A Psychologist and Play Wright!
Dr. Gloria Morrow is an avant-garde Clinical Psychologist, who brings new meaning to clinical practice. In addition to writing screenplays, Dr. Morrow writes books, has a private practice, and hosts a weekly conference call on Mondays 6:30-7:00AM PST (USA time zone). Dr. Morrow, a psychologist featured on CNN, writes and produces screen plays about issues like depression in men ("The Things that Make Men Cry"), marriage conflict and hopelessness ("Three Times a Lady"), mental health stigmas, etc. Thus far, Dr. Morrow's screen plays are shown in Los Angeles, California and Atlanta, Georgia.
I chose to feature Dr. Morrow on this site because she is an example of a psychologist using their training to do what they love. Only a select number of people are both psychologists and playwrights. This news gives others in Psychology hope that we do not have to follow the same path that everyone else has followed. Personally, it puts a smile on my face when I see people following a career path that breaks free of the conventional limits.
I encourage every student to follow their passions. I want to expose students to creative thinking for careers in psychology. Thankfully, psychology offers one of the most diverse career paths. On a similar note, the APA previously featured a NASA psychologist, a NASCAR psychologist, and Disney Land psychologist. While these areas are not my first choice, I think it is cool to have these options. So, if you are a student that has worried about pursuing psychology because of work setting and task constraints, then I would ask that you reconsider your options.
I would like to note that some careers in psychology have a set path that you take in order to specialize, while other paths do not have a set of steps to follow in order to practice. For example, writing plays is only constricted by your imagination and venue. Even if you are not a big name in the field, try putting your ideas out there anyway. Remember that it is not 'just" about getting recognition. Hopefully you want to express your passions and help others. Trust me, life is easier when you enjoy what you do. Likewise, a career in psychology is most useful when it helps to improve the quality of life for others.
Furthermore, I would encourage all students to check out Dr. Morrow's website. Even if you are not interested in conducting plays, it is still a grand idea to look into how a professional is making strides in the field. If you look on youtube, you can view one of Dr. Morrow's interviews on CNN. Hopefully this has inspired someone to think about their career path more creatively.
**Website Link: http://www.gloriamorrow.com/ (site is currently down for construction, but should be back online shortly).
