“Anyone represented in UNEC can apply to our Center” – INTERVIEW
From the new academic year, the Center for Psychological Services at UNEC has been operating. Shafahat Abdullayeva, director of the center, gave an interview to UNEC News about the center’s establishment, activities and services.
– Ms. Shafahat, what was the need for the Psychological Service Center at UNEC?
– You know that the processes going on in the world are intensively and rapidly changing and are changing. Adapting to these changes requires great psychological strength and proper analysis. A modern person loses himself in the flood and variety of information that is increasing day by day, and in such a case, he needs certain support and psychological help. Psychological knowledge, the ability to apply it in practice, psychological culture, and resistance to stress are more relevant today than ever before. All people, especially young people who are still forming, should receive timely psychological support and thus be able to protect their psychological health. Psychological service is a field of practical application of psychology aimed at providing psychological assistance to both individuals and groups in order to increase the socio-psychological competence of people. It is direct work with people aimed at solving various types of psychological problems associated with difficulties in interpersonal relationships, as well as deep personal problems.
Many leading universities around the world have psychological support centers for students and staff. They make it easier and more convenient for students to adapt to the educational environment. There is a need for such centers so that students can receive free psychological services within the walls of the university, and do not have to look for this support elsewhere.
Considering that psychological services are not accessible to everyone, the creation of such a Center that provides free services to students and employees within the university is highly commendable.
The purpose of the establishment of the center is to create a safe and healthy environment at UNEC, to support the moral and psychological health of employees and students, and to prevent possible emotional and mental crises and pre-exam stress. I think that the activity of our Center in this direction will be successful, we will support the increase of the academic achievements of our young people and the creation of a healthier environment in the university with our professional psychologists.
– What are the main activities and tasks of the center?
– Within the framework of psychological examination in the center, systematic measures will be implemented to study the individual-psychological characteristics, potential opportunities, inclinations and interests of students, and to determine the causes of difficulties in socialization. Relevant works will be carried out together with the pedagogical staff in order to form and maintain a healthy spiritual and psychological environment in the university, to constantly study the needs in order to effectively organize the educational process, and to increase the social skills of the students. Raising resistance to stress, raising psychological culture in mutual relations, mutual understanding and respect in the team, eliminating conflicts and creating a favorable microenvironment, preventing psychological crisis that may arise in students in advance, helping to adapt to any changes in time are among the main tasks facing our Center.
– Who can apply to the Psychological Service Center?
– Bachelors, masters, doctoral students, teachers and employees studying at UNEC, in short, everyone represented at UNEC can take advantage of our service.
– How is the procedure for enrolling psychologists organized?
– Our center operates in room 327 in the main educational building of UNEC. For now, it is possible to book consultation hours by calling my mobile number (050 858 03 37). Soon, a registration section will be created on the unec.edu.az site. Reception, as well as registration for admission, days I-V, from 09:00 to 17:30.
– How are the sessions, individual or group?
– After meeting individually, individual sessions are scheduled and, if necessary, sessions are organized as a group. The duration of one session is 50 minutes.
– How is the initial diagnosis of the applicants carried out?
– At the first meeting, the psychological problem of the person is determined in the conversation through psychodiagnostic tests and projective methodology. Sometimes it is possible to determine the psychological problem after several meetings. According to the results obtained after the initial psychological examination, the applicant is offered a psychological counseling program. Programs are organized in individual and group form. After the end of the psychological counseling program offered to the applicant, repeated examinations are conducted and the results are evaluated.
– Are there currently applicants and what are the main problems?
– Yes, there are applicants, I would even say that our sessions are full. The problems of young people are mainly communication difficulties, lack of understanding in their relationship with their parents, lack of self-confidence, past traumas, and panic attacks. In older people, especially teachers and employees, family problems are related to lack of faith in tomorrow and other reasons.
– You know that the exams are approaching, the stress and tension of the students and teachers are more on that eve. What would you recommend to them?
– Using this opportunity, I would like to appeal to students and employees to contact our Center without hesitation in case of high excitement, anxiety, low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, difficulty in building relationships with others, problems with family, parents, friends, as well as internal psychological stress. In our center, the principles of confidentiality are strictly followed, and applicants can easily trust us from that point of view.