Sumner 1

Audrey Sumner

Craven

Capstone assignment

2 May 2023

In the future I hope and plan to become a Neuropsychologist. A neuropsychologist is a

professional who studies the relationship between the brain and behavior. They use their

understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the brain to comprehend how neurological

diseases and injuries impact thought, emotion, and behavior. Patients who have had neurological

diseases such traumatic brain damage, stroke, Parkinson's disease, or dementia are frequently

treated by neuropsychologists. They then evaluate a patient's cognitive and behavioral

functioning using a range of tests and evaluations, and then create treatment programs to correct

any impairments. Neuropsychologists may engage in research in addition to patient care to

increase knowledge of the brain-behavior connection and advance the creation of new therapies

for neurological disorders. Some goals I would like to achieve as a neuropsychologist include

advancing my knowledge and skills in a specific area of neuropsychology, such as pediatric

neuropsychology or neuropsychological rehabilitation, or becoming a leader in the field through

research, teaching, or clinical practice.

In lecture we talked about resiliency; resilience is a crucial trait that can help me achieve

success in any field, including neuropsychology. This is due to the fact that neuropsychology

may be a rigorous and difficult field that calls for substantial education, training, and the capacity

to engage with patients who have neurological diseases that are complex and frequently have a

profound impact on their lives. Individual resilience includes being optimistic, having high self
 Sumner 2

esteem, high intelligence and easy temperament (Craven, personal communication, April, 19,

2023). People with resilience are able to overcome obstacles and recover from failures (Welch,

2022). Obstacles in the path to becoming a neuropsychologist could include demanding

coursework, many hours of study and research, and emotionally difficult patient work. People

who are resilient are able to persist and advance in the face of these difficulties.

In order to better understand the intricate connections between a patient's neurological

illness, their family dynamics, and their general well-being, family theories can be very useful to

neuropsychologists in their work. Neuropsychologists can better care for and assist their patients

and their families by understanding these dynamics. Systemic interventions are one way that

family theories can be used in neuropsychology. Working with the patient and their family,

systemic interventions involve identifying and addressing any communication or behavior

patterns that might be affecting the patient's neurological condition or overall wellbeing.

Neuropsychologists can assist patients live better lives and foster greater family functioning by

recognizing and treating these patterns (Wills & Sanders, 2013). Family stress theory is when

stressors are internal and external factors, these can be emotionally or physically related (Craven,

personal communication, February, 1, 2023). Neuropsychologists can incorporate family stress

theory in their work by considering how a patient's neurological condition impacts the entire

family system. Family stress theory suggests that stress in one family member can affect the

entire family, leading to changes in family dynamics and potentially worsening the health

outcomes of the patient (McCubbin & Patterson, 1983).

In class we talked about family diversity. Family diversity can look like a lot of different

things such as family structure, gender identity, culture, race and ethnicity (Craven, personal

communication, January, 25, 2023). By acknowledging and respecting the various cultural,
 Sumner 3

socioeconomic, and linguistic backgrounds of their patients and their families,

neuropsychologists can incorporate family diversity into their practice. They are able to offer

better, more culturally aware care in this way. The ability to comprehend and respect the cultural

customs, attitudes, and beliefs of their patients and their families is a skill that

neuropsychologists can develop. This can involve becoming aware of cultural norms

surrounding disease and disability as well as potential difficulties that people from different

backgrounds may face when trying to receive healthcare.

 Sumner 4

References

Craven, personal communication, January, 25, 2023

Craven, personal communication, February, 1, 2023

Craven, personal communication, April, 19, 2023

McCubbin, H. I., & Patterson, J. M. (1983). Family stress and adaptation: A conceptual

overview. In H. I. McCubbin & M. B. Sussman (Eds.), Family stress and coping (pp. 3-23).

Springer Publishing Company.

Welch, K. J. (2022).communication (3rd ed.).Sage

Wills, F., & Sanders, P. (2013). Family therapy and neuropsychology: An overview. Journal of

Family Therapy, 35(1), 5-18.