Introducing BJU's New Psychiatrist, Dr. Claire Massip
Getting to know Dr. Claire Massip, the new French-born and French-trained Psychiartist at Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU).
1. Welcome to Beijing! What brings you here?
I first began traveling in Asia 10 years ago and I fell in love with this part of the world. Over the years, I’ve built stronger links with Asia; my best friend gave birth to her first child in Laos, I did a medical internship at a hospital in Vietnam, and my sister recently moved to China. When the opportunity to move to China appeared in our lives, it wasn't a hard choice for my husband and me!
2. Can you tell me a bit about your medical background?
I initially trained as a doctor in pharmacy. After having worked for a couple of years, I decided to complement my initial education with further study in Medicine and become a medical doctor specializing in psychiatry.
3. What is your favorite part about your job?
What I love about what I do now is that every appointment is unique. Every patient I see has a different problem. It takes a certain degree of resourcefulness and creativity to come up with a treatment plan that will suit each patient. Each time I get a new patient and need to work out what kind of treatment will work best, it’s like opening a large toolbox and trying to figure out which tools are the best-suited for him – not only in terms of his condition but also in terms of his personality.
You also need to take into account each patient’s way of processing and reacting to things. It’s important to both understand the nature of their suffering and know how much importance the patient attaches to certain things. Because different patients have different personal preferences, they can require different treatments for the same problem.
4. What sort of issues should people come to you for?
As soon as you ask yourself whether you should see a psychiatrist, you shouldn't hesitate to do it. You could learn how you could be helped and what you can do to alleviate your suffering. Issues like difficulty adjusting to life in China, sadness, anxiety, abuse of alcohol or other substances, issues in relationships – these are all reasons enough to see a psychiatrist. Coming in is a good opportunity to take a moment to think about what is causing problems or why you are suffering. Some patients also come in because they notice that certain patterns tend to repeat in their lives, and they would like to understand and to change these. People can come once and feel better from just talking about their worries. Other times, they may require several sessions. In some situations, patients may benefit from medicine, and we can discuss which medicines are available.
5. Do you think there are many people who should see the psychiatrist but never do because they don’t think it’s necessary?
The stigma surrounding mental health sometimes prevents people from seeing a psychiatrist, but people may miss a chance really improve their quality of life. It is often a question of how much suffering you can handle without seeking help. There are also people who don’t realize that something is wrong. For example, there are people who avoid stressful situations to reduce their level of anxiety, and thus reduce little by little their comfort zone. Sometimes, these people don’t seek help because they close themselves off and find their own solutions. This is the best way they have found to deal with anxiety but other solutions exist.
6. When a patient comes to see you, do you ever refer them to another department or to another member of your team?
Yes. We’re very lucky here at Beijing United Family Hospital to have a team with such a variety of skills and specialties, so we can draw from one another’s expertise. For certain situations, I’d refer patients to a colleague who has more experience in a certain area and who is better-suited to help. We may also refer patients to another specialist. I can also suggest several activities outside the hospital. Regular inclusion of sport or relaxation in your daily life can be very helpful for anxiety or mild depression, for example.
7. Could you tell me what the difference between psychiatrist and psychologist is?
The difference can be a bit vague, and this can make things more difficult for people. Very generally, psychologists do more psychotherapy and psychiatrists deal more with medications. Personally, I do psychotherapy and I prescribe medication if needed.
One universal thing is that having a good relationship between the mental health practitioner and the patient is very important. The patient needs to feel comfortable.
Dr. Claire Massip is Beijing United Family's new Psychiatrist. She speaks English and French. If you would like to make an appointment with her, please call the BJU Service Center at 4008-919191.
Think you might want to see a mental health professional? Read our Q&As with Dr. Esperanza Salinas (psychiatrist, English and Spanish) and Bojun Hu (psychologist, English and Mandarin) to see if they may be better-suited to help you.