Psychological assistance to the individual. Methods of providing psychological assistance to people in situations of difficult experiences

Introduction

As O.I. Abdurashitova-Shekh notes, extreme situations with a severe outcome lead to serious mental health disorders, nervous breakdowns, prolonged depression, long-term maladaptation and, in the worst case, to abandonment of life, to suicide. To provide effective professional psychological assistance for traumatic stress, crisis situations, severe psychological trauma, the authors of the technology O. I. Abdurashitova-Shekh and S. S. Sergeev use A complex approach. In some cases it is possible and necessary to use rational methods, in others it is more effective to use a body-oriented approach, work with images, and turn to the unconscious.

Within the framework of our lecture, which included, in addition to theory, demonstration of techniques, it was difficult to fully cover the complex approach. The use of techniques in one direction or another requires additional long-term training in each area. The lecture included selected questions:

1) psychology of extreme situations;
2) ecology of work;
3) working with grief and loss;
4) crisis intervention methods using NLP techniques;
5) psychological debriefing.

I. Psychology of extreme situations

L. V. Miller

In ordinary In living conditions, existing knowledge and skills are sufficient to perform the tasks facing us. Special conditions are characterized by episodic (intermittent), low-intensity exposure to extreme factors (or with a certain probability of their occurrence). Under such conditions, reserve capabilities of a compensatory type are mobilized.

TO extreme factors include:

• lack of time in an emergency situation, limiting the ability to adapt to these conditions;
• high responsibility for the business;
• lack of information necessary to make a decision (or its inconsistency);
• staying in closed, small spaces, etc.

Extreme operating conditions, associated with constant or sudden, high-intensity action of extreme factors, place excessive demands on a person’s adaptive abilities and cause reactions on the verge of pathological disorders:

• a state of dynamic mismatch arises, characterized by a violation of the adequacy of physiological and behavioral reactions;
• the level of personal autonomy and goal setting, the ability for probabilistic forecasting, etc. decreases.

Super extreme conditions are characterized by the constant action of factors that have high intensity and pose a real danger to the health and life of people. These conditions cause super-extreme tension, pathological changes in the body, and in in some cases refusal, complete inability to continue activities.

Individual perception conditions of activity constitutes the subjective side of the situation. In the psychological thesaurus, the situation is understood as the result of active interaction between the individual and the environment. Professional selection, personnel training, team formation to work in extreme conditions allows you to influence the subjective component of an extreme situation. The development of a set of measures aimed at developing the professional competence of specialists operating in extreme and emergency situations makes it possible to reduce the likelihood of maladaptive reactions, cope with assigned tasks, and perceive the situation as less extreme, as “special.”

The professional activity of a psychologist is often associated with providing psychological assistance to people who have experienced traumatic events, which include situations related to a threat to life (or its well-being), honor, dignity, concerning a person and his loved ones. Not only the death of other (strangers) people, but also of enemies can have a traumatic effect on the psyche. Psychological trauma also cause situations of deliberate deception and fraud, which affects the loss of trust in people in general, in the world, and in the development of crisis situations. Having survived a traumatic situation, a person performs an enormous internal work, which is aimed at re-evaluating oneself, one’s past, restructuring previously habitual forms of behavior, views regarding the future, etc. In psychiatry, the term psychogenics is used to identify diseases caused by a traumatic event. In areas of psychology at the intersection of psychology and medicine (and in certain psychological directions, for example, in psychoanalysis), the term “mental trauma” is more often used, denoting experiences caused by a severe traumatic event and traumatic for the psyche, which is expressed in certain symptoms. Mental trauma, from the point of view of psychophysiology, is considered as incomplete activation of the nervous system. Many psychologists have come to the same understanding of its essence.

In extreme conditions, neuropsychic disorders manifest themselves in a wide range: from a state of maladaptation and neurotic, neurosis-like reactions to reactive psychoses. It is necessary to distinguish non-pathological reactions from pathological ones that doctors are already working with.

Emergency psychological assistance– a system of short-term measures aimed at regulating the current psychological, psychophysiological state of a person or group of people affected by a traumatic event. Timely psychological assistance (in the initial stages) reduces the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and can prevent the onset of the development of mental and somatic diseases. Later, specialists are already working with the injury.

II. Ecology of work

L. V. Miller

Professionals who work with people who have experienced traumatic events (especially the loss of loved ones) come into contact with suffering, pain, and grief. In special cases, psychological assistance is provided in extreme and emergency conditions, so those who provide it are also susceptible to the negative influence of these situations.

In the process of work, it is important to capture the conditions that arise in the psychologist and determine what causes them - these are countertransference, or signs of secondary trauma, or symptoms of professional burnout.

Emerging countertransference feelings, taking into account reflection and their further elaboration, can influence the work process with subsequent effective dynamics.

« Secondary trauma“lies in changes in the therapist’s internal experience after working with the client.

An even more serious problem is " professional burnout" Works on this topic also use similar but not identical terms – “emotional burnout”, “compassionate exhaustion”. Burnout syndrome develops gradually and has precursor reactions in the form of emotional exhaustion, irritability, impaired concentration and other physiological and psychological phenomena. Professional burnout syndrome manifests itself in decreased performance, negative changes in mental qualities, loss value orientations, the meaning of activity.

Specialists from various departments and institutions providing psychological, psychotherapeutic, psychiatric and other types of assistance to the population in emergency and crisis situations have developed recommendations for preventing the development of “professional burnout”:

1. vocational guidance, selection and admission of specialists to work;
2. constant system vocational training and retraining;
3. strict adherence to work and rest schedules, the use of special algorithms for the activities of specialists, etc.;
4. system of constant supervision (individual and group);
5. personal therapy by a psychologist, trainings and other individual and group forms of work. As O.I. Abdurashitova-Shekh notes, it is necessary to work with one’s experience of facing death, one’s grief must be worked through. This is a significant portion of time in professional development sessions aimed at helping with acute stress disorder (ASD), PTSD and crisis situations. A good defense against burnout is professional identity and personal maturity. In this sense, the psychologist must be resourceful;
6. use of self-regulation methods;
7. rehabilitation measures.

Methods and techniques of psychological assistance depend on many factors, both subjective and objective nature: individual psychological characteristics, life experience, state of the individual and group, age, severity of the event, time elapsed since the traumatic event, and much more.

III. Dealing with Grief and Loss

E. V. Orlova

In fulfilling their professional duty, psychologists and psychotherapists have to support grieving people. To provide qualified assistance, it is necessary to know the specifics of a person’s experience of a traumatic event.

Grief is very personal process, which affects people differently. People's reactions are often unpredictable. It is important to know that the “grieving process” covers a long period of time during which a person who has experienced the death of a loved one adjusts to the loss.

Acute grief– a syndrome with psychological and somatic symptoms. The following picture stands out acute grief: physical suffering, preoccupation with the image of the deceased, guilt, hostility, loss of behavior patterns. The duration of such a reaction is obviously determined by how successfully the individual works on this, namely, comes out of the state of early dependence on the deceased, re-adapts to the surrounding world in which the lost person no longer exists, and forms new relationships.

We can talk about the so-called pathological grief, i.e., a painful reaction manifested as follows:

• delayed reaction (or so-called stuckness) at one of the stages of grief;
• increased activity without feelings of loss;
• the appearance of symptoms of the deceased’s last illness;
• psychosomatic diseases;
• social isolation;
• violent hostility towards individuals;
• further loss of form social activity, up to the inability to perform the simplest activities independently;
• depression with suicidal tendencies (Barlow, 1988).

Sometimes the death of a loved one affects a person so deeply that it is virtually impossible for them to continue living without professional intervention.

Conventionally, there are five stages of grief. The duration and intensity of the experience is individual and depends on many external and internal reasons. The tasks of psychotherapeutic work at each stage are to transfer grief to the next level, and in general, to “go through” all stages of grief.

At the first stage, during the period of shock (9 days), the work is aimed at support.

At the second stage - denial (40 days) - everything is aimed at minimizing pain.

The third stage is acceptance of grief (6 months). During this period, the following are observed: aggression, depression, survivor's guilt, flashbacks, identity crisis. The work here is aimed at expressing feelings towards the deceased or towards oneself (guilt, shame, aggression). The specialist opens access to memories, work is carried out to end the relationship with the deceased.

The fourth stage is rebirth to life (1 year). Here the specialist helps the client imagine life without the deceased, thanks to which the latter takes its place in the picture of the client’s life.

The fifth stage is the second year of life without the deceased. This stage is characterized by the experiences of the 1st year in a weakened form. This is where the “anniversary syndrome” comes into play. You can expect a crisis at any moment, especially on significant dates: a surge of pain, grief, guilt (for living, enjoying life). The final surge occurs in the middle of the second year. By the end of the second year, a bright sadness appears, a new type of relationship with the deceased.

Grieving is a necessary process, avoidance of which leads to various negative consequences in a person’s life. A variety of professional tools are used to treat this condition. As an example, we will give one of the methods of working with grief - “therapeutic metaphor”. The word "metaphor" is used in general case to denote a story or rhetorical figure containing a comparison. How metaphor works involves simple comparisons and longer stories, allegories and parables. It encrypts some “knowledge” from collective experience; the metaphor contains the resources of the collective unconscious. It is always deep and multidimensional. The world of metaphor is a world of images and symbols; it allows you to find the symbolic meaning that integrates internal resources. The use of metaphors has many benefits, one of the main ones being that therapeutic stories containing indirect or hidden therapeutic messages have the greatest impact on the listener, bypassing conscious and unconscious resistance. This method is non-threatening and addresses topics that are not always easy to talk about openly. Metaphors can be especially effective for problems that are difficult to approach using other techniques.

IV. Crisis intervention methods using NLP techniques

E. A. Leskina

Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) was created in the early 70s of the last century and was the fruit of collaboration between J. Grinder and R. Bandler. This line of work arose as a result of the synthesis of various psychotherapeutic approaches. It included elements of Gestalt therapy, Ericksonian hypnosis, family therapy, humanistic psychology, behavioral therapy, theory of higher nervous activity, cognitive psychology and structural linguistics. Despite the listed borrowings and intersections with other approaches, NLP has emerged as a unique independent direction - this is an area of ​​practical psychology that studies the structure subjective experience of people.

One of the basic provisions of NLP is the assertion that every person carries hidden, untapped mental resources. The main tasks of NLP are to ensure client access to these resources. It has developed its own terminology, reflecting the specifics of the approach and its technologies. Let's consider several basic concepts used in this direction and the working techniques behind them.

Representational systems– perceptual systems through which we receive, encode, store and reproduce information about internal and external events (pictures, sounds, sensations, smells and tastes). Representative systems are divided according to the sensory method of presenting information: visual - processing of visual information, kinesthetic - sensory, auditory - sound. Psychologist working in the field crisis psychology, focusing on the dominance of one or another modality of experiencing trauma, builds his work with the client, relying on the representative system in which affect is currently experienced.

Rapport– establishing trusting relationships. Rapport can be achieved by adjusting to breathing, posture, facial expressions, voice, body movement, speech, and values.

Calibration– tracking the patient’s verbal and especially non-verbal behavior, often the slightest changes in facial expressions, posture, eye movements in order to obtain information about the state in which the other person is.

Anchor- a stimulus that causes a reaction and changes a state. Anchors can arise either spontaneously or be installed intentionally.

Anchoring– the process of establishing anchors. Anchor integration technique used when fixing the client to negative aspects their life experiences associated with a traumatic situation.

Visual-kinesthetic dissociation technique– the client must look at what happened to him from the outside. Dissociation allows you to smooth out unpleasant feelings and sensations associated with past events, which makes it possible to cope with difficult experiences caused by a traumatic event.

Reframing (reframing)- looking at an event from a different point of view or assigning a different meaning to an event. Changing the frame to give an event new meaning.

Swing technique– this technique allows you to work with trauma fixed in different modalities due to the resource image.

Therapeutic metaphor– one of its main advantages is that therapeutic stories containing indirect or hidden therapeutic messages have the greatest impact on the listener, since they bypass conscious analysis and its resistance.

NLP techniques are best used in integrated approach in combination with other methods.

V. Psychological debriefing

O. V. Vikhristyuk

Mitchell formulated the traumatic event stress debriefing (CISD) model for service personnel whose work involves high levels of stress (police, firefighters, etc.). Now “debriefing” has become largely general term for a single intervention after injury. Relatively inexpensive and easy to implement, debriefing has become a standard procedure in many organizations whose members are exposed to stressful events. Moreover, debriefing has quickly become the most common method of early intervention, not only for responders, but also for those directly affected. Many experts believe that early, brief intervention after a traumatic event is necessary for almost everyone.

Debriefing is a method of working with a group mental trauma. This is a form of crisis intervention, especially organized and clearly structured work in groups with people who have jointly experienced a disaster or tragic event. The method involves analyzing traumatic experiences, encouraging emotional expression and stimulating understanding of experiences at a cognitive level.

Purpose of the debriefing– reduce the severity of psychological consequences after experiencing stress. Debriefing does not prevent the consequences of trauma from occurring, but it prevents their development and intensification, promotes understanding of the causes of one’s condition and awareness of the actions that need to be taken to alleviate these consequences.

Debriefing is an organized discussion of an extreme situation that people have experienced together. During the debriefing the following tasks are solved:

• elaboration of impressions, reactions and feelings of victims;
• developing their understanding of the essence of the events that took place and the psychotraumatic experience;
• reducing the sense of uniqueness and pathology of one’s own reactions by discussing feelings and sharing experiences; mobilization of internal resources, group support;
• reduction of individual and group tension; preparation for experiencing those symptoms and reactions that may occur in the future.

Debriefing is not psychotherapy, but a form of psychological first aid (“crisis intervention is to psychotherapy as medical first aid is to surgery”).

It is no longer mistakenly perceived as a sign of mental illness.

People are increasingly willing to accept such a phenomenon as psychological help, go for consultations with a psychologist (by analogy with Western countries, in which this has generally become the norm - to take care of your mental well-being as well as your physical well-being). At the same time, many do not fully understand who a psychologist is and what he does, what exactly this specialist can give in the process of working together.

Possibilities of psychological assistance

So what does a psychologist do?

A psychologist helps a person determine what is a problem and what is not.

This applies not only specific situation with which the client applied, but also the development of such a diagnostic skill for the future (that is, the client will be able to independently determine where the problem is and where it is not, based on clear assessment criteria)

During a consultation, a psychologist provides his client with the opportunity to understand the causes of existing problems.

It often happens that a person misinterprets the reasons for a problem, does not see all the reasons, or focuses on the wrong one. build a clear diagram of the development of the problem or individual mechanism its launch (standard “trigger mechanism”), significantly deepening your understanding of the existing problem.

The psychologist, together with the client, develops ways to solve problems and helps the client follow the chosen path from beginning to end.

Some people believe that to solve a problem you just need to understand its causes. This is not the case, which can be easily proven. Let's say you have a fear of dogs, and you find out that this fear was triggered by a specific traumatic situation from the past (for example, you were bitten by a dog), and you also have an unmet need for physical safety (which is the reason for the formation of new fears). You realized this very clearly. Well, is the problem already gone? No, because understanding these reasons alone does not give you the opportunity to solve the problem (trauma from the past has not been worked through, the need for security has not yet been satisfied). Therefore, it is necessary to work with a psychologist to work through the found causes of the problem. Than in in this case Will the psychologist work with the client? Help will include reviewing different ways problem solving, choice the best option and accompanying the client along the chosen path from the beginning to the very end until the goal is achieved.

A psychologist helps to express the unexpressed, get rid of what has accumulated, regain what was lost and acquire what you want.

Psychological help sometimes it resembles magic, despite the fact that it is based on very clear mechanisms of the functioning of the psyche. Why? Yes, because the result is sometimes so surprising that you can’t even believe it. What does a psychologist do that can be called a miracle? For example, in many cases Can return lost feelings to a person, recover from chronic diseases(psychosomatics), after for long years quest to discover the meaning of your life or your purpose in one consultation, increase your income several times, or suddenly get rid of the fear that haunted you long years. The author of this article is an avid materialist, and therefore fundamentally does not use pseudoscientific and pseudo-scientific methods in his work. And at the same time, more than once I managed to encounter things that would seem simply incredible to a beginner in psychology. And there is nothing magical here - this is simply the work of a specialist who knows the intricacies of the functioning of the psyche, just as an auto mechanic knows the intricacies of how a car works.

A psychologist provides a person with support, acceptance and understanding, which is difficult to find in Everyday life even among the closest people.

From this article you will learn:

When is psychological help needed for older people?

What methods of psychological assistance are there for older people?

How to provide psychological assistance to a bedridden elderly person independently

What problems can you encounter when helping older people?

Who else besides a psychologist and relatives can provide psychological assistance to an elderly person?

Each of us faces from time to time stressful situations. While we are young, we can easily cope with them, but in old age it becomes much harder for people. Sometimes even the care and support of relatives is not enough to console a pensioner. Psychological assistance to older people - rational decision in such situation.

When do you need psychological help for older people?

Firstly, we are talking about financial problems. Pensioners, as a rule, are disabled and, therefore, cannot always provide for themselves financially. In addition, the sharp deterioration in the quality of life and working conditions in our country has affected all categories of the population, especially people of retirement age.

According to statistics, it is the elderly who represent a socially vulnerable category of the population. They need special attention and government support. Many of them lost all their savings in one day, but this money was intended to ensure a “decent old age and funeral.” For pensioners who find themselves in such a situation, socio-psychological assistance is simply necessary.

Everything they believed in, their ideals and achievements, turned out to be devalued. Pensioners find themselves in a position where the younger population does not show them respect; moreover, there is an opinion that older people have become a “burden” for workers. Psychological assistance to older people allows them to cope with internal experiences and anxieties.

Secondly, the moral relationship between an elderly person and society leaves much to be desired. The elderly man retired, which is why his social circle has sharply narrowed. After the death of one of the spouses, retirees tend to spend their lives alone. Psychological assistance to older people in situations of loss loved one allows them to gain strength to start living again.

Character traits that become more pronounced in old age and sclerotic processes complicate the situation of pensioners. They experience emotional-volitional disorders and depressive states. Vital tone drops, all kinds of diseases develop. According to experts, the deteriorating health of pensioners is determined by their pessimism about the future. Providing psychological assistance to older people who need support is a manifestation of the state’s concern for the elderly.

The most difficult thing is to extend independent and active life in old age. As a rule, older people put their lives on pause after retirement. This is due to the fact that they work activity limited, they change their habits and reconsider their values. Pensioners have social and everyday difficulties and problems adapting to their new situation and conditions. Of course, psychological help for older people in Russia is provided to many elderly people, thanks to which they manage to take a fresh look at themselves and their lives.

Elderly citizens are especially socially vulnerable. We are talking primarily about economic factors. The elderly receive a small pension, and getting a job is not so easy.

Traditional family foundations are gradually being destroyed. This has led to the older generation not being treated with respect. Many older people live separately from their children and grandchildren. They have to fight illnesses and problems alone. Previously, young family members took responsibility for grandparents, but now government agencies do this.

According to statistics, women live 12 years longer than men. This is why there are so many elderly single women.

Loneliness is no longer a problem for an individual who has failed to adapt to society. Today this is a serious social issue.

Older people become lonely for many reasons. We are talking about individualism, egocentrism, isolation, alienation. Pensioners suffer because they are lost in society. Loneliness is accompanied by depression, and sometimes by active protests.

Third, problems associated with the poor health of pensioners are extremely important.

Due to chronic diseases, a person loses the ability to self-care. He has difficulties communicating with children, grandchildren, and friends. An elderly person becomes irritable and touchy. Senile depression can lead to suicide or leaving home. It is important to understand that they are very lonely, and it is difficult for them to endure their alienation, the presence of illnesses, and weakness. Psychological assistance to older people in difficult times life situation, of course, is needed, but sometimes his relatives also need it.

Fourth, it is important that pensioners can rarely organize interesting leisure time for themselves. And the needs for interesting entertainment, hobbies are preserved. It is important that their cultural and moral needs are satisfied. Psychological assistance to older people in social sphere allows retirees to adapt to their new role in society.

Every fifth citizen of the Russian Federation is a pensioner. Every family has at least one elderly person. Therefore, the problems of older people have become universal. The elderly need increased attention from society and the state.

Peculiarities of behavior of pensioners, on the basis of which assistance to older people is based

Old age is the final phase of human development. In other words, the body begins to age, which is manifested by involutional signs. Appearance a person deteriorates, his vital activity decreases, mental reactions and psychological characteristics change, physical abilities limited. Psychological assistance for older people facing such changes is especially needed.

Having become a pensioner, a person changes his attitude towards society. There is a reassessment of values, he takes a new look at such concepts as happiness, goodness, the meaning of life, etc. The well-being of pensioners depends on what kind of atmosphere has developed in the family, how family members distribute responsibilities among themselves.

Determine precisely the chronological boundary that separates mature age from old age, impossible. The fact is that each person has his own characteristics. We are talking about character, physical characteristics, psychological and mental stability. Perceptual processes are weakened physical activity becomes more difficult, memory deteriorates, but for each person these processes proceed differently. Some seniors remain creative and mentally active into old age.

Young people tend to give positive assessment to your future. The fact is that the main achievements, successes, best moments they are waiting ahead. This attitude towards life helps them think positively, which determines their behavior.

An older person evaluates his prospects differently. For him, the end of life is something very real and close. His thoughts concern the past, he is psychologically preparing to leave this world.

The formation of old age stereotypes is determined by the position of older people in society. As a rule, this stereotype applies to all elderly and elderly citizens. The following stereotypes are identified:

Positive stereotype. Older people are treated as those who have great life experience and wisdom. These people need to be respected and cared for.

Negative stereotype. A pensioner is considered unnecessary, superfluous, useless “freeloader”, and his experience is outdated and inapplicable in our time.

Unfortunately, modern society perceives old age in a negative way. The fact is that a painful form of mental aging occurs quite often. In addition, pensioners exhibit mental and physical illness. However, pain in old age is quite normal. An elderly person's memory and intellect weaken, characterological defects form, that is, he becomes stingy, grumpy, etc. Pensioners, as a rule, are passive and have a limited range of interests.

Some researchers, on the contrary, praise old age. They talk about the spiritual evolution of an elderly person, about aging biological organism, which is accompanied by the development intellectual potential. In other words, old man physically weakened, but spiritually he is developing. Pensioners experience a feeling of complete satisfaction with themselves and the world around them. They themselves call their state happiness.

That is, some older people live a happy old age, which is favorable psychological state and brings a lot of positive emotions. These retirees are active mental activity, comprehend the meaning of their life, get to know themselves. They develop a new value life setting, which presupposes complete satisfaction with themselves, outside world, life circumstances.

According to the third group of researchers, old age is a combination of positive and negative aspects. Of course, a person ages, but this process is accompanied by certain positive changes. An elderly person can develop many of his abilities and reveal his talents.

Each person reacts to their own aging differently. The pensioner develops an attitude towards the fact that past opportunities have been lost and towards a new position in society. The personality of an elderly person is transformed, but at the same time, its characteristics are preserved. Old age is not accompanied by changes in personality characteristics, moral and social qualities.

Adaptation to a new situation becomes more difficult if the pensioner, even in his youth, preferred to refuse to solve current problems and did not take advantage of favorable opportunities. As a rule, uninitiated people who are accustomed to following the instructions of others cannot adapt to new living conditions. Having retired, they feel lost, helpless and perceive old age within the framework of a negative social stereotype.

According to American psychologists, the following five stand out individual types aging:

Regression. The elderly person returns to their previous behavior. He “childishly” demands that he be helped with everyday activities. At the same time, his helplessness does not depend in any way on the state of his health;

Escape. A pensioner changes his place of residence to avoid having to solve problems;

Insulation. An elderly person becomes passive and does not participate in the life of society;

The elderly strives attract the attention of others;

Pensioner seeks to participate in public life , does not pay attention to health problems, the presence of ailments.

In some situations, an elderly person rebels against the aging process, desperately tries to preserve his youth, and is afraid of death. Sometimes older people calmly accept their old age and live this stage of life safely.

It is important to understand that a person’s attitude towards old age depends on what his life was like. life path at previous stages. Prosperous old age is determined by life values, attitudes, and personality characteristics. Working with older people requires knowledge about their social status, mental characteristics, material and spiritual needs.

What methods of psychological assistance are there for older people?

Let's consider methods of psychological assistance to older people:

Psychological education

Such psychological assistance to older people involves studying specialized literature(brochures, leaflets, etc.). The literature contains information about the difficulties faced by pensioners and the psychological characteristics of old age. This method is accessible, but does not imply the possibility of an individual approach to each elderly person.

Consulting

Psychological assistance to older people is provided in orally and is characterized individual approach to every client. The counseling process allows you to expand the pensioner’s understanding of old age, lifestyle in retirement, and helps the elderly person get rid of psychological problems.

Don't isolate yourself and your problems. An older person needs to communicate more often with other people;

It is important not to give in to apathy. The fact is that it is precisely because of it that a decrease in activity occurs, anxiety states, thoughts about imminent death, etc.;

You can't feel sorry for yourself. If an elderly person has a desire to feel sorry for himself, then he needs to be helped, offered to take care of others;

It is important to maintain a positive attitude. Despair - main enemy an elderly person, because if you constantly think that “life is coming to an end,” you can become depressed.

Group work

As a rule, the groups include older people who have a negative attitude towards their retirement age.

Let us list the basic principles according to which groups are formed:

Industrial. Organizations and enterprises are preparing older people for the upcoming retirement period. This principle has an important advantage over others. The fact is that many members of the group already know each other, which means that psychological assistance to older people will be more productive.

Territorial principle(at the place of residence). This principle has one undeniable advantage. Psychological assistance to older people will be especially useful, because after completing the course, group members will continue to communicate with each other, because they live not far from each other.

Groups that provide psychological assistance to older people can be formed on both a territorial and production basis.

The work program is determined by the characteristics of the group. Some retirees need communication training, creativity training, etc.

Psychological assistance to older people allows pensioners to adapt to the new conditions of their lives.

The training process helps retirees feel comfortable in constantly changing conditions. Unfortunately, the learning abilities of retirees are often underestimated. However, older people acquire new skills and do so quite successfully.

Psychological assistance to older people in Europe is provided through cognitive skills training, which is considered the most effective method of psychotherapy. This training is simple and understandable for older people. Psychological assistance to older people helps compensate for mild cognitive deficits. Pensioners solve crossword puzzles, study languages, history and other disciplines, attend lectures and interest clubs. Thanks to this, their memory, attention, logical thinking are improving significantly.

According to foreign experts, you need to be careful when using such psychotherapeutic methods when working with pensioners. Group psychological assistance to older people promotes a deep understanding of oneself and an adequate assessment of one’s situation. Elderly people are aware of their age characteristics, and this can cause anxiety, concern, and depression. Group techniques have contraindications. Such psychological help for older people can be harmful if they have reduced hearing, are in a state of depression, etc.

Group psychological assistance to older people is useful if the participants share common concerns, interests, and problems.

By the way, older people love to take part in excursions, picnics, walks, and board games.

The Senior Citizens Club invites its members to engage in carpentry, modeling, gardening, herb picking, etc. Pensioners participate in competitions, exhibitions and sales. The proceeds go to the club's budget. Items made by older people are used by the club for its own purposes, given to those in need, etc. The clubs organize collectors' meetings and other events.

Providing psychological assistance to bedridden elderly people

Let us consider what the psyche of a bedridden elderly patient is like. A person who has been sick for a long time perceives the world negatively. He forgets what it is positive emotions, vitality. The pensioner suffers from his physical limitations and painful sensations. He is afraid and feels helpless. He experiences these feelings constantly. For this reason, it is in a state of stress, which turns on the biochemical regulation system in the body.

The patient thinks about his uselessness, feels like a “burden” for loved ones. Recovery processes, as a rule, are delayed, which creates the illusion that treatment is pointless, since it does not bring any results. The patient falls into despair and becomes depressed. Of course, depression does not contribute to recovery. This disease gradually deprives a person of the ability to resist and fight diseases.

Usually a patient who has come to terms with his situation stops taking restorative measures. It is important that at this moment the pensioner is not left alone. Psychological assistance to older people in such a situation is simply necessary. It is advisable that the patient concentrate on his successes, which he was able to achieve during rehabilitation.

It is important that the older person remains enthusiastic and committed to recovery. Relatives should encourage him and support him in every possible way. It seems that recovery is a completely natural goal for the patient, but in reality this is not the case. A person must decide for himself that he wants to recover.

However, you need to understand that to cope colds easier than with a disease that torments the patient for many years. How longer person suffers from illness, the less purposeful he becomes. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen his faith in the possibility of recovery. Psychological assistance to older people allows us to support patients who have already despaired and lost faith in themselves.

To achieve your goal, you will have to develop a plan. It is divided into sections, and then action begins. You should not confuse a sick person with large-scale goals. The fact is that achieving such a goal takes several years, and an elderly person needs positive result in the near future.

You can set him a task that he can complete within a few days. For example, learn to turn over in bed, sit up, etc. Just talking about recovery is not enough, you need to act. To cope with the fears that prevent this, psychological help for older people may be required.

Of course, the patient will not perceive what you are trying to convey to him if you constantly reproach him. Try to justify your proposals, tell in detail what exactly is happening to his body, and how he can help himself.

Break the goal into several stages. To do this, you will have to understand the essence of the disease, draw up a treatment plan, and strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations. Study the medications prescribed by your doctor and recommended methods. If you understand what is happening to the patient, then you can convey to him how to deal with the disease.

The main obstacle to recovery is self-pity. Unfortunately, older people tend to feel sorry for themselves and this prevents them from following the treatment plan. Of course, a person bedridden evokes our sympathy.

Of course, it is quite natural to experience such emotions, and they help the loved ones of the elderly to unite and support him in a difficult moment in life. However, sometimes such feelings become hypertrophied, which makes the patient perceive his illness as something insurmountable. The patient begins to think that the situation is hopeless.

And, of course, these thoughts make him feel sorry for himself, which takes away the patient’s last strength. He becomes more irritable, susceptible, touchy, and pessimistic.

He doesn't want to study physical exercise, which leads to a stop recovery process. Psychological assistance to older people in such a situation can act as a lifebuoy, which allows you to set the patient up in a more positive way.

To encourage the patient, you need to familiarize him with positive reviews about recovery after suffering a similar illness. Try not to concentrate on negative aspects, but on the contrary, pay attention to successes. Tell the patient about people who suffered the same illness and recovered. Convey to him how important it is to fight sad and hopeless thoughts.

What difficulties can you encounter when helping an elderly person?

Psychological assistance to older people allows retirees to take a fresh look at themselves and the world. However, working with the elderly is a difficult matter, because patients are “complainers” who are not ready to admit responsibility for their current position. Moreover, they are unwilling to take action to solve their problems. As a rule, the opinion of a pensioner is very categorical and categorical.

His world is filled with formed norms, ideas, concepts that he does not want to revise. His ideals become a support for him, which allows him to maintain inner peace in a situation where the surrounding reality strongly does not correspond to expectations. Older people cannot change their beliefs or think flexibly. Of course, older people need psychological help, but they are not always ready to face the truth.

Elderly clients do not respond very well to psychotherapy methods that involve changing behavior, thinking, perception of oneself and the world, because they do not want to admit their responsibility for the current state of affairs. For this reason, psychological assistance to older people is not always effective. Moreover, pensioners often devalue the actions and professionalism of a psychologist.

Psychological assistance to older people is complicated by another point. Pensioners tend to live in the past, comparing the current situation with the one they have in their memories. It happens that a psychologist reminds them of some person from the past, and they transfer their attitude towards that person to the specialist. The imposition of any role has a negative impact on the counseling process, and it is quite difficult to overcome it, because older people are quite harsh in their judgments.

Psychological assistance to older people involves shifting the focus from the opinion that “old age is not joy” to a positive understanding of this wonderful period of life. A pensioner must understand that old age is wonderful, like any other stage of life.

Who can provide psychological assistance to older people besides a psychologist and relatives

A modern boarding house for the elderly is a comfortable center where guests are served by highly professional specialists. The establishment is different favorable conditions residence, qualified medical care, healthy eating. Of course, the boarding house also provides psychological assistance to older people.

The boarding house offers its guests:

Creative activities, interesting communication;

Interesting activities aimed at the rehabilitation of patients;

Opportunities to satisfy cultural interests;

Participation in public life.

Psychological assistance to older people involves activities that contribute to the painless adaptation of pensioners to life in modern society.

Psychological assistance to older people involves the use of modern techniques that allow pensioners to restore their social functions and improve their quality of life. The effectiveness of psychological assistance is determined by the activity of the elderly.

Psychological assistance to older people involves the use of the following techniques:

Art therapy;

Bibliotherapy (impact using the literary word);

Music therapy;

Clay therapy;

Garden therapy (growing and caring for plants).

Pensioner can not solve your problems yourself. To do this, he needs the support of loved ones and, of course, psychological help.

In our boarding houses we are ready to offer only the best:

24-hour care for the elderly by professional nurses (all staff are citizens of the Russian Federation).

5 full and dietary meals a day.

1-2-3-bed occupancy (specialized comfortable beds for bedridden people).

Daily leisure (games, books, crosswords, walks).

Individual work psychologists: art therapy, music lessons, modeling.




Psychological assistance is the activity of applying psychological methods For emotional support, education, development and improvement of social psychological competence person. Psychological assistance is work to resolve various types of psychological problems, searching and choosing ways out of a crisis situation.

Types of psychological assistance

Difficult to share individual species psychological assistance cannot be strictly separated. As a rule, they are identified by who provides this assistance. Non-professionals can provide psychological support and assistance - friends and relatives of a person, colleagues, mentors, etc. There are people who have the ability and need to help other people. They often intuitively find the right words and use techniques that are used in psychotherapy. Psychological assistance from specialists trained in this field is more structured and more effective. This work deals with deep reasons psychological conflicts and problems.

Professional psychological assistance is divided into:

Psychoprophylaxis (preventing the occurrence of psychological problems).

Psychological education (consulting individually or in the format of lectures, seminars and trainings).

Psychodiagnostics ( psychological testing or an experiment to identify certain psychological indicators (emotions, memory, thinking, attention, etc.)).

Psychological counseling (psychological assistance with the aim of improving their adaptation, development and expansion of personal potential).

Often psychological assistance is provided jointly by several consultants, a doctor, for example. At the same time, each specialist advises a person on issues in which he is more competent.

Providing psychological assistance can occur both individually and in groups ( group psychotherapy, For example).

Features of psychological assistance

The most important condition for providing psychological assistance is its voluntariness. Exceptions are people with severe mental disorders (psychosis, addiction), when the so-called “criticism of one’s condition” is impaired and the person refuses psychological help. The consultant’s task in this case is to win over the person and convincingly explain the need for such help.

The requirements for a consultant providing psychological assistance are sincerity, the ability to empathize with others, personal flexibility and non-judgmental acceptance of the person he is helping.

Psychological help has ethical principles:

A friendly and “warm” attitude towards the client, the ability to listen to him without interrupting, and to understand without criticizing.

First of all, attention to the norms and values ​​of the client, and not to the norms and rules accepted in society. Acceptance of a person’s values ​​determines not only the ability to support him, but also allows him to change these values ​​in the future, for the sake of psychological well-being client.

The consultant is not allowed to give specific advice in relation to vital important decisions person. The consultant acts as a professional expert, helps to understand difficulties, teaches specific psychological techniques, but only leads the client to a decision that he must make independently

The anonymity of psychological assistance means that any information provided by the client cannot be provided without his consent to any organizations or other persons, including close people.

A clear distinction between personal and professional relationships between consultant and client. Friendly, affiliate or sexual relations may harm the process of providing psychological assistance.

Psychological help in Moscow can be obtained from various organizations. It is provided free of charge by Helpline consultants, socio-psychological assistance centers, charitable and non-profit organizations. In commercial structures, the provision of psychological assistance occurs on on a paid basis. The advantage of such assistance is that the specialist has an additional motive to be more attentive to his client; he has more time and means to help the person. When providing psychological assistance on commercial terms, an agreement should be drawn up that stipulates the scope and terms of assistance, the rights and obligations of each party.

Alas, in the field of providing psychological assistance in Moscow, for example, you can meet many incompetent “specialists” or even scammers. If you pay attention, you can make inferences about the consultant's real motivation.

It is important not only to choose the right specialist based on his specialization and experience, but also based on the personality compatibility of the consultant and the person being consulted. There are no perfect consultants; you need to find the one who is right for you.

, psychotherapist, candidate psychological sciences, "Time of Joy"

Psychological help

Psychological help- area of ​​practical application of psychology, focused on increasing the socio-psychological competence of people and providing psychological assistance, such as to an individual, as well as a group or organization. This is direct work with people, aimed at solving various kinds of psychological problems associated with difficulties in interpersonal relationships, as well as deep personal problems.

Types of psychological assistance

• Psychoprophylaxis (prevention).
• Psychological education (in counseling, in psychoprophylaxis - lectures, seminars).
• Psychodiagnostics (identification of problems and other psychological indicators).
• Psychological counseling (psychological assistance to people within psychological norm in adaptation, development and expansion of personal potential).
• Psychotherapy (aimed at solving deep-seated personal problems and profound transformation of personality), can be clinical and non-clinical.
• Psychiatry (a medical type of care, the use of medications, or humanistic psychiatry, which views a person not as a patient, but as a person with a different worldview, uses medications to a limited extent, and therefore follows the psychotherapeutic path).
• Psychocorrection (restoration of the norm, both from the point of view emotional state, and in terms of personality traits).

The types of psychological assistance cannot be strictly separated. There are areas of overlap. The criterion is who provides assistance (difference in education), with whom the specialist works with a client or patient (the norm criterion is adaptation), what helps (use medicines, psychotherapeutic, counseling techniques)

Specifics of the object of psychological assistance

Voluntary consent, uniqueness, variability. Requirements for a psychologist providing psychological assistance are empathy, congruence, and communication.

Principles of psychological assistance (ethical)

As in many professions, in the work of a psychologist, when providing psychological assistance, there are some principles and requirements, the implementation of which is mandatory. The existence of different ethical codes for the activities of professional psychologists in different countries and psychological communities due to the fact that there are no clear and simple answers to the ethical and moral problems that arise in psychological practice. These principles are necessary to ensure that the provision of psychological assistance is not only more effective and meaningful, but also socially acceptable. Numerous works on this topic discuss various difficult situations, in particular - how a consultant should behave if during a consultation he learns that his client is planning or has committed an antisocial act, if he sees signs of beatings or other violence on the child’s body, if parents want to find out something about their secretive child -teenager, as well as many others. In some countries, such as the USA, non-compliance professional principles and requirements, can lead to deprivation of a psychologist’s diploma, rights to practice and offer his professional services etc.

Among the most important ethical principles of psychological assistance (according to Yu. Aleshina), the following are traditionally distinguished:

Literature

• Aleshina Yu. E. Individual and family psychological counseling. - 2nd ed. - M.: Independent company "Class", 2000. - 208 p. - (Library of psychology and psychotherapy).
• Abramova G. S. Practical psychology. Textbook for high school. - Moscow: Academic project, 2005.

see also

Notes




Wikimedia Foundation.

2010.

psychological help See what “Psychological assistance” is in other dictionaries: - see psychological help. Brief psychological dictionary . Rostov-on-Don: “PHOENIX”. L.A. Karpenko, A.V. Petrovsky, M. G. Yaroshevsky. 1998 ...

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Dictionary of career guidance and psychological support Psychological assistance in management - PPs on the part of the manager represent measures to help employees overcome psychological difficulties

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Psychological assistance to participants in the educational process- 3. Providing psychological assistance to participants educational process a system of measures aimed at overcoming psychological pedagogical problems problems that arise among participants in the educational process in various social situations,… … in solving their psychological problems, social adaptation, self-development, self-realization, rehabilitation, overcoming a difficult psychological situation...... ...

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Books

• Psychological help. Practical guide, Korablina E.P.. Practical guide is devoted to approaches to providing psychological assistance. It discusses the types and forms of psychological assistance, principles psychological counseling, presented...