profile written by Libby Diop
WISENET Journal No. 3, November 1985, p. 10
Elzbieta Kleczkowska has a Masters Degree in psychology and now works for the Multicultural Psychistric Centre in Western Australia. She atudied at the Catholic Academy in Warsaw, Poland where psychology was a popular vocation for women - of 50 students only five were men - but places in the faculty were very hard to get with 15 persons for one vacant place.
Because the role of the Catholic Church in Poland has become one of anti-communist activity, Elzbieta had difficulty passing her leaving school certificate when the school discovered she would study at a Catholic institution. After her enrolment at the Catholic Academy politics continued to interfere with her study. In her third year the Health Department banned Catholic Academy educated psychologists from registering with their department.
After finishing her study she was unable to find work in Warsaw but found a place in a small country town. After five years working in the hospital there she obtained the title of Clinical Psychologist and spent a sixth year working in a larger hospital nearby.
Elzbieta and her husband decided to come to Australia for many reasons: to work, to be free, to live in a comfortable climate were some of the reasons. She had studied English for translation in Poland but now, after three years in Australia, is fluent. Problems facing psychologists from over- seas wishing to work in Australia are numerous. In particular she found it was necessary for her to be working to be able to be registered, but without being registered she couldn't get work.
Therefore, as the needs of the Polish community in Fremantle where she Iives are evident, she offered her services voluntarily to the Migrant Resource Centre to keep her in touch with her clients and her profession. Now she works as a field-worker, linking the Polish community into the Multicultural Psychiatric Centre as well as spending time with her clients. She must work for two years full time under supervision to be able to practise as a clinical psychologist in Australia.
Elzbieta says that the type of work she does here is the same as in Poland. Her patients are the same but it is easier for her to put into practice much of the American psychology she studied at the Catholic Academy, which is similar to Australian studies but not approved by the Polish Health Department. She finds that the status of women in Australia is similar to that in Poland. Women are more successful in the fields of health and educa- tion but some fields, such as electronics, the airforce and army, are usually dominated by men.
Elzbieta is extremely dedicated to her work and feels that the newly arrived Polish community in Western Australia who are struggling to learn English and find work need her services for they have very high expectations which are not being met in the currently depressed labour market. She hopes to remain in the field for as long as she can, providing an outlet and a means by which the Polish community will be able to use her very evident talents both as a psychologist aa well as a person who knows from experience that determin- ation wins in the end!