Students at the ECP are fortunate that our alumni are willing to come back into school to offer careers advice. Last week, our IB students were able to hear from four of our graduate Psychologists – Dr Ingmar Gorman, Anna Hejlová, Charlie Quoc Anh Dang and Dr Eva Nouzová. We are very grateful to them for giving up their time to help the next generation of ECP Psychology students. As well as providing factual advice, these sessions help students to picture where they could be in their own careers in 10 or 20 years’ time.
Range of Experience and Expertise
Ingmar and Eva are both Clinical Psychologists. Ingmar graduated in 2003 and moved to America. Originally planning to study Philosophy, he changed course and studied Psychology. He now works in the sometimes controversial field of the use of psychedelics to treat PTSD. He is Co-Founder of Fluence, a psychedelic education company. They provide mental health training in psychedelic treatments. Ingmar told students about the progress this research has made. He predicted that they could be available on prescription in 2025.
Eva, a 2007 graduate, is also a Clinical Psychologist. Her path took her to Scotland where she studied at Aberdeen University She achieved an MA Joint Honours in Psychology and Sociology, before a PhD in Psychology. Still with the hint of a Scottish accent, she fascinated students with a description of her research into how eye movements can be used to identify conditions such as schizophrenia. Eva has now returned to Prague where she has her own practice.
Working in a Prison
There was a change of mood when Charlie, one of the Class of 2013, gave a chilling insight into a darker area of psychology. With a Master’s degree in Criminal Forensic Psychology and Victimology from the University of Groningen, he works as a Correctional Psychologist with medium to high risk prisoners at a maximum security prison. He described what it is like to work in an environment where he has to constantly assess the risks he and others face from his clients. It is a highly pressured field where it is normal to move on after only a few years. Charlie therefore expects to transfer to consultancy work with the police in the future.
Change Management
Anna’s experience provided a contrast with the often intense work carried out by her fellow graduates. After graduating from the ECP in 2015, she gained her BSc in Psychology at Queen Mary University of London. She then moved to the LSE for her MSc in Organisational & Social Psychology. This included a year’s internship with a learning and development consultancy. Anna now works with commercial clients, advising on change management, for a management consultancy. She says: “One of the advantages of this branch of psychology is that I can leave my work behind at the end of the day. This is not always easy for psychologists working with patients to do.”
ECP Alumni
ECP has an extensive alumni organisation, launched at the British Embassy in 2015, as part of our 20th anniversary events. The English College in Prague Network (ECPN) helps our graduates to keep in touch with the College. And importantly, it provides current students with access to a wealth of experience and advice. The ECPN also puts graduates working in the same field in touch with each other – a true support network.
Building Plans
As well as encouraging the idea of ‘putting something back’, which was one of our Founders’ original aims for the College, these careers sessions provide graduates with the opportunity to visit their old school. They welcome the chance to catch up with some of their former teachers. Ingmar, Eva, Charlie and Anna were also able to hear about our exciting building plans, which will enable us to bring the whole school back under one roof and provide exciting new facilities.