Who is a psychologist and what does he do?

In Europe, every self-respecting person has a personal psychologist to whom he can turn in any difficult situation, consult on personal psychological problems or seek advice on relationships with people. It is very popular in different countries to have a family psychologist who helps resolve family conflicts. In Russia, in recent years, the profession of psychologist has begun to gain popularity and more and more people are turning to them for help.

But few people know who a psychologist is and what he does.

In society you can hear different opinions of people about the specialty of psychologist. For most, the difference between a psychologist, psychiatrist and psychotherapist is not visible. In this article we will tell you who a psychologist is, what he does, and what is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist and psychotherapist.

Mystery of Man

Who is a psychologist?

A psychologist is not a doctor. He does not examine the patient's physical health, nor does he make diagnoses . The “doctor” deals with mental problems. When a person himself is not able to cope with life’s problems, cannot work fully, cannot exist due to emotional distress, then to understand himself and find the reason , but not all specialists work with people.

Specialists are divided into three categories:

• Psychologist-theorist. Studies psychological patterns , develops theories.
• Psychologist-practitioner. Apply their knowledge in practice. They often work with specific categories of the population: child psychologist, clinical psychologist, sports psychologist .
• Teacher . A professional shares his knowledge, practice, theory and other skills within the walls of a university, at seminars, trainings, and practical consultations .

The science of “ psychology ” translated from Greek means “soul” and “teaching” : it studies man, his spiritual essence and psyche in development and in all its diversity of forms.

This industry is more than 2000 years old , but throughout the centuries the discipline has been closely connected with philosophy and natural science .

Psychology became a separate subject only in the 20th century . At the turn of the XX-XXI centuries. Its importance has increased significantly due to greater involvement in various types of practical activities.

Such branches as pedagogical, legal, military, management, sports psychology, etc. At the same time, the uniqueness of the object of psychological science has given rise to a large number of scientific schools and theories that complement each other and often contradict each other.

Literature

1. State educational standard of higher professional education. Specialty 020400 “Psychology”. Qualification - Psychologist. Psychology teacher.
2. Vachkov I.V., Grinshpun I.B., Pryazhnikov N.S. Introduction to the profession of psychologist. - Publishing house: MODEK, MPSI, 2007. - P. 464. - ISBN 978-5-9770-0153-3, ISBN 978-5-89395-845-4.

What does a psychologist treat - how can he help?

Difficulties in communication, decision making, relationships; for stress and psychological trauma: divorce, death of a loved one, physical or mental violence and much more.

A psychologist can help with stress and psychological trauma.
It is worth remembering that a specialist does not solve problems for a person , but assesses the situation from the outside, analyzes all information, taking into account temperament, character, childhood and childhood traumas , and together with a professional finds ways to solve the problem. .

There can be many problems, but several main points can be identified:

• Personality disorders (unsound self-esteem: high or low self-esteem due to improper upbringing, conflictual relationships with a partner or other persons; incorrectly chosen guidelines).
• Phobias (most often occur in early childhood up to 5-7 years).
• Neuroses : insomnia, any disorder or disorder of eating behavior: anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, compulsive overeating, compulsive desire.
• Crisis states in certain periods of life: “adolescence”, middle-aged crisis (occurs between 30-50 years), crisis of “elegant” age .

How does a consultation with a psychologist go?

1. At the first session, the therapist and the patient get acquainted, rights and responsibilities are announced . The client and the specialist enter into an agreement.
2. There are limitations for a psychologist that are determined by professional ethics. He should not deceive, manipulate, must help the patient in his work and do everything possible for his personal growth.
3. The client undertakes a number of obligations - to adhere to the framework of the psychotherapeutic relationship ( arrive at the appointed time, finish on time, give the necessary explanations in case of missed sessions).
4. Also important are the commitments to cooperate with the therapist: to be open, to work on oneself (self-reflection) , to invest energy in the relationship. Mutual honesty is the key to a successful therapeutic relationship.
5. Privacy . The therapist undertakes to keep all the client’s revelations “incognito” during the session. The doctor reveals the secret only if the patient harms himself or others.
6. During the first session, the psychologist listens to the person’s problems and his expectations about how and with what methods the treatment will be carried out and what outcome he wants to get from visits to the specialist, and the therapist will talk about what changes he expects from the patient and the results of treatment.
7. At the end of the first appointment, the client will have an opinion about the specialist. If the first impression is positive, then the joint work will bear fruit.

Confidentiality and trust of the patient are very important in the work of a psychologist.
During consultations, the psychologist uses several methodological approaches:

1. problem-oriented, aimed at analyzing the external causes of the problem and finding ways to eliminate them;
2. person-oriented, aimed at analyzing the causes of problem and conflict situations based on personal characteristics, and ways to resolve and prevent them in the future;
3. a method of identifying and activating hidden resources to solve a problem.

Psychotherapist

This is a specialist who in his practice uses more serious methods to treat depressive conditions.

He studies the problem in more depth. The practice often uses individual techniques to identify deeper subconscious processes, such as hypnosis. In the most difficult cases, a psychotherapist may prescribe medications.

If the problem cannot be dealt with through psychological methods, then the help of a psychiatrist may be required.

Mystery of Man

What is the difference between seeing a psychologist in Russia and the USA?

The whole difference is in mentality . In the United States, citizens are accustomed to solving their problems themselves, and even if they turn to psychologists, they understand that a specialist will only show them the “way to solve” the problem , but will not do everything for them.

In Russia, on the contrary, there is an opinion that a specialist will somehow mystically unravel the client’s problems and find a “miraculous” solution to their situation, but the therapist is not a psychic.

Also, people abroad have a negative attitude towards those people who give advice without asking , because they consider themselves to be quite mature and independent people. And if they need advice, they will turn to a specialist .

In post-Soviet countries, on the contrary, it is customary to talk about your problems to all your family and friends , but not to professionals.

This is partly due to little knowledge of psychology as a science and distrust of it. In parallel, in the USA it is customary to talk about personal things only to one or two closest friends and psychologists, of course.

Have you used the services of a psychologist?

Accordingly, the credibility of therapists abroad is so high that clients allow a video camera to be installed in the house to record family conflicts, and then go through the mistakes with a psychologist.

This is a good method because people who tend to cause suffering to others tend not to notice their mistakes . And their doctors are in such great demand that appointments are booked six months in advance, whereas in modern Russia only people above average income understand the need for specialist services and seek psychological help.

In what cases do you consult a psychologist?

1. Problems in communicating with people - a psychologist will help you understand the reason for the misunderstanding and teach you how to cope with the fear associated with contacts in society.
2. Periods of crisis in the family, misunderstanding between adults, conflict between different generations - the psychologist will teach you how to smooth out conflicts and improve family relationships. A specialist will help find mutual understanding between parents and children. In this situation, a psychologist can invite both parties to a consultation to understand the cause of the conflict.
3. A change in a familiar, comfortable environment (divorce, the birth of a child, starting a family, a change of place of residence, a change of place of work, etc.) that can cause internal mental discomfort - a psychologist will be able to explain the reason for the excitement and unpleasant sensations in the current situation, thereby relieving internal tension.
4. Obsessive thoughts, various fears - a psychologist will help you cope with your fears by identifying the cause of the unpleasant sensations.
5. Internal personality conflicts (dissatisfaction with one’s life, work, oneself) - a psychologist will understand the causes of this condition and help find a practical way out to improve the quality of life.
6. Determining the meaning of life and setting priorities - the psychologist will teach you how to choose what is important for yourself and how to correctly find your place in life.

It is important to understand that a psychologist is not a doctor. A psychologist only helps to identify the cause of the problem and gives the right direction to solve it. And it is up to the person himself to determine the solution and the solution to the problem itself.

You must take responsibility for your life.

It is very important to make the right choice of psychologist.

An excellent choice could be the online psychologist selection service Psy-chat.ru. It is very convenient because the initial 20-minute consultation with a psychologist is absolutely free.

We will tell you how to choose a good psychologist and what criteria he should have in the next article .

A psychologist is the first to come to the rescue in stressful situations and moments of crisis. If you do not consult a specialist in time, the problem may drag on and turn into depression, which will require more serious treatment from a doctor using medications.

If the situation has already become tense and it is impossible to cope with ordinary psychological methods, then you should consult a psychotherapist.

The mystery of man

Cost of psychologist services

Payment for the work of psychologists in Moscow will cost on average 3000 - 4000 rubles per session , and the average cost for one consultation in Russia will be 1500 -2000 rubles per appointment.

There is no comprehensive definitive answer as to how many sessions a client will need; it all depends on many factors: the presence of a problem, the level of frankness and trust of the client with the therapist, fruitful common work, and the professionalism of the therapist .

Only your psychologist can tell you the approximate time for treatment.

Psychologist, psychiatrist, psychotherapist - what's the difference?

• A psychiatrist deals with mental illness, makes diagnoses and, if necessary, prescribes treatment, including medication. The range of competence of a psychiatrist is quite wide - this includes severe mental illnesses - such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, mental retardation - and “milder” disorders - neuroses, reactions to stress, depression, character deviations . The doctor can also deal with alcoholism, smoking, and drug addiction.
• A psychologist is not considered a doctor , although he helps people cope with life's adversities . A specialist can engage in “psychology” as a discipline, studying its theoretical part, setting goals in science and solving them, or engage in teaching activities, but at the same time he does not have to accept clients in sessions.
• Unlike psychologists, the mandatory activities of psychotherapists include counseling patients .
• Both psychologists and psychotherapists have sufficient knowledge in the field of psychology, but not all psychologists work directly with people.

In Russia

The main differences between a psychologist and a psychiatrist and psychotherapist are as follows:

• In Russia, a psychologist is not a doctor, that is, he does not have a special medical education; accordingly, does not make medical diagnoses, does not treat, prescribe or prescribe medications.
• In Russia, psychologists are people who often do not have special education and work with mentally healthy people (clients, not patients) who have some difficulties or find themselves in a difficult life situation. In most developed countries, psychologists include employees of medical and educational institutions with a special license, or scientists engaged in research in the field of psychology.
• The activities of a psychologist in Russia are not licensed, that is, in order to practice, a diploma is enough for him.

Basically, people turn to a psychologist in such cases as:

• traumatic and stressful situations: death, divorce, violence, serious illness, etc., as well as pregnancy, birth of a child, moving to a new place of residence, moving to a new job, etc.;
• when a person experiences various difficulties and problems in situations of communication and interaction with other people (relatives, children, etc.);
• when there are any bodily symptoms or psychosomatic diseases (for example, neurodermatitis, vegetative-vascular dystonia, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.);
• when a person experiences the feeling that “something is wrong” with him or with his environment and he has a desire to change his life for the better;
• as well as any other reasons requiring outside support or assistance.

Today, the activity of a psychologist in Russia is regulated only by the “Ethical Code of Psychologist”.

Training to become a psychologist

Training to become a psychologist lasts 12 years , where the student:

• 5 receives a bachelor's degree;

• 5 years of postgraduate training at the degree of “specialist”,

• He defends his master's degree for 2 years.

Additionally, the researcher periodically takes advanced training courses, etc. He constantly grows professionally.

Universities in Russia where they teach at the Department of Psychology:

• Moscow State University named after. M.V. Lomonosov.
• Research University "Higher School of Economics"
• Russian National Research Medical University named after N. I. Pirogov.
• State Academic University of Humanities under the Russian Academy of Sciences.
• Orenburg State University.
• Peoples' Friendship University of Russia.

Classification

There is the following conditional division:

• Psychologist-theorist/researcher.
  Engaged in the study, research and identification of patterns, psychological mechanisms, development of theories.
• Psychologist-practitioner.
  Engaged in the application of professional knowledge, skills and abilities in practice. Practicing psychologists, as a rule, have some kind of specialization in accordance with the field of activity in which they practice (for example, child psychologist, clinical psychologist, sports psychologist).
• Psychology teacher.
  Usually referred to as theorists, although it makes sense to highlight this area of ​​psychological activity separately.
  Because, in addition to teaching activities, the teacher has the opportunity for research activities and practical work (psychological counseling, trainings and practical seminars), as well as for solving applied problems (development and / or implementation of psychological products [ unknown term
  ] to order, in educational institution or outside its walls).