PROFESSIONAL DEMAND

The profession of a psychologist is becoming increasingly in demand over time. Every decade, the number of jobs for psychologists in developed countries increases by 20%, while in developing countries such as Armenia, it grows by more than 100%. This growth is particularly notable in the fields of management, education, and clinical psychology; today, legal psychologists are also highly sought after.

Compared to psychologists, the number of social work positions has doubled.

While social workers were primarily employed in the education sector in the past, over the last decade their numbers have tripled in areas related to domestic violence, care for adults and hospitalized individuals, work with prisoners, victims of crimes, natural disaster survivors, people with various mental disorders, the poor, the unemployed, people with disabilities, those without education, and more.

Aristotle, the author of the first psychology textbook On the Soul, viewed psychology as a unique field of knowledge, presenting the idea of the inseparability of the soul and the body. Psychology is a well-developed science with ancient roots that touches virtually every aspect of our lives today and continues to evolve dynamically.

In the modern world, the profession of a psychologist is one of the most in-demand. In the 21st century, each of us, willingly or unwillingly, is exposed to the pressures of accelerated scientific and technological progress. With an uncontrolled flow of information, individuals can experience stress.

The primary task of a psychologist is to help people live in harmony with their environment, develop behavioral mechanisms that enable them to be more creative in life, and identify their psychological resources.

Psychologists aim to understand the role of mental processes and social behavior of individuals. They also study the physiological and neurological processes underlying cognitive processes and behavior.

Psychologists assist people who are in challenging psychological situations, facing problems in their current life, needing adjustment of their own behavior or interpersonal relationships, and addressing other psychological and psychosomatic issues.

Modern psychology is a system of sciences aimed at studying the various aspects and manifestations of the human psyche. This explains why psychology encompasses a wide range of disciplines.

Social psychology is one of the most widely applied modern sciences. Knowledge of socio-psychological facts and patterns is essential not only for psychologists but also for sociologists, educators, psychiatrists, lawyers, management professionals, and anyone whose work involves human relationships, motivation, and regulation.

One of the highly demanded interdisciplinary areas is legal psychology, which focuses on the activities of law enforcement agencies and supports the administration of justice using various psychological tools.

Political psychology highlights political behavior standards, studies the behavior of key actors in political life, and analyzes the psychological factors that influence them.

The role of the family in societal development and in creating and transmitting values is well recognized. Family psychology examines family relationships, their formation, stabilization, and dissolution, describing the characteristics of family and marital relationships, as well as the socio-psychological and functional aspects of interactions among family members.

Industrial/organizational psychology studies the psychological aspects of management processes. It aims to understand the individual qualities of employees, identify patterns in interpersonal relationships, and develop effective workgroups.

It should be noted that services provided by unqualified psychologists, social workers, or sociologists in various social support and protection structures not only fail to achieve their goals but can sometimes harm those receiving them.

Both in society at large and within many state structures, there is a lack of clear understanding of the responsibility and importance of the professions of psychologist, sociologist, and social worker, and their role in transforming Armenian society in particular.

One of the main objectives of establishing the university was to train specialists capable of fully applying their theoretical knowledge in practice. Accordingly, the University of Practical Psychology and Sociology „Urartu“ is the only non-state university in Armenia with a practical orientation and a public mission. The goal of the university’s faculty is to prepare socially responsible, qualified specialists who can raise the prestige of practical psychology and sociology not only in Armenia but also on the international stage.