Meet Fraser Smith, Founder of GetPsyched [Interview]

Hi everyone who read and follow our Psych2Go content religiously. For those who are subscribed to our weekly newsletter, thank you so much. If you’re not subscribed, then you’re missing out. Every Monday, at 9:00PM EST, our amazing community manager, Minel Rena sends out a currated list of our top performing content that aim to educate you something new about psychology.

Just like what Psych2Go attempts to do, we interview the founder of GetPsyched, a brand new Youtube Channel that aims to educate and inform people of new and relevant psychology theories and concepts.

Fraser Smith reached out to us through email sharing what he was doing, so we thought this be a great opportunity for you guys to get to know another source of great content for your daily psychological needs.

Here we go!

Q: Let’s start with a warmer. Can you tell our audience a bit more about yourself?

Sure! I’m Fraser, 28 and I live with my wife of two and a half years in Glasgow, Scotland. I’m
very passionate about what I do and enjoy working in the field of psychology. I love
networking and developing new content and ideas.

Outside psychology, I love working out and being a part of my community. I volunteer with youth groups.

Q:  Can you share us a bit more about your educational background?

Well, I’m studying a counselling psychology doctorate in Scotland.

I’m in my second year now. As you can imagine, it’s a lot of work. It makes a massive difference when it’s an area you enjoy learning about. I work at my university as a research assistant in health psychology. I am also a psychology undergraduate seminar tutor at my university. I teach a number of different modules primarily based in social psychology.

Q: Would you like to share how you started GetPsyched?

My YouTube channel GetPsyched is dedicated to anyone interested in psychology. I look at
psychological theory, top tips based on psychology and psychological research. I also have
videos that are for students in higher education. I look at assignment and referencing tips
and have recently uploaded a 4-week exam study guide where I walk through a full 4 weeks
of exam prep.

Basically, GetPsyched is an opportunity for people to learn a little more about
psychology, and implement the principles into their own lives.

I also believe there is a need for psychologists, and people that have knowledge in
psychology, to be front facing. I think that psychology needs more of a face. It needs to be
recognisable and approachable. For many, psychology is this abstract entity that only the
qualified know anything about. I’m trying to change this concept with GetPsyched and show
people that psychology is a real science and can be practically implemented into their own
lives.

Q: What inspired you to start on it?

I started it because I’m passionate about psychology and connecting with others. I saw
YouTube as a platform where I could get my name and face out to a wider audience. There
are so much potential in YouTube. Psychologists and therapists have been a little
reluctant to utilise it.

I make a point of stepping out of my comfort zone and feel this is really the only way we can progress. GetPsyched is a growing project, but it’s one I’m delighted I started. I’m very proud of it and so far, it’s really helped me network and reach a larger audience.

Q:  How did you get into psychology?

This is a difficult question. The truth is, I never started my study career in psychology, nor
did I intend to. I started in social sciences at university, which is like history and politics. It
was a time in my life when different things were happening for me. My focus and
motivation weren’t as strong as they are now.

Inevitably I didn’t do very well and after graduating I had no idea what I wanted to do. Fortunately, my mother, a psychology graduate herself, knew a therapist at a nearby counselling organisation. I got a job working night shifts on the reception desk whilst also working during the day as a support worker. She got me into a counselling course they were running. I immediately fell in love.

I was soon promoted within the company, and worked as a youth development worker in
schools. The therapist who initially got me the job pushed me to think about counselling
psychology. I agreed and went back to university to do another degree in psychology. Things
were very different for me now. I was newly engaged and found a purpose in psychology.

That was five years ago and since I have worked directly in the field of psychology and have
undertaken my doctorate in counselling psychology. Like I said, this is a difficult question
but it’s nice to reflect back on where it all started for me.

Q: Why pursue psychology?

I think we are coming to a time where the principles of psychology will become more widely
recognised and more widely utilised. Psychologists are holding a more impactful role in our
society and I want to be a part of that.

I also think psychology is going through a growing process. With technologies, we are able to communicate content to larger audience. Psychology is also more accessible.

As a counselling psychologist in training, this really interests me. I’m fascinated by how technology can assist in the therapeutic process.

Q: What is it about psychology that you love?

I love people. I love human behaviour. I love the irrationality of our decision making, our
thought processes and behaviours. I love the lively and contradicting debates in psychology.

I love that we still know so little about psychology. There are so much room for growth
and opportunity.

I love working with people who need help and can see results at the end of treatment. I love that psychology has given me purpose. I love that so much in our world can be explained by psychological principles.

Q: What advice would you give anybody looking at a career in psychology?

My advice would be to jump into it. In my opinion, there has never been a better time to
study and/or work in psychology. We need new psychologists more than ever in a world of
turmoil and growing mental health crisis. Practically, I would advise that they be aware of
work load. It’s a tough journey (I mean this in the most positive way possible). Studying
psychology requires a lot of personal reflections. You end up asking a lot of questions about what
you thought you already knew. This can be really challenging, and it’s an aspect of studying
psychology that not many are aware of when they start.

Q: What opportunities are there in the field of psychology?

What I would answer this with is ‘what opportunities do you want there to be?’. There are
opportunities in psychology for those that create the opportunities. Career wise, going into
clinical, therapeutic, health or sports work are all great and open options. However, for
those that seek out and create their own opportunities, psychology can be a phenomenal
career path.

Q. What do you know now that you wish you had known before starting out in psychology?

That the biggest challenge would be the stain of constantly thinking in depth in every
situation you are in. This sounds a little strange, but psychology can be a gift and a curse.
Whenever I am at a function, a party or a gathering of some kind, my knowledge and studies
in psychology still with me. I am constantly interpreting situations and transactions between
peoples. This can be fun but also exhausting, it’s probably something I wish I had known
before starting.

Q: Where in the world do you see psychological principles most at work?

I see it in everything we do but if I was to pick out one area I would say in children and
young people. When you watch children and toddlers interact with their surroundings, you
gain a true practical insight into some of the principles of psychology. The way they express
desires, their interactions with the outside world, their innate conditions of worth and
interpersonal relationships. We see in children how personally can be moulded and formed
by the outside environment, we can also see what is biologically inherited. Psychology, for
me, is at its rawest and purest form in children.

Q: What excites you about psychology looking forward?

I think more and more psychologists are going to take a larger role in our society. I see
psychologists being brought into governmental roles and legislative and policy decision
making processes. Psychologist are also becoming more impactful in our educational
systems and support of children with additional support needs. I think we are coming to a
water shed moment in psychology where the value a psychologist can bring is being truly
recognised.

Hope you guys enjoyed this interview we did, and that you will use GetPsyched, as an additional resource for your educational needs. This interview was not a sponsored or paid endorsement. We checked out Fraser’s channel and really love the content he puts out. We also agree with him that psychology needs to be more accessible. Knowledge should be shared so that more people can utilize the information to help themselves and those around them.

If you enjoy this interview, feel free to leave any questions you have about what you think of psychology and how it can be more accessible.

You can learn more about Fraser and consume his content on:

His website: http://frasersmithcounsellingpsy.com/

Youtube channel: GetPsyched