1.4 KEEPING A MIND HEALTHY 28 PSYCHOLOGY A healthy body must be accompanied by a healthy mind to work at its best. When the mind is in need of help and support, the branches of science which study it, such as psychology, psychotherapy, and psychiatry come into play. The word psychology comes from the Greek psyche, soul or mind, -logia, science. Have you ever heard of any other schools of psychology? elderly: anziani to face: affrontare to owe: dovere 60 BODY AND MIND What is psychology? Psychology is the study of our mind and behaviour. The founder of modern psychology is considered to be the German psychologist Wilhelm Wundt, who dedicated his work to experimental psychology and founded it as a new, separate discipline of science at the end of the nineteenth century. In particular, we owe him the extensive use of introspection, which involved examining one s own thoughts and feelings in a systematic way. Psychology embraces all aspects of human experience from the functions of the brain to the actions of a population, from child development to care for the elderly: psychologists try to understand our behaviour and take care of our mental health. The scientific methodologies they use aim at giving a diagnosis and offering help and support to patients facing temporary, problematic life situations. How to become a psychologist While in other countries a bachelor s degree is enough to work as a professional psychologist, in Italy, educational requirements to become a licensed psychologist and be included in the national register of psychologists are: a Master s degree in Psychology, a year s apprenticeship, and to pass a state exam. Different schools of psychology Psychology is a very broad field which may specialise in different areas. The largest schools are: clinical psychology, which focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders. It is aimed at individuals as well as a whole community, for example schools, where it can provide insight on learning processes, classroom environment, teaching methods, and student relationships; work psychology, which helps a business to identify and solve problematic issues within the workplace, improve work environment, and increase employee satisfaction. developmental psychology, which studies the emotional, cognitive, social, and physical transformations that take place over the course of life of an individual, from birth to old age. Counselling Another talking practice which aims at helping individuals face temporary, difficult situations is counselling. Though a common and legal technique, counselling does not require a degree to be practised and counsellors come from professional institutions which are legally recognised. Counselling aims are pretty similar to those of psychology in terms of patients wellbeing, and dealing with their everyday life, short-term problems. It can help to reduce stressful situations and raise awareness to understand oneself and other people.