STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS?? WELL-BEING

Abstract

Becoming a psychologist requires more than just acquiring the necessary competences.The emotional labour undergone when preparing for this job may be higher than in anyother specialty as it mainly requires one to solve their own personal issues beforehelping others deal with their own so as to dispute the counter-transfer. Allpsychotherapy schools start with at least one year of personal development. Knowing allthese, there is a large number of students enrolled in Psychology study programmes whostart their university studies thinking that this may be a way to avoid going to their ownpsychotherapist as they will learn all about it in their school years. However, they mayadmit this in one-on-one talks, but hesitate to state it in public. Focus groups were heldin order to identify psychology students� reasons for choosing this specialty andperceptions on their own emotional and mental health as well as identifying thestrategies they use to promote their own well-being as students and future professionalsalike. The reasons for choosing this study programme guide the choice of well-beingstrategies. Also, the literature review revealed several techniques for promoting wellbeing,used in psychological research destined to improve students� lives, and acomparison was made with the students� answers.