Interview de Lola Garcia Dupuis (M1) par Marie Hazebrouck (M2)
Hello lola, nice to meet you, how are you ?
We are both in the same master, we will talk about our experience as students in order to share it to the next generation
Lola: « What is your background ?
Marie : Since the beginning of my studies in 2015, I have been working as a massage therapist for a luxury hotel in different countries in Europe and in Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Brussels..) I did that for 7 years. I also worked as a make-up artist for different scary movies in Brussels with the make-up brand M.A.C., it was unbelievable. Since I didn’t have a scholarship, I worked as a lifeguard during summer, in Burgundy where my family lives. After that I did 3 clinical interships in neurology in the C.H.U of Dijon, its essential purpose being the acquisition of knowledge in neuro-psychology and management. I learned a lot. It convinced me that it was precisely what I wanted to do and that what I do isn’t “ivory tower” work. That being said, I am not convinced that we have yet found the right balance between flexibility and protection for patients and caregivers.
Lola : Wow this is so cool ! Where did you learn massages ?
I learned at different times in my career. Mainly during my studies as a beautician, and then thanks to the training of cosmetics brands and especially with my colleagues
Marie : And you, what were your summer jobs ?
Lola: What I did is not as good as you. I worked in Biscarrosse during the last two summers, in a camping with a lot of different people from all around France, and the world. I loved working there because I learned a lot about other cultures and lifestyles. Also it’s near the sea so it felt like hollydays even if we worked. And I learned how to skate and tried surf, also I went to Ferias (really popular parties in the south west). I also worked in Carrefour in Blois, my city. It was really fun because I worked with two hilarious men and we pranked each other a lot. It was a really good first work experience. I also help isolated minor migrant with an association, UTOPIA 56, I helped them learn french. It was a great experience because it’s a particular public and it help me work on my patience, my pedagogy and how to adapt to everyone.
Marie: Why did you choose social psychology ?
Lola: I choose social psychology because there is more work opportunities after the studies and it was easier to be accepted in the master. Also, in my unisiverty, we didn’t study a lot social psychology so I was interested in the subject. Therefore, I am also interested by the research part of psychology and I think social psychology is the more interesting to study. And you ?
Marie : For me, suffering at work indicates the need to call upon models developed in the fields of health psychology, medical anthropology and health sociology. The technology and nanotechnologies have begun to join forces with cognitive science, social psychology and other social sciences. The existence of a new psychology method gives hope. If we can work together, sociologist, psychologist, manager… we can change things, the organization,improve the well-being of employees and keep a good level of production. A practicing psychologist is trained to assess and diagnose problems in thinking, feelings and behavior as well as to help people overcome or manage these problems. A psychologist is uniquely trained to use psychological tests to perform assessment and diagnosis. Psychologists help people to overcome or manage their problems using a variety of treatments or psychotherapies. It is for these reasons that I chose to become a social psychologist to help others.
Lola:Have you hesitated between several branches of psychology ?
Marie: Yes. In my first and second year at the university of Nimes, I met Miss Compan, she is a famous neurobiologist at the United States, she was my neuroscience teacher, she is amazing, she is such a passionate teacher. At this moment, I aspired to become a neuroscientist, who studies connections between fasting and mental disorders. I wanted to focus on an experiment that exhibits a link between fasting and mental disorders. I believed, and I still think this research was important because psychologists should study neurobiology and the science behind current theories. My goal was to explain how brains work without food, I wanted to show that this approach would provide more effective, practical help to people living with mental disorder (like schizophrenia/depression). But, after two years in Nimes, it was time for me to leave. I think it’s important to learn different opinions in various universities, and I decided to go to the university of Caen. I was very disappointed when I got there, because the reality of the situation became established. With reference to teaching, many interventions were solely made for the teaching curricula of socialscience and humanities group. You coudn’t choose between options, nothing. I further discovered that the teaching of neuroscience in Caen had only one interest: to promote professors in recognition research. I however consider teaching as more than a set of techniques to be transmitted and mastered.
I decided to go to the university of Nantes to learn more about psychology. I then chose to specialize in social psychology.
Have you ?
Lola : Yes, I did an internship in an EHPAD and it was a great experience. I loved working with older people and the psychologist was so interesting and competent, I learned so much with her and I hope to be like her after my studies. Moreover, I loved that internship because it was never as plan, we must adapt all the time and it was always surprising. I am afraid that my job would be boring but in EHPAD it’s not boring at all. Also, my tuteur let me be alone with the patients so I learned a lot.
Marie: Do you have some internship projects for your M1?
Lola : I will have an interview with someone who have a start up in recruitment. I think the mission will be interesting and they will let me work in autonomy so it’s really what I’m looking for in an internship. What about you ?
Marie : Not yet, I’m looking for an internship. But last year I had worked on a big project. This project aims at improving the working conditions of nursing assistants in retirement homes. And I help prostitutes at night with an association.What is the subject of your master’s thesis ?
Lola : I will work on awe, spirituality and well-being. During my first semester of psychology I wanted to quit because I didn’t like it, I found it boring and I was really disappointed, but I had a class about positive psychology and I was an evidence, I wanting to work in that field, so I’m really happy to study a positive emotion and it’s positive repercussions on the person. What was yours ?
Marie : I study people’s involvement in their work. My hypothesis is that a person who is socially isolated will tend to become more involved in his work and find a certain balance in his life as a result.
Lola:How do you feel about the way psychologist students and psychologists are perceived ?
Marie: stereotypes exist for all professions, it’s not a tragedy. There is a lot to improve in psychology in France. We are very late. It is up to each psychologist to be a good ambassador of his or her knowledge and understanding.
For me stereotypes are part of the game and can be an incredible asset and power.What do you think about how psychologist are portrayed on tv ?
Lola : I watch several episode of Gypsy lately and I had to stop because I was too uncomfortable. And a lot of times it’s about love stories between a psychologist and a client and it’s freaks me out a little, like in Suits, 991 ou Profilage. We have a deontology code and that king of representation of psychologist is biais. Also it’s less funny because sometimes they are mistaken and I’m like “never a psychologist would do that” or “it’s not that mental illness”.
What do you want to do after your M2 ?
Marie: I would like to go back to India after graduation to go to an Ashram and practice yoga meditation intensely and be able to do a big job on myself. And then to be able to work in a structure with humanistic values not far from the ocean! And you ?
Lola : Idon’t know yet, all I know is I want to help people so I will do that no matter where I will be. Maybe I will work in recruitment and be in an association like I did during my licence.
Lola : What is your dream job ?
Marie : Already i have two dreams, first of all is to be a psychologist but we known we cannot be a good psychologist after our master, and if we want be we need to learn more and do an other training.
And secondly my second dream is to become a swimming teacher with option mermaid ‘-)