Understanding Psychiatry, Psychology, and Educational Roles

Posted on Jan 31, 2025 in Psychology and Sociology

The field of psychiatry is very large compared with other medical specialties. Mental disorders can affect most aspects of a patient’s life, such as physical activity, behavior, emotions, thinking, perceptions, interpersonal relationships, sexuality, work, and leisure. These disorders are caused by a complex combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. The psychiatrist’s task is to identify the various sources and manifestations of mental illness. Psychotherapy, the treatment of mental illness through procedures based on verbal and emotional communication, as well as other symbolic behavior, is a key tool for the therapist. Psychoanalysis is a specific method for investigating unconscious mental processes and an approach to psychotherapy. The term also refers to the systematic structure of psychoanalytic theory, based on the relationship between conscious and unconscious mental processes.

Clinical Psychology focuses on prevention and treatment. Primary prevention: is the intervention a psychologist makes to prevent the occurrence of a disease. There are two types of procedures: a) Generalized Action: These are large-scale interventions where information plays a major role. b) Specific Action: The area is more limited. The psychologist works in crisis situations or accidental evolutionary events, where the balance can be disturbed, focusing on the particular. Secondary Prevention: refers to treatment that a psychologist provides after the disease has been diagnosed. This intervention aims to cure, addressing the depth of the disturbance. It involves the broad field of psychotherapy, where the specific action is based on the professional’s understanding of the subject and the cure. Therapeutic approaches can include Behavioral, Systemic, Gestalt, etc. Tertiary Prevention: refers to rehabilitation. When a disease is established, the aim is to minimize the damage.

Profile of an Educational Psychologist: The psychologist specializing in the educational field should contextualize and apply psychological knowledge in every situation, using management techniques and intervention tools that are the immediate reference of the professional activity of educational psychologists. The object of study for the educational psychologist is the processes of change resulting from the subject’s participation in educational activities. Resources or techniques include: interviews, tests, games, quizzes, etc. The objective is the prevention and resolution of learning problems.

Internal factors include:

  • Organic factors.
  • Psychogenic factors.
  • Maturational disorders in specific areas.
External factors include:
  • Access to culture.
  • Teaching methods.
  • Availability of materials.
  • Stimulation.
The role of the counselor is that of a mediator or facilitator of the learning process. Desirable qualities for a psychologist counselor include: 1. A solid background in evolutionary psychology, education, group dynamics, etc. 2. Clinical Practice 3. Empathy 4. Optimal distance 5. Recognition of their own ideology 6. Active participation.