This document provides information about the career and work experience of Michael Torres, a clinical psychologist working at Kaiser Medical Center and in private practice. After obtaining a bachelor's degree, master's degree, and doctorate, Torres' typical work day involves intake interviews, meeting with 8 patients, leading a teen depression group, and typing notes. He sees 14 private patients on Thursdays and Fridays. Torres has learned that many of the issues teens struggle with today are the same he struggled with, and has become more aware of how choices can affect well-being. Working at Kaiser allows for collaboration with other medical professionals using an online system.

1. Clinical Psychologist
Kaiser Medical Center, Union City
Private Practice, Alameda
MichaelTorres, Psy.D

2. 1. How many years of education do
you need after high school?
- 4 years of College/Bachelor’s
Degree: UCLA
- 2 years of Master’s Degree in
Organizational Psychology:
Cal State Long Beach
- 4 years of Doctoral Program:
California School of Professional
Psychology (CSPP)

3. 2. Why did you choose this job?
I wanted to help people in the
healthcare/medical field. I recall
how difficult my teenage years
were, up to 25 in fact, and felt I
could connect that experience
with the issues confronting each
new generation of teens.

4. 3. Do you have any interesting
stories about your job?
- I’ve been punched
- I’ve been in a psych unit riot
- I’ve restrained a kid while he
was launching spinning jump
kicks at staff.

5. 4. What is a typical work day like?
- I start work usually about 10 am with a new Intake interview
with a parent only. We discuss the problems facing the family
and come up with a treatment plan. I then meet with up to 8
different kids/families per day and discuss issues ranging
from ADHD to suicidal depression, drug abuse, sexual abuse,
divorce, and being gay (just some examples).
- One evening per week I lead aTeen Depression Group with
8-15 kids. We discuss depression and anxiety, coping skills
and life as a teenager. We also spend a lot of time laughing
and cracking jokes.
- In between each patient and group I type chart notes for
every patient contact. I also talk to patients on the phone,
parents and even teachers and school counselors – about the
things we are working on in therapy.

6. - I have 14 people in my private practice;Thursday
and Friday back to back with an hour break for
lunch. My private practice schedule is different
than my Kaiser schedule: My hours onThursdays
are 3 pm to 8 pm, and Fridays 11 am – 6 pm.
- In my private practice, I see teens, adults and
couples in Alameda. I usually see people every
other week and weekly. I have seen people for 2-3
sessions for a quick psychiatric evaluation (ADHD
for school assistance, Depression/Anxiety
screenings for extra school services) all the way up
to every week for 6-8 years in a few cases.

7. 5. How has this job changed you? What have you
learned?
- I have learned and/or been reminded that the issues I
struggled with as a teen are much the same as issues
today’s teens struggle with (freedom, self-esteem, love,
sadness, rage, right from wrong, breaking away from
parents, loyalty, and challenging authority).
-The job has revealed to me how easily it is for a young
person to end-up feeling miserable as a result of making
poor choices during the teen years. I have also become
more aware and have made peace with mistakes I made
as a teen and young adult, as I use these “failures” as
examples for teens on what NOT to do. Most of my
wisdom comes from my failures not my successes.

8. -The job shapes how I experience people in
public settings. I tend to see various forms of
suffering everywhere, which can cause a pit
in my stomach or moments of quiet rage. I
unfortunately can judge people harshly: for
example when I see a parent being verbally
abusive to their kid at the checkout stand.
My level of compassion has also expanded:
for example when I see a clearly mentally
challenged young person walking down the
street with his/her Special Ed classmates.

9. 6. What prerequisites are needed for
your program?
- I have my Doctorate in Clinical
Psychology
- Can also work with a Master’s Degree
in Social Work (LCSW) or
Marriage/Family Therapy (MFT)
- Experience working with children,
teens, and families.

10. 7. How is your job different from others in
the field?
- Working at Kaiser we work within a
comprehensive medical system, so we
communicate and collaborate with your
regular doctor and other medical
specialties. We have a substantial support
staff including receptionists, medical
assistants, psychiatrists, chartroom staff,
chemical dependency team, and health
education programs.

11. - At Kaiser we also use an online
computer charting system called
Health Connect where you entire
medical record is kept, so we can
see what’s going on in Pediatrics,
the Lab, your XRays, the ER and
anywhere else in the Kaiser system
of care.

12. - We get paid better than
any other large mental
health system in the Bay
Area/California (the
prison system may pay
better?).

13. - Most Kaiser members are
working, while in many other
public mental health agencies
services are provided for free or
at very low-cost to address the
needs of people living with
little/No income.

14. - In my private practice I can see
people once week (different than
Kaiser – every 3-4 weeks) if needed. I
am the boss in my private practice
which is essentially a small business.
My private practice relies on positive
word of mouth to generate my
patients, while the Kaiser system
itself supplies the patients.

15. 8. What do you like about your job?
- Hanging-out with young and
interesting people all day long who
are trying to improve their lives.
- It keeps me young.
- I feel I am contributing to society.
- I get paid well.
- I have fun most every day, so it
doesn’t feel like “work”.

16. 9. What do you dislike about
your job?
- Charting
- Making phone calls
- Working with difficult parents
- Being told what to do (Kaiser
rules/policies/regulations)

17. 10. What is your most memorable moment?
- #1: I led aTeen Depression Group last Spring (2013)
of about 21 kids who kept coming back to every
session (of 8) and volunteered to discuss the traumas
that occurred in their lives.The group was so tight,
bonded, cool and honest. Everyone participated fully
and with great courage and respect. It was deeply
emotional and most memorable.
- #2: I brought my parents into a session with a young
man who was choosing drugs and a thug-lifestyle
instead of family and health.They talked with him
about losing a son to drugs and crime, hoping to
make an impression on him that I could not.

18. 11. Is certification/licensure required?
- Once you finish your degree program
(PsyD, PhD, MFT or LCSW) you must
complete 3000 hours of clinical experience
before sitting for the licensing exams.
There is a national exam (225 multiple
choice questions) and then one state
exam (100 questions on case example,
ethics and California laws governing the
field of mental health).

19. 12. What is your work day like?
- As mentioned in question #4, I see
several patients per day in both my
Kaiser and private practice.
- My Kaiser days = 10 am – 8 pm
Mon-Wed
- Private Practice =Thursday 3 – pm
Friday 11 am – 6 pm.

20. 13. How many hours do you work per day?
- See #12
14. What personality traits do you need for this job?
- Humility (set your own ego aside;
recognize you are not always right)
- Be Funny
- Self-examined (know your own issues)
- Compassionate
- Authentic (must be prepared to be
yourself)
- Positive Self-Esteem/Confident

21. 15. If you weren’t in the
medical field, what else do
you see yourself doing?
- High SchoolTeacher
- Human Rights Lawyer
- Animal Welfare/Protection

22. 16.What college/university did you
attend?
- 4 years of college Bachelor’s Degree
in Psychology: UCLA
- 2 years for Master’s Degree in
Organizational Psychology:
Cal State Long Beach
- 4 years for Doctorate in
Clinical Psychology:
California School of Professional
Psychology (CSPP), Alameda

23. 17. What classes did you take?
- Bachelor’s Degree (4 years): General
Education Courses (English, Math,
Biology, Sociology,Anthropology,
Physics, Chemistry)
- Psychology Major Courses: Intro to
Psychology; Abnormal Psych;
Developmental Psych; Research
Methods; Neuropsych; Cognitive
Psych
- Developmental Disabilities (Minor)

24. - Master’s Program (2 years):
Advanced Statistics;
Psychological Assessment;
Organizational Psych; Human
Factors;Thesis Project – “The
relationship between level of
moral development and
leadership style.”

25. - Doctoral Program (4 years): Child
Psychotherapy; Psychopathology;
FamilyTherapy; Chicano/Latino
Psychology; Psycho-diagnostic
Assessment; Existential
Psychology; Dissertation Project –
“The validation of the Profile of
Mood States in an Adolescent
Inpatient Population.”

26. 18. What is your dream job?
- What I am doing now, with
the same pay, but only
working 30 hours/week.

27. 19. What challenges do you face with your job?
- Burnout
- poor self-care (not taking vacation/time-off,
working too many hours, not balancing
work/personal life…)
- taking your work home
- taking out your personal frustrations on your
patients
- cutting yourself-off emotionally from the work
and becoming robot-like.
- becoming too attached to patients and their
problems
- Savior Complex
- believingYou alone can save everyone)

28. 20.What advice would you give students
who are interested in this field?
- Make the most of your high school
experience (academics, teacher/mentors,
activities, sports, arts)
- Make the most of this time in your life
- Only engage in healthy friendships
-Treat your body with great respect
(exercise, eat good food, no sodas, eat
breakfast, wait a while to have sex, get 9
hours of sleep…)

29. - Don’t do drugs/alcohol – preserve
your brain
-Volunteer with special populations
(Special Olympics, homeless, animal
shelter, church, hospitals…)
- Develop healthy habits (art,
writing, music, exercise, cooking,
reading, poetry, martial arts, sports,
meditation)

30. - Consider talk therapy for yourself if
you struggle with depression,
anxiety, trauma, a medical
problem, and/or any serious stress
in your life.
- Learn Spanish, Mandarin,
Cantonese,Tagalog or Arabic

31. - Get Real:TakeYour Life
Seriously.
- A “What the F “
attitude will prepare
you to say, “Can I take
your order…would you like
fries with that?”

32. 21. What is it like working with pts?
- Have you ever had a great
conversation with someone?
- Have you ever laughed, cried, felt
your heart sink, felt tremendous
rage, and endless compassion for a
45 minute period?

33. - It is a great example of truly being in the
moment
- Noticing body language, breathe, eyes, rate of
speech, choice of words, the rise and fall of
different emotions and bodily sensations,
seeing how a person sees Self and Others,
problem solves, reveals their heart, and views
life.
- The reverse is true as well – in terms of noticing
all these things for myself as well, and then
crafting useful words and non-verbal language
to support and help the patient.