To help a novice psychologist, art therapist, consultant

Characteristics of the profession: functions and tasks

Specialization is very difficult; it involves constant contact with different people. Some come to the appointment themselves, while others are forced. Difficulties in some situations cannot be avoided.

The services of such a doctor are in demand everywhere. Specialists in this profile work in law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, and large companies. Where, against a background of constant stress, employees or students may need psychological support.

The activity involves working with clients, conducting consultations, trainings, assessing personal qualities and mental state, and providing assistance in difficult life situations. Direct responsibilities are usually determined by the workplace and area of ​​specialization. For example, in a large company, a psychotherapist advises management on interaction with subordinates; in kindergartens and schools he monitors the mental health of children.

What is the difference between a psychologist and a teacher, neurologist and psychiatrist?

You should be well aware of the differences between a psychologist and a teacher, neurologist and psychiatrist.

A neurologist and a psychiatrist are people with higher medical education who have a specialized license for medical practice; they have the right to prescribe medications and prescribe treatment.

A neurologist deals with disorders in the functioning of the nervous system: headaches, constant fatigue, tics, back pain, head injuries, fainting, coordination and balance disorders, sleep disorders, in some cases sensory organ disorders, and more.

A psychiatrist deals with mental disorders: personality disorders (for example, attacks of uncontrolled aggression), mood disorders (depression and impaired motivation, sudden mood swings, etc.), disorders of cognitive functions (impaired perception, for example, hallucinations, thinking, memory, etc. etc.), painful personality changes after traumatic life events (sleep problems, aggressiveness, isolation, etc.). The task of doctors is timely diagnosis and assistance in eliminating or alleviating the symptoms of the disease and improving the patient’s quality of life.

A teacher is engaged in teaching and raising children. He has a pedagogical education and is responsible for the knowledge and skills of children, as well as their ability to comply with accepted standards of behavior. The teacher evaluates the child’s knowledge and skills and their compliance with age norms, studies how the child acquires new knowledge and retains the material covered in his memory. Developmental classes with a teacher allow the child to learn new things and also help improve the child’s learning ability.

A psychologist is a specialist with a psychological education, whose task is to take care of the psychological well-being of the client. It helps people fight negative thoughts and reactions, strengthen self-esteem, improve communication skills with other people, develop the cognitive sphere, overcome life crises and difficult periods, resolve family conflicts and much more. All psychologists have different additional education and areas of professional interest: some work with marital relationships, others provide career counseling, others help improve parent-child relationships and promote the harmonious development of the child, and others specialize in working with traumatic events and their consequences.

Specialists from different fields usually tend to work together: this gives better and faster results. Therefore, it is not surprising that one specialist will recommend seeking advice from another. So, for example, it is completely normal if a psychologist recommends seeing a psychiatrist or neurologist, and a teacher gives a recommendation to visit a psychologist. Remember that all specialists are solely interested in getting rid of the problem as quickly as possible, so their recommendations should be followed.

What does it take to become a psychologist?

First of all, you need to understand that choosing a profession is a big responsibility. In the course of his activities, a specialist, like any other doctor, should not cause harm to the patient. His distinctive feature is his love for people - a true desire to help them understand their problems and choose the right path in life.

Iron patience is the most important tool for successful psychotherapy. Only a truly passionate person can become patient. There are a lot of areas of such activity, so it is impossible to be a professional in all of them at once. A good start would be a self-education course, in which you should study available information on the Internet and popular science books.

Myth No. 2. Until you can call yourself a nice name, it’s too early to start consulting.

After completing my studies, I received a diploma in Psychological Counseling. Once you have your diploma, you can start actively promoting yourself, right?

“Somehow this is too broad! There are a lot of psychologists, how can you promote yourself?” - Another smart thought came to me. Then I thought that it is much more effective to be a psychologist in a certain niche. Then my potential client will know exactly what questions to contact me about.

Agree, it sounds much more expert if you are a “perinatal psychologist”, “child psychologist”, “regression psychologist”, “speech therapist”, “family psychologist”, “sex psychologist”, “business psychologist”, etc. .

So, I put the practice off again. And before I started actively promoting myself, I started looking for a niche.

My daughter was 2 years old and my son had just been born when I decided that I wanted to study perinatal psychology. I got busy with my studies again, studied theory, even did an internship at a St. Petersburg maternity hospital and received two certificates. But when the time came to start working, I realized that this was not at all what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Then I continued my search for a niche, again postponing the start of active practice.

During the training process, we observe the work of professionals who have many years of experience. Looking at how easy and interesting it is for them, you want to do the same, and right away. In reality, it turns out differently, and it begins to seem that somewhere in another niche everything will be different, you just need to find it.

May be. But what if you can’t find and choose this very niche right away?

It is impossible to understand what exactly you want to do until you try different directions. In addition, tastes, preferences and interests change over time. Therefore, it is important to start practicing even if you have not yet chosen your main niche. By trying yourself in different things, you will have the opportunity to feel from your own experience how close this or that direction is to you. And perhaps this will save you from attending unnecessary expensive courses and seminars.

Conclusion: we start working in general practice even before choosing our favorite direction. This choice occurs most often in the process of practical work.

What qualities are required?

Tactfulness, the ability to empathize, and listen, of course, will be very useful to a future specialist. But intelligence and professionalism are the main characteristics necessary for effective work. In addition, in order to study a huge amount of general and specialized literature and absorb the information received, you need to have excellent memory, perseverance, logical thinking and willpower.

This work often leads to emotional stress. Therefore, a person who has connected his life with this profession must be able to abstract himself and isolate himself from the problems of patients. Otherwise, depression is inevitable due to mood swings, poor sleep and lack of rest. A psychotherapist must have good psychological and physical health.

Empathy is a feeling that is needed to work as a psychologist. The ability to understand your interlocutor and truly empathize with him is invaluable. A good specialist is distinguished by tolerance, he is always restrained, and has complete control over his emotions.

To learn how to help people with psychological problems, you should read more, constantly observe those around you and work hard. This doctor, like no one else, must understand that the missing skills must be developed.

Features of work

Since psychology is a relatively young profession, new rumors and speculation constantly appear around it. Thus, psychologists are perceived as hypnotists who can completely change a person’s character and views in a couple of sessions. This misconception leads to the fact that the client does not see an immediate result after the first session and is disappointed.

To understand the principle of a psychologist’s work, the easiest way is to compare him with a physiotherapist. The doctor helps the injured person recover and return to a normal lifestyle with the help of simple exercises. The psychologist also helps clients survive traumatic situations, increase self-esteem, and make clear plans for the future.

What kinds of psychologists are there?

There are several varieties of this profession. Specialists in this field deal with a variety of problems and use appropriate techniques suitable for achieving certain goals.

Children's

His job is to help adults understand what is happening to their children. How can they overcome the difficulties that arise in communicating with him, how to establish contact and have a beneficial influence.

The pediatric doctor involves not only the child, but also his parents in the therapeutic process. All his activities in this case are aimed at identifying problems and the causes of their occurrence. He perfectly understands the psychological characteristics of children’s development, knows everything about the age-related crises that absolutely every little person goes through. After all, the psyche of children is completely different, so a special approach to such patients is needed.

School

As a rule, he works in educational institutions, where he observes the development, adaptation and behavior of his students. Qualified psychological assistance is very important during this period. Parents themselves are not able to cope with the numerous difficulties that inevitably arise at a young age.

The leading goal of an educational psychologist is to ensure the mental health of students. It helps them develop in the right direction, taking into account individual character traits. Corrects the realization of creative potential, stimulates interest in various social spheres. His responsibilities include ensuring a favorable climate for the development of children.

Military

This specialist devotes most of his time not to research work, but to practice. He is in constant contact with military personnel and their loved ones, so he is well versed not only in his profession, but also has the necessary knowledge about the life of officers and soldiers. It carries out its activities through constant monitoring, conducting questionnaires, testing, surveys and analyzing the information received.

Psychologist Daria Milai

Make an appointment

This is a very responsible specialization. The distinctive features of such a doctor are restraint and the ability to retain information. Every day he has to solve many questions and tasks, because the duties of a military psychotherapist include:

• psychological selection of those wishing to enter the service;
• development of methods that help strengthen discipline and patriotism;
• adaptation and rehabilitation of soldiers returning from the combat zone;
• training those who are about to go to hot spots;
• resistance to negative influence from outside that personnel may be exposed to;
• conducting consultations for military personnel and their relatives.

Clinical

This profile requires additional medical education. It is necessary for working with psychosomatics and providing assistance to physically ill patients. This doctor is knowledgeable in the field of pathopsychology and is able to diagnose mechanical disorders. His responsibilities include:

• carrying out work aimed at restoring health;
• elimination of deviations and difficulties in personality development;
• training physicians in aspects of social psychology and deontology;
• assessing the clients' condition and the effectiveness of the treatment interventions involved;
• conducting psychodiagnostic studies and monitoring patients who are susceptible to various types of disorders.

How can a child psychologist help?

A child psychologist will help your child cope with emotional and behavioral problems, difficulties communicating with peers and adults, learning difficulties and many other problems that may arise.

A specialist will help you understand why your child has certain difficulties and what ways to solve the problems that have arisen, and will give you the necessary recommendations.

A psychologist can also engage in educational work and conduct seminars, courses and trainings for parents on various topics in child psychology.

Main responsibilities

There are advantages and disadvantages to this work. The main disadvantages are the constant tension and stress that inevitably arise when communicating with patients. You should not forget about them if you want to become a practicing psychologist. The specialist's activities include:

• various tests carried out to determine the personal characteristics of clients;
• psychological trainings;
• consultations in difficult life situations;
• analysis of the influence of social, professional and other factors on behavior and thinking;
• studying the reasons resulting from the unsatisfactory condition of patients;
• therapeutic conversations, individual counseling;
• assistance in adaptation (at a new place of residence, in a different team).

Areas of work of a child psychologist

The areas of work of a child psychologist include:

• Consulting the child's parents;
• Individual lessons with a child;
• Psychodiagnostics of child-parent relationships;
• Psychodiagnostics of the child’s personality;
• Corrective activities with the child;
• Developmental classes with the child are individual;
• Developmental classes with the child in groups;
• Career guidance for high school students;
• Conducting seminars and trainings for parents.

How to become a family psychologist-consultant

This is not an easy task. After all, you have to work not with one person, but with entire families, the relationships in which are developing inappropriately. To competently help them get out of difficult situations and cope with numerous problems, a liberal arts education will not be enough. You'll have to constantly practice. It is better to start gaining experience while still a student. Various programs for volunteers that are aimed at helping people in difficult situations can contribute to their development. It wouldn’t hurt to take advanced training courses in the field of family psychology.

How to become a consultant

First of all, you need to take care of getting basic education in this area. Then you need to undergo additional training at an institution that trains counseling specialists. Remember, obtaining this specialization requires regular practice. You should start training first of all on yourself, identifying and considering your own problems.

Face-to-face consultation

What are the features and advantages of face-to-face consultation?

Find out more

Skype consultation

What are the features and benefits of Skype consultations?

Find out more

Only after all the techniques have been worked out and brought to perfection can you find a job. Over time, the level of professionalism will increase, which will make it possible to think about private practice.

Where to get education

You can become a psychologist by obtaining a higher education at a university with a degree in Psychology, Conflictology, or Pedagogy. You can undergo training at one of the pedagogical universities:

• State University of Management;
• Moscow State University named after M. Lomonosov;
• REU im. G. Plekhanov;
• National Research University Higher School of Economics;
• GAUGN at the Russian Academy of Sciences.

To enter any of the institutes, you must pass the Unified State Exam in basic subjects and biology. The training lasts 4-6 years, upon completion the graduate receives a diploma and the right to engage in practical consulting.

How to become a psychotherapist without medical help. education

The professional development of a psychologist can occur according to two branches of training: medical and humanitarian. It is enough for a general specialist to be a humanist. He will be able to work in a school, kindergarten, private company or research institute, that is, consult, provide psychological support, but not correct mental disorders. Only an educated physician can be an employee of healthcare institutions.

I want to be a psychologist: where to start self-study

To master psychology, you need to learn to feel people. This skill is honed over years and strengthened through practice. It is based on three main parts of conversation:

1. Personal space that every patient visiting a doctor has. Of course, no one likes it when someone else tries to get into it, especially by actively imposing their point of view. A competent specialist is obliged to establish a trusting relationship with the client and only then penetrate his territory.
2. Non-verbal. Not everyone is able to easily open up and immediately tell everything about themselves that is needed for further therapy. Some may deliberately provide false information out of fear of their true nature. In such situations, the psychologist resorts to facial expressions and gestures, which can tell a lot about a person. Noticing nonverbal manifestations, he changes his own behavior to make the conversation comfortable for the patient.
3. Listening skills. This is the most important skill needed to provide psychological support. Sometimes people come to an appointment just to talk, to express their emotions, to talk about what is painful.

Myths about the child psychologist

There are several myths about the work and personality of a child psychologist, which we will now look at.

Myth No. 1. Only a psychologist who has his own children can work as a child psychologist. This is not so, because in his work a specialist relies on objective knowledge and scientific facts, and not on his life experience.

Myth No. 2. A good child psychologist is a specialist with many years of experience. Not at all necessary. Many children and adolescents make it much easier to establish contact with younger professionals who encourage them to communicate directly and informally.

Myth No. 3. A child psychologist is a doctor. It's not like that at all. A child psychologist should not be confused with a child psychotherapist or psychiatrist. The education of the first is psychological, the education of the other two specialists is medical. A child psychologist does not treat, diagnose, or prescribe pills. He has different tools of work.

Myth No. 4. A child psychologist will explain to my child how to behave. It's a delusion. Parents often believe that after a conversation with a child psychologist, the child’s behavior will immediately change. But that doesn't happen.

A child psychologist will not lecture a child and explain how to behave. A child psychologist has completely different goals and objectives. He must establish good, trusting contact with the child and help the child better understand himself, his feelings and thoughts, his desires and motives for actions. Only through this understanding will changes begin in the child’s behavior. At the same time, it is very important that parents follow the recommendations of the psychologist.

To download the book by child and family psychologist Ekaterina Kes, “How to Raise a Happy Child,” click here.

Share this article with your friends to help them become happier by clicking on the social buttons. networks.

Ekaterina Kes, child and family psychologist. My Instagram

What exams should you take?

If you have already decided on a profession and are now thinking about what it takes to study to become a psychologist, it’s time for you to plan your admission.

After 11th grade

A compulsory subject is Russian. Firstly, it is the state language, knowledge of it is the responsibility of all citizens. Secondly, a specialist in this profile needs to constantly communicate with people. Without the appropriate skills, this will not be easy.

The second exam is biology. It is directly related to the life of the human body. Without sufficient information about its structure, you should not even dream of a successful career.

The third is mathematics. There is no need to confuse psychology with esotericism or astrology and consider it something like entertainment. This is a difficult industry to understand, where you need to be able to calculate and think logically. In addition to the above subjects, social studies may also be required.

After 9th grade

Many colleges and schools accept students based on the average score of the certificate, which they receive by passing the OGE. The required subjects are Russian, mathematics and two to choose from. To enroll in the Faculty of Psychology, you must choose chemistry, biology or natural science.

Psychologists in your city

Small communities may lack specialists. Fortunately, we live in the age of the Internet. Virtual communication allows you to communicate with people without leaving your home. This is a salvation for those people who experience severe stress during personal communication. You can contact Nikita Valerievich Baturin, a specialist in the field of hypnotherapy for getting rid of psychological disorders.

To become a psychologist, you first need to get an education in your chosen specialty. Then immediately start practicing in government institutions or continue studying science at a university. The psychologist who improves and keeps up with the times will achieve success. A good specialist does not stop developing: he constantly expands his knowledge and learns from his own mistakes.

University choice

If an applicant wants to engage in scientific activities in the future, it is necessary to find out whether there is an Academic Council at the university.

To gain basic skills, just inquire about the rating and the level of the educational and methodological basis. The main thing is to have accreditation, which will facilitate employment later.

Anyone who wants to fully understand the intricacies of the profession and gain theoretical and practical skills is better off enrolling as a full-time student. This way, you will be able to increase your knowledge every day with the help of competent and competent teachers.

Correspondence and distance learning

Distance learning methods are quite popular. But you need to understand that they are more relevant in terms of self-development. By giving them preference, you should not count on receiving a full education.

Already working applicants will benefit from the opportunity to obtain a specialty without interrupting their work activities. It will be necessary to interrupt it only for the duration of the sessions.

Ask a question

Pros and cons of the profession

Often the decision to enroll in the Faculty of Psychology is made thoughtlessly. Not everyone understands the true essence of the things that they will face. Students often swallow information from textbooks without taking them seriously, but in vain. Before you finally decide, you should consider all the pros and cons of future activities.

Advantages:

• interesting work from the point of view of science and practice;
• the opportunity to help people;
• likelihood of becoming successful;
• high income;
• a way to understand yourself.

Flaws:

• low respectability;
• low salaries for entry-level specialists;
• tension, stress;
• lack of budget places in universities.

I want to become a psychologist: where to start my career

First of all, find a job in kindergartens, schools, social and psychological institutions, as this is a suitable start for young people. In the process of activity, diagnostics, correction, and prevention are carried out (you can develop your own methodology over time).

A person with the appropriate education will find a place in a hospital, clinic, dispensary or medical center. His responsibilities will depend on this.

Large trading companies are in demand for specialists who are able to develop corporate culture, control the team building process, assess the personal qualities of staff, and prevent conflict situations.

In addition, there is always a use for a psychotherapist in law enforcement agencies and military units.

Career

Depends on the ability of the psychologist himself to constantly improve and grow in the professional field, to expand the skills and techniques used. Its demand also plays a significant role. In the company, with due diligence, he will be able to rise from the ranks of an ordinary employee to the deputy head of the personnel department. If everything goes well, over time it will be possible to open your own office to provide psychological support to the population. All this is possible only with the necessary education and a tireless desire to constantly improve.

Algorithm for the work of a child psychologist

A child psychologist first meets with the child’s parents to find out all the details related to the reason for seeking help. Sometimes a psychologist may decide to invite not only the parents, but also the child to the first consultation, so that everyone can take part in the conversation together. As a rule, if a child is a schoolchild, he can fully participate in a joint conversation. The child psychologist then decides what type of psychological assistance will be provided to the child and his family.