Irrelevant Experience: The Secret Diary of an Assistant Psychologist

by Spatch Logan

"Life after graduation is tough. I want to be a clinical psychologist. Unfortunately it seems so does everyone else who has a psychology degree. I need excellent grades, lots of work experience, and a job on the first rung of the ladder as an Assistant Psychologist. Then there is the tiny matter of getting onto a clinical doctorate course. Add into the mix a stressed out best friend, an over-sexed house-mate, a pal who makes it a habit of getting regularly fired, and it's a sure-fire recipe for a quarter life crisis. Still, no one ever said that helping other people was going to be easy..." Irrelevant The Secret Diary of an Assistant Psychologist is the story of how one hopeful applicant fares in navigating her career, friendships, romance and rivalries. After graduation, those first steps into the big wide world are scary, and not every experience fits neatly on your CV.

Genres: Psychology

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 22, 2013

About the author

Spatch Logan is the pseudonym of a clinical psychologist working in the south east of England.

He has written for a variety of magazines, journals and periodicals. Irrelevant Experience is his first novel.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious, insightful, and heartening look at the life of an aspiring psychologist. It perfectly captures the angst and insecurities of the journey in a way that is both light hearted and occasionally poignant (or a little close to home!)

For anyone on that path, it is so easy to relate to the experiences and thoughts of the very witty narrator; for those not in the know, perhaps it will serve as an valuable insight to why your psychology graduate friends aren't always quite themselves November - May!

A very enjoyable read, fleshing out familiar situations (from the perspective of one who has walked a similar path) but also full of drama and some hilarious, well written characters.

[Shruti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, brutally honest

[C Boe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not usually read lighthearted books, but though I should give this one a go after spending too much time on the ClinPsy forum. Many descriptions of the struggles of life following graduation were relatable, and it captured the self-doubt and worries well. I laughed loudly at times, especially in the part where she drafts the application and describes random interests and hobbies. However, I thought the main character was rather self-absorbed and had poor boundaries in romantic relationships. The character developed somewhat over the course of the book, and I appreciated their insight towards the end. I found the minor character a lot more interesting. Overall, I did enjoy reading the book, and will pass it on to another friend trying to pursuit training in clinical psychology.

[Jaimini Mehta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny - for what it is - although a large amount of errors!

[Gaby (GNTxREADs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fictional account outlines the journey of a keen young Psychology graduate seeking to gain their first paid role and start them on their journey to becoming a qualified Psychologist. This is a very common theme amongst individuals with an interest in mental health and a background in Psychology, so some of us know all too well how this feels.

The descriptions of the disappointment, countless number of application, and communications with others who are also looking for the same opportunities was really validating and close to the truth. There was also a lot of light humour, some of which really uncovered the witty truth of what many people are thinking! (Spot on descriptions of some other psychology related roles!! I was in fits of laughter!)

However, as the book moved away from these relatable experiences and more into the stereotypical office romances, I lost interest. I found myself rolling my eyes so much as a lot of the content was portrayed in bad taste. I wonder how much of this was because the author is a man and was attempting to write from the perspective of a woman? I began getting frustrated, however the overall theme of 'applying for the doctorate' kept me engaged enough to finish it.

This is a really great read for recent graduates, or anybody looking to apply for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. It totally empathises with the feelings and experiences we have all had in quite a light-hearted way. You may feel let down by some other aspects of the writing which are cringy to read, but overall it was a nice little read.

Maybe initially I was being too harsh, because I let the stuff I hated about this book take over my final review. But upon reflection I was able to pull out a lot of strengths which really resonated with me. I gave it a four star review on Goodreads in the end, but I'll mainly be recommending to colleagues within the field.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful reminder of what people put themselves through to get where I am. An enjoyable rom com read with some amusing insights into the NHS. The main character was a little annoying and some of the discussion was a little close to the bone. But overall an enjoyable, easy read.

[Sushipink · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel about the challenging path to training as a clinical psychologist. It was very funny (really did laugh out loud at several points, and couldn't put it down) and well-written. Anyone who has worked in the NHS or lived through the painful clinical application process will wince with recognition!
I'm not generally a fan of the chick lit genre but this was a lovely read, and the author's compassionate and insightful rendering of some of the challenges facing young women trying to become established in a career or negotiate dating, houseshares and other perils of young adulthood means that this book would be appealing more widely than just wannabe clinical psychologists.
Some darker matters were alluded to as well (I don't want to put in any spoilers so will leave it at that), and these were handled skilfully and deftly. I felt that these added depth to the book, and I was moved by some of the storylines around more minor characters.
Recommended as a good read, or as a gift for anyone you know who wants to pursue the tricky path to clinical training-it really does capture what it's like!

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, especially as an aspiring Clinical Psychologist who is about to be an assistant psychologist. I feel the author has really captured all the little worries and anxieties that this path holds but demonstrated them in a light hearted and warm, funny way!

Definitely give it a read of you are interested in this career as there are lots of relevant anecdotes.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious as an aspiring clinical psychologist it both terrified and amused me.