Production characteristics of the profession of psychologist. Profession psychologist

Profession "Psychologist" in the subject of work belongs to the type - "person-person"; by the nature of the work it is a profession creative class.

Purpose of the profession "Psychologist": providing psychological assistance to the client. Depending on the job description: psychologist at an enterprise - tasks to optimize the labor process; psychologist-consultant – assistance in resolving personal difficulties and family problems; in research organizations - carrying out scientific work.

The main tasks of the “Psychologist” profession:

o client reception;

o studying the client’s problem and difficulties (using conversation methods, document analysis, questionnaires, testing, experiment);

o analysis of the problem, its awareness;

o finding ways to solve the problem;

o working with the client on ways to resolve the problem;

o assistance in their awareness;

o assistance in working out ways to get out of these kinds of difficult situations;

o maintaining special documentation;

o constant self-development, increasing the level of professionalism.

The profession of “Psychologist” requires predominantly intellectual expenditure from a specialist. Professional activity, first of all, involves analyzing, comparing and interpreting data, proposing new solutions, coordinating work, coordinating actions, ensuring the correct and accurate functioning of the system.

Professionally important qualities of the profession “Psychologist”:
o adequate self-esteem; o discipline; o optimism, dominance of positive emotions; o organization, self-discipline; o responsibility; o self-control, the ability to introspect; o self-control, emotional balance, endurance; o striving for professional excellence; o attention to detail; o selectivity of attention; o developed attention span (the ability to simultaneously perceive several objects); o the ability to notice changes in the environment without consciously focusing attention on them; o the ability to notice minor (unnoticeable) changes in the object under study, in instrument readings; o the ability to create an image from a verbal description; o the ability to figuratively represent objects, processes and phenomena; o the ability to translate an image into a verbal description; o analyticity (the ability to identify individual elements of reality, the ability to classify) thinking; o flexibility of thinking;	o abstractness (abstract images, concepts) of thinking; o intuitive thinking; o conceptual thinking; o strategic thinking; o creative thinking; o erudition; o well-developed mnemonic abilities (memory properties); o communication skills (ability to communicate and interact with people); o the ability of the speech apparatus to work intensively and for a long time; o the ability to correctly express one’s thoughts; o ability to clearly and concisely formulate information; o the ability to quickly navigate the environment; o the ability to quickly navigate events; o skills of written presentation of information; o propensity for research activities; o the ability to ask questions competently and clearly; o ability to empathy, compassion; o ability to establish contacts with people; o creativity; o ability to foresee the result; o the ability to listen and hear the interlocutor and empathize; o the ability to understand the client’s needs and find an approach to it.
Diseases contraindicated for the profession of "Psychologist":
o neuropsychiatric disorders; o convulsions, loss of consciousness; o drug use, alcohol addiction; o uncorrectable decrease in visual acuity; o hearing disorders;	o vestibular disorders, impaired sense of balance; o movement coordination disorders; o speech disorders; o chronic infectious diseases; o skin diseases.

Specifics of working as a Psychologist:

In our country, the most psychologists who work in the field of education are educational psychologists: he helps children adapt to an unfamiliar environment, conducts testing for school readiness, and works with problem children. In schools, educational psychologists select first-graders, engage in correctional and developmental activities, career guidance for high school students, conduct various trainings, etc.

Clinical psychologist - works in services to help seriously ill patients: cancer, HIV-infected, etc. and helps patients cope with stress, supports them, monitors their health, and, if necessary, connects a psychiatrist and neurologist to treatment. A psychologist can also find his place in politics and business.

Choose the profession of a psychologist if you:

a humanitarian by mentality
sociable, you have many friends
friendly and patient

Do not choose if you:

inattentive, not ready to listen to the problems of others
expect very high salaries
unbalanced

X A good psychologist is usually called an experienced and insightful person who has a keen understanding of people, understands the motives of their moods and actions and, because of this, knows how to get along well with people, and when necessary, help them with advice in solving life problems. To do this, by the way, it is not necessary to graduate from the Faculty of Psychology. Many acquire these valuable abilities due to a special character, coupled with natural observation and life experience. True, such everyday psychologists are not immune from mistakes and naive illusions that are widespread in everyday consciousness. In addition, they have to intuitively, often at the cost of painful mistakes, discover those patterns and phenomena that have long been no secret to specialists.
Professional psychologists have the advantage that they study human behavior purposefully, using specially organized scientific experiments. At the same time, however, not all of them are good psychologists in the everyday sense of the word and constantly make ridiculous mistakes in their own everyday affairs, in relationships with loved ones. And those experiments that are carefully planned and organized by professional psychologists sometimes only confirm what we all intuitively guess.
Only someone who knows how to combine the advantages of both approaches - scientific and everyday - can become a true expert on human souls. This, of course, requires a certain psychological erudition, and, of course, the ability to see the psychological background in the phenomena that surround us every day.

The main difficulty of working as a psychologist in any field there is a risk of emotional burnout. After all, a psychologist, one way or another, is involved in the fate and life of every person, passes his problems through himself. This risk should not be underestimated. If you have noticed that you quickly get tired of intense communication, then imagine that it will occupy the bulk of your life as a professional responsibility.

Pros of the profession:

In our country, most psychologists work in the field of education - educational psychologist: he helps children adapt to an unfamiliar environment, conducts school readiness testing, and works with problem children. In schools, educational psychologists select first-graders, engage in correctional and developmental activities, career guidance for high school students, conduct various trainings, etc.
Clinical psychologist- works in services to help seriously ill patients with cancer, HIV-infected people, etc. and helps patients cope with stress, supports them, monitors their health, and, if necessary, connects a psychiatrist and neurologist to treatment.
A psychologist can also find his place in politics and business.

Job description:

A psychologist is a specialist with specialized education who provides psychological assistance to patients. The tasks of a psychologist also include applied and scientific research in the field of psychology.

Psychologists are divided into several categories: consulting psychologists, educational psychologists, clinical psychologists.

A consulting psychologist is a general specialist whose task is to provide psychological assistance to patients. Only educational psychologists can conduct consultations in educational institutions; Their task includes both providing psychological assistance to students and advising teachers on issues of working with students. A clinical psychologist has specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. As a rule, this specialist works in medical institutions.

Activities:

· Reception and consultation of clients;

· identification of a psychological problem;

· carrying out a certain set of exercises (classes) using various professional techniques;

· analysis of the environment in which the object of psychological counseling is immersed

Places of work:

· specialized public and private medical institutions;

· educational and educational institutions;

· psychological assistance centers;

· Recruitment services, recruitment agencies;

· scope of research activities.
Psychological centers, private psychological counseling offices, educational and medical institutions.

Professional skills:

· specialized education (higher professional or professional retraining courses);

· knowledge and ability to use in practice various psychological techniques and methods of therapy

Additional features:

Today there are many areas in which a psychologist can find professional application: working with children, recruitment, management, coaching.

The profession of a psychologist is multifaceted. Depending on the chosen specialization and the level of professional tasks being solved, both its place in the system of professions and the requirements for a specialist change. For example, in the classification of professions according to the goals of professional activity, the profession of a research psychologist is classified as exploratory, a psychodiagnostician is classified as gnostic, and a psychologist-consultant is classified as transformative. According to working conditions, a theoretical psychologist can be classified as a profession that works in a microclimate close to that of everyday life, and an applied psychologist can be classified as a profession related to work in conditions of increased responsibility for the life and health of people. With all the variety of psychological specialties (especially for a practicing psychologist), what they all have in common is that they all:

require highly qualified labor and lengthy training;

belong to the group of professions “person - person”;

the main means in them are functional means of labor;

assume a developed level of personal qualities such as reflection, empathy, criticality and non-judgment, interest in people, etc.

Professional is a subject of professional activity who has high levels of professionalism of personality and activity, has a high professional and social status and a dynamically developing system of personal and activity normative regulation, constantly aimed at self-development and self-improvement, at personal and professional achievements that have a socially positive meaning.

Of particular importance in the profession of “psychologist” is the personality of the holder of the profession - his professionalism, activity, motivation, ability to understand another person and influence him. Therefore, the development of personality, its professionally important qualities(PVC) is the most important condition for the success of a psychologist in his professional life. PVC is the psychological qualities of a person that determine productivity, quality, effectiveness and other activities. (Zeer E.F. Psychology of professions. M., 2006. P.54).

3. History of the formation of the profession of “psychologist”

The demand for psychological knowledge was acute in the second half of the 19th century, which, of course, was associated with the development of society, capitalist production relations, into which significant masses of people were included.

The beginning of the development of psychology as an independent science dates back to 1879, when the first psychological laboratory was founded at the University of Leipzig. It was led by Wilhelm Wundt, a philosopher and at the same time a psychologist, who decided to study the content and structure of consciousness on a scientific basis.

In 1884, at the London international exhibition, the English scientist Galton (who is rightfully considered the founder of psychodiagnostics) for the first time demonstrated experiments on studying abilities and measuring individual characteristics of people (height, weight, muscle strength, visual, auditory discrimination).

The next significant stage in the development of psychology is traditionally considered to be the development of psychoanalysis by S. Freud, who not only became the author of psychoanalysis as a scientific and psychological school, but also an outstanding psychotherapist-practitioner who developed and successfully applied the method of psychoanalysis for the treatment of neuroses.

In 1886, Freud received a scientific scholarship to study in France with the psychiatrist Charcot. In 1890 he published the book “The Interpretation of Dreams.” In 1893 - “On the psychological mechanism of the phenomena of hysteria”” “Essays on hysteria”. In 1910, around Freud, there was an association of other young psychotherapists - C. Jung, A. Adler, Rank, Ferenczy, Abraham, etc. Since 1911, the international psychoanalytic society was formed. Psychoanalysis had an unusually strong influence on the development of culture, philosophy, and the civilization of Western society in general in the 20th century, and determined the development of psychotherapeutic psychological activities.

Regarding the initial stages of the development of psychology in Russia, it is important to note that Russian scientists, doctors, and psychotherapists maintained close contacts with their colleagues from European countries. Many events in Russia took place with a very slight lag from European ones. Thus, the first experimental psychological laboratory was opened in St. Petersburg in 1885 by the outstanding Russian physiologist Ivan Mikhailovich Sechenov. The development of this laboratory subsequently led to its transformation in 1908 into the Psychoneurological Institute.

In Moscow, the first psychological laboratory was opened by Georgiy Ivanovich Chelpanov in 1907 at Moscow State University. In 1912, the Institute of Psychology was created (now it is the Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education). The development of experimental psychology and its spread in Russia proceeded at a rapid pace. Subsequently, experimental laboratories were opened in pre-revolutionary Russia in cities such as Kharkov, Kazan, Kyiv, Saratov, etc.

The development of psychology led to the need to unite people involved in it professionally - psychologists. In 1906, the first congress on educational psychology took place in St. Petersburg; its organizers were outstanding child psychologists A.P. Nechaev and N.E. Rumyantsev.

After the revolution, the development of psychology in the Soviet Union followed a contradictory and tragic scenario. The popularity of pedology, the psychology that studied child development, in the 1930s was abruptly ended by the government decree “On pedological perversions in the Narkompros system” in 1936. Since this tragic year, the development of practice-oriented psychology has practically stopped.

However, you cannot stop what is needed in society. In its different spheres there is a need, a need. Academic psychology continued to develop. The need for psychological research was determined by the development of the defense industry, aviation, and astronautics. These areas of psychology were developed in our country as closed, secret. The methodology of Soviet psychology developed. The theory of activity (the teachings of Rubinstein, A.N. Leontiev), psychological theories of learning (V.V. Davydov, L.V. Zankov, etc.) are generally recognized in world psychological science.

In the 1980s, the need to introduce universal secondary education and the difficulties of implementing this project necessitated the creation of a school psychological service. For about 10 years in the USSR, under the leadership of Academician Yu.N. Babansky, an experiment was conducted to create a school psychological service. The experiment took place not only in Moscow and Leningrad. But also in other regions of the country: Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Tartu, Vilnius (Estonia), etc. The results of the experiment were approved and generalized and became the basis for the adoption of the “Regulations on School Psychological Service”, adopted in 1989.

The introduction of the position of educational psychologist into the staff of schools in the early 90s became the reason for the opening of the specialty “psychology” in Russian pedagogical institutes and universities. Since that time, the intensive development of the system of psychological professional education began. Over the past decade and a half, practice-oriented psychology has been developing rapidly and intensively: psychological knowledge and culture are becoming in demand in many areas of modern society.

Obesity and hunger are two of society's biggest problems.
This explains human nature.

A psychologist is a specialist who studies mental life and the laws of correcting human behavior, using this knowledge to help people and to optimize their activities.

The profession of psychologist appeared relatively recently. Hence there is a lot of erroneous and incorrect information regarding the methods and content of the science of psychology. Some people even confuse such similar-sounding but different-in-meaning professions as psychiatrist, psychotherapist and psychologist.

It should be said right away that psychiatrists and psychotherapists are doctors who received a diploma from medical schools. A psychologist received his education in the discipline “Psychology” and is not a doctor. The subject of his work is not the human psyche, but his state of mind, his inner world. A psychologist does not heal, in the literal sense of the word, but helps a person find harmony, both with himself and with the people around him.

The formation of the science of psychology cannot be called unambiguous. It was formed from the depths of such sciences as astronomy, philosophy, and various occult sciences.

The first representatives of “healers of souls” can be called healers, sorcerers, and shamans. At least, the positive effect of their “treatment” came more from the power of suggestion than from the use of medicinal agents.

And only in the 18th century were the first attempts made to debunk prejudices and scientifically substantiate their influence on humans.

The official date of the emergence of psychology as a science is 1879 - the opening of the first psychological laboratory in Leipzig by W. Wundt. Later, similar laboratories and schools were opened in other countries and in Russia, various directions were developed, for example: behaviorism, psychoanalysis, humanistic psychology, etc. Currently, the knowledge and experience of psychology is used in many areas of life and career: in the family, in communication, in education, in medicine, in art, in politics, economics, and production.

The main activities of a psychologist:

Psychological diagnostics is the study of individual characteristics of the human psyche using tests.

Consulting is confidential communication between a psychologist and a client, aimed at more fully realizing his abilities and finding ways to solve troubling problems.

Psychological training is active training in communication, as well as methods of emotional self-regulation, problem solving and personal growth. These group sessions include various psychological games and exercises, interspersed with discussions about the experience they provide for the participants.

Some psychologists combine all these types of work, but more often they still specialize in one thing. Many find themselves in other types of activities related to psychology: for example, they are engaged in its teaching or scientific research. Finally, many people implement psychological knowledge in other types of work with people: for example, HR managers in various organizations often have psychological education. On average, about 2/3 of a psychologist’s working time is spent on contacts with people, the rest is on paperwork, preparing reports on examinations, etc.

Personal qualities

The image of a psychologist in the minds of many people has developed thanks to Western films - inspiring unlimited trust, a benevolent specialist who sympathetically questions the client lying on the couch. Many people believe in the omnipotence of a psychologist and think that he will help solve all their problems. For the same reason, it happens that people choose their future profession, hoping, first of all, to improve their own life, forgetting that psychology is not a mystical science.

A psychologist cannot give a one hundred percent universal recipe for getting rid of all troubles. Together with the person who needs help, he looks for ways to solve the problem and helps to find the internal resources of the body. After all, most failures, both in a person’s personal and professional life, do not occur because everyone around them is so bad. The problem lies in the person himself, in his views on many things, in his worldview, maybe in his childhood.

A psychologist gives a person the opportunity to look at life in general and at the problem itself, in particular, from a slightly different angle, pushing him to the idea that everything that happens to us is the work of ourselves, that in order to change the world, we must change ourselves.

Of course, such a complex and delicate task—psychological assistance—requires certain mental and professional qualities of such a specialist, a psychologist.

First of all, he must be kind and caring towards other people. The ability to listen carefully and hear your interlocutor is important. A psychologist will need such qualities as logic, intelligence, the ability to analyze and draw conclusions. However, he must be able to isolate himself from other people’s problems, not let them pass through himself, not take them to heart and not confuse professional sympathy with human sympathy. That is, he must be stress-resistant.

Education (What do you need to know?)

The profession requires higher education (specialties: Psychology, Conflictology, Clinical Psychology, Clinical Psychology). You can get it at many state and non-state universities. In order to work at a high professional level and be in demand on the labor market, most often this education is not enough; it is necessary to regularly take additional training courses.

University specialties

Place of work and career

A psychologist can work both in specialized centers that provide relevant services, and in the staff of enterprises and organizations of other profiles (school psychologist, clinical psychologist, specialist in occupational psychology, etc.). Some psychologists do not have a permanent place of work, but are engaged in private practice or carry out some one-time orders.

Career growth opportunities, speaking narrowly about the profession of a psychologist, mainly come down to professional improvement, which allows you to become a sought-after and highly paid specialist. You can create your own business aimed at providing psychological services.

Related professions:

Where to study?

Universities by specialty	Speciality	Forms training	Cost per year (rubles)	Passage point (2018)

Institute of Humanitarian Education		Full-time (4 years) Part-time (5 years)	free (20 seats) 108 000 32 700
	Psychology	Full-time (4 years) Part-time (5 years)	free (5 places) 101 210 33 700
	Psychological and pedagogical education	Full-time (4 years) Part-time (5 years)	free (15 seats) 101 210 32 350
	Psychological and pedagogical education	Full-time (4 years) Part-time (5 years)	free (20 seats) 114 000 50 000
	Psychology	Part-time (5 years)
	Psychological and pedagogical education	Part-time (5 years)
	Psychology	Full-time (4 years) Part-time (4.5 years)	125 000 54 000
	Psychological and pedagogical education	Full-time (4 years) Part-time (4.5 years)	free (20 seats) 112 900 54 000
University of the Russian Academy of Education, Ekaterinburg branch	Psychology	Part-time (4 years)
Ural Humanitarian Institute
Faculty of Practical Psychology	Psychology	Full-time (4 years) Part-time (5 years) Part-time (5 years)	free (3 places) 68 500 40 000 37 000

Faculty of Social Psychology	Psychology	Full-time (4 years) Part-time (5 years) Part-time (5 years)	99 840 63 600 57 900

Higher Medical and Biological School	Clinical psychology	Full-time (5 years)	free (7 seats) 134 430

The advantages of being a psychologist
Disadvantages of being a psychologist

The profession of a psychologist in the modern world is relevant, prestigious and popular more than ever. Many educational institutions, industrial enterprises, rescue and human assistance services have specialists who help troubled souls find a way out of problematic situations. Almost every university graduates psychologists - demand creates supply.

What is psychology? From ancient Greek this word is translated as “the science of the soul,” because psychological problems have long been considered spiritual wounds. Even now in our dictionary there is such a word as “mentally ill,” although we all already know that the problems of such people are embedded in the brain. Psychology studies thought and emotional processes, personality structure, ways of connecting a person with the outside world, the subtleties of communication and relationships, and the specifics of self-perception. Psychology is divided into theoretical and practical. The first is engaged in the study of normal and abnormal mental states, the second is in the correction of problems.

It is not difficult to become a psychologist today. You can go to university if the decision to help people came at a young age. If this is a mature decision, then you can leave your existing higher education as a base and take courses, of which there are a huge number offered today. The main thing is not to fall for the scammer’s bait: find out thoroughly about the institution and teachers, get feedback, and ask what kind of knowledge is given in these courses.

Studying to become a psychologist and becoming one are not quite the same thing. Let's start with the fact that not everyone knows thoroughly how psychologists differ from psychotherapists and psychiatrists.

Psychotherapist and psychiatrist are medical specialties that are in demand in hospitals and various medical centers. They require a medical education, since doctors in this specialty must know human anatomy, prescribe medications, and be able to carry out diagnostics using various equipment.

Psychology is a humanitarian field that does not require medical education. It reveals the mechanisms of mental processes and provides an understanding of the reasons for their violation. Help for patients is provided through explanatory conversations, trainings, and practices.

Where to go with a psychology degree? Of course, everyone dreams of opening their own office to earn good money from consultations. But the fact is that a private psychologist is, first of all, a name and reputation; a beginner will not be able to make a profit by renting an office and hanging advertisements on poles. Therefore, you first need to work in a government structure. This:

kindergartens, schools, colleges, universities;
rehabilitation centers (teenagers, victims of domestic violence, prisoners, people with addictions, etc.);
rescue services (EMERCOM, ambulance service);
military units;
sports facilities.

After obtaining some practice, you can aim for the position of psychologist in a private enterprise - a factory, design bureau, IT company. Here psychologists participate in personnel selection, organize trainings, develop corporate ethics, and, of course, conduct personal conversations. They are responsible for the positive, efficient and creative attitude of the team.

Private practice is conquered by those who have been working in the field of psychological assistance for a long time, have proven themselves well and already have a small circle of private clients. Psychologists often combine work in government agencies and private practice.

The advantages of being a psychologist

1. Help people

It's nice to know that you did something important. Psychologists save people from suicide, help solve family problems, and give advice in resolving conflicts. Every life saved, family saved, or person who doesn’t fall on a slippery slope is on the account of a psychologist. And when you know that you are bringing benefit to people, you understand that your life has not been lived in vain.

2. Help yourself

Many go to study to become a psychologist in order to understand themselves and understand their own problems. According to statistics, a quarter of psychologists themselves have psychological problems. Is it good or bad? Practicing psychologists often become people prone to depression, and in this case this is even good. Firstly, they can understand the patient like no one else, because they themselves have encountered his troubles. In addition, helping others is considered the best cure for depression. People who are aware of their importance and necessity are less likely to suffer from decadent states.

3. Experience human depth

We have penetrated the depths of the earth, dived into the ocean, soared into space, split the atom... But we still do not know ourselves thoroughly. Man is the most unexplored area of science. But even the knowledge that we have is amazing. Having studied even the very basics, we understand how interesting and unforgettable it is to penetrate into the deep layers of human souls and understand them. And at the same time, the specialist will always have room for new discoveries.

Disadvantages of being a psychologist

1. Emotional burnout

During their practice, psychologists have to deal with the worst nightmares of the human psyche. They will always see someone else's grief, they will look into their eyes, looking for sympathy and solutions to problems.

If a psychologist works in a school, then he will deal with children who are beaten by their parents, teenagers who are drug addicts and thieves, young hooligans - in general, the most problematic students. If he works in a psychological or physical rehabilitation center, he will see dozens of mutilated bodies and lives every day. The list can be continued for a long time, but the meaning is the same - the psychologist will have to see the most painful side of human nature. Will he be able to stand it? This needs to be recognized and decided in advance.

2. Vest for a friend

“Oh, you’re a psychologist! Please advise what to do, I have this situation here...” Every acquaintance and semi-acquaintance, hearing that you are studying to become a psychologist or working as one, will ask for help or advice. Many people have to politely refuse and advise them to sign up for a consultation. Naturally, not everyone likes this - only people who understand are able to agree that a psychologist at least sometimes wants to take a break from the burden of other people's problems. But there are many who will be offended and consider you an evil and callous person. There's nothing you can do about it.

3. No room for error

Being a psychologist is not just a job. This is a vital role. A psychologist, like a politician, a judge or a teacher, must have a sparkling, crystal-clear biography. He is obliged to take care of himself, because for people he is something like a worldly priest - they open their souls to him, let him into the most hidden corners of their lives. Can a family psychologist who has three divorces under his belt work in his specialty? Will a patient with alcohol addiction trust a psychologist? “Healer, heal yourself first,” they will tell him. And really, how can you help others if you can’t help yourself?

What personal qualities does a psychologist need?

To become a psychologist, you must first of all be an altruist, since in such a profession no money can compensate for the emotional difficulties that a specialist faces. Only love for people can become a saving beacon, helping to understand why this is all being done. You need to have a lot of responsibility, because for many patients a psychologist is the only hope. You need to be stress-resistant, because clients can be different, including hostile ones. You need to be tactful and delicate, because there are touchy patients. And, what is very important - sociable. Anyone who is able to communicate for a long time and not experience emotional fatigue can become a good psychologist. If you get tired of communication, then think again - is this your thing?

The essence of the psychologist's profession is to disassemble, brick by brick, all the motives and factors that guide people's behavior. If we draw a parallel, then a psychologist is a mechanic of the human soul who understands how this whole complex and intricate device works and is able to fix it in case of problems.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

In the age of rapidly developing technologies, there are things that remain unchanged and the most important thing is a person’s desire to know himself, his essence through the prism of relationships. The profession of a psychologist helps you understand and understand many mental mechanisms, patterns and look at yourself and other people, both similar and unique in some ways.

Who is a psychologist?

Many people confuse a psychologist with a psychiatrist, and yes, these professions have common unifying points, but there are also significant differences. The profession of psychologist is a helping specialty, belonging to the category: “person - person”. A psychologist is an expert who understands the subtle mechanisms of the human soul, the relationships and characteristics of the psychotype (different types of classifications) inherent in each person. Within the scope of his specialty, a psychologist is someone who:

listens carefully and actively;
clarifies, paraphrases;
asks guiding questions;
helps to identify from the “chaos” of problems the most important priority task that needs to be worked on;
uses in its arsenal special techniques and methods that correspond to the current task and the client’s request.

What does it take to work as a psychologist?

The profession of psychologist, like any other specialty, has a number of requirements and characteristics for a person who wants to become an expert in any field of psychology. The following criteria exist:

Higher education in psychology at a university specializing in training psychologists.
Advanced training every five years is a prerequisite, but many psychologists who value their specialty study constantly.
Undertaking personal therapy and teaching another psychologist how to work with a psychologist. This is why there are intervisions and supervisions. A psychologist is also a person who periodically needs a look from another expert. The second point is that there are difficult cases in practice when collegial assistance helps you see what needs to be worked on in order to get out of the crisis.
It is advisable for a novice psychologist to gain experience for 1 to 3 years in government institutions.
Psychologists with extensive experience strive for independent practice; at this stage it is important to obtain a license and open their own business.

Is the profession of a psychologist in demand?

Healers of human souls – that’s what psychologists are called. The demand for the profession of psychologist is always relevant. Modern times, with its oversaturation of information and constantly changing living conditions, which are influenced by: the state and the laws it undertakes, the political situation in the country and throughout the world, the media with constantly disturbing news - all this leaves an imprint on thinking and. Under stress, friends and relatives cannot always help, but professional help can give a “second wind” to a person.

Psychologist - characteristics of the profession

There is a common misconception that a psychologist is someone who gives advice. And when coming to a consultation, a person expects that they will tell him how to live, give him a lot of tips, and his life will change, as if by magic. This is far from true. A professional psychologist, to the disappointment of many people, does not give advice. What then is the profession of a psychologist? In a professional approach to the client's problem. The characteristics of the psychologist profession suggest that the personality of a psychologist is the most important tool for successful therapy.

Qualities that a professional must have:

integrity;
the ability to motivate yourself and others;
love for your profession and people;
professional flair and intuition;
ability to experiment;
empathy;
well developed figurative and ;
ability to maintain confidentiality;
compassion;
honesty in emotions, actions;
diversified development;
reflection;
non-judgmental acceptance;
the elaboration of the areas within which consultation is carried out;
ability to work with countertransferences;
honest admission of one's incompetence in certain matters.

Psychologist - types of profession

The profession of psychologist, with all its many branches, has 3 officially recognized approaches to its activities. Psychologist - areas of profession:

Pedagogical activity (theoretical) - aimed at transferring knowledge about psychological science (the profession of educational psychologist is the most in demand in educational institutions)
Research- conducting experiments, analysis, summarizing data, statistics of psychological phenomena, dynamics of processes and their validity. Writing works and dissertations on psychology
Practical activities include:

individual counseling - as a means of helping people who find themselves in difficult psychological situations;
group trainings;
drawing up a psychological portrait, examination.

Profession psychologist - pros and cons

A person who has chosen this specialty for himself must study the basics of the profession of psychologist and develop an understanding that in addition to the positive aspects, the profession also has “dark” sides, which often emerge unpredictably in different situations. A conscious choice in favor of psychology involves accepting the negative aspects that you will have to face and knowing how to overcome it so that the profession brings moral satisfaction.

The advantages of being a psychologist

Psychology is mainly attended by people seeking self-knowledge. It also happens that a person decides to get rid of old traumas and complexes and then help others with this. Pros and cons of the profession of psychologist:

improving your own quality of life;
understanding the psychological mechanisms of people’s behavior, actions, and emotions;
recognition: whether a person is telling a lie or the truth;
knowledge of age and gender characteristics of people;
self-satisfaction and joy when working successfully with a client;
constant professional growth.

The dangers of being a psychologist

Working as a psychologist does not always mean positive returns and lasting positive results. Work in government agencies with a social focus on disadvantaged families, service in hospices, orphanages is very specific, requires enormous dedication and a vision of one’s activities as a mission, but even this does not save from pain, which comes faster than in other professions. Other disadvantages of the specialty:

not everyone can be helped;
psychologists working in the helpline often encounter suicide and attempts to help are not always successful;
the lives and problems of other people begin to take over more than their own;
depression, one of the common conditions of a psychologist who has never learned to distance himself and lets everything pass through him;
manipulative techniques create a sense of power and superiority over people.

Where can a psychologist work?

The relevance of the psychologist profession today is recognized by public and private institutions. Employers are interested in highly qualified employees, and people who turn to psychological centers need the help of specialists. How can a psychologist work, given all the versatility of the profession, because there are many applied areas for implementation - the choice depends on the desire to make a career in a certain direction.

Healthcare sector: