Noelia Villén: "A greater variety of specialists in Psychology is needed"

The university career in Psychology is one of the most popular paths of professionalization and learning in the Spanish territory; year after year, this is one of the most popular Degrees among those who consider starting to go to university.

It is not surprising that something like this happens; This scientific discipline delves into several of the topics with the greatest capacity to arouse people's interest: personal relationships, personality types, strategies to improve mental health and live happier lives, etc. However, the areas of research and work are so diverse within the field of Psychology, that by dedicating four or five years of studying them in college is not even enough to become an expert in two or three of them. they. It is there where the specialization programs and postgraduate training in Psychology become relevant, a topic that we will talk about with Noelia Villén, from Serca Institute.

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Interview with Noelia Villén: The importance of specializing in the area of ​​Psychology

Noelia Villén is Head of the Psychology Area at serca institute, one of the main online postgraduate training centers in the field of Psychology, Health Sciences and Social Sciences. In this interview, Villén talks to us about the role of post-university training to specialize once the Degree or Bachelor's Degree in Psychology is finished.

Is the Bachelor's or University Degree in Psychology a training with which one can already practice in the field itself?

The Licenciatura or University Degree in Psychology provides a solid and general base of theoretical and practical knowledge; This allows them to work in various areas, with the exception of the health field, for which it is necessary to have passed the Master's Degree in General Health Psychology (MUPGS).

However, the possibilities of employment after the degree can be multiple and vary depending on the specialty or area in which the professional wants to practice.

Among the main specialties to be highlighted are Educational Psychology, Work Psychology, Organizations and Human Resources, Intervention Psychology Psychology, Legal Psychology, Psychology of Physical Activity and Sport, Clinical Neuropsychology, Psychology in Gender Equality and Psychology in Emergencies and Catastrophes.

What are the main advantages of continuing training after finishing the degree in Psychology for the professional who wants to work with patients?

If, after finishing your Psychology degree, it is clear that you want to work caring for patients, continuing training is essential to acquire more specialized and up-to-date knowledge in specific areas, as well as improve therapeutic skills and clinical practice through through learning more advanced tools and techniques and thereby improve the therapeutic relationship, increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the treatments.

In addition, continuous training is also reflected in an improvement and development of the professional profile, since in many Sometimes companies request certain very specific specialties, this translates into an increase in the possibility of employability.

At present, among the specialties that are most in demand and that require their own training are Neuropsychology, Attention Early Education, Neurorehabilitation, Organizational and Work Psychology, Marketing and Consumer Psychology, and Violence of genre.

In conclusion, and regardless of the choice of one specialty or another, comprehensive training and a specific one that brings together the latest and most up-to-date knowledge is certainly the best choice.

And what are the benefits of continuing to specialize from the perspective of someone who wants to dedicate themselves to the field of Work Psychology, Organizations and Human Resources?

In case of choosing the field of Work, Organizations and Human Resources, specialization is also key, since it will allow the development of the skills and competences for the correct advice, employment and professional guidance, promotion of training programs for the development of business skills, as well as leadership and team management or resolution of conflicts.

In the same way, this specialization trains to work in the management of Human Resources, the recruitment and the selection of personnel, as well as to design and implement occupational risk and health prevention programs labor.

How has the world of post-university training in Psychology changed in recent years?

In recent years, post-university training in Psychology has undergone a significant change due to the great social transformation that is currently taking place. This has led to focus the importance on mental health, evolving to a greater interest in this field and thereby increasing employment opportunities for graduates in Psychology. For this reason, a greater variety of specialists is needed, their immersion being essential in most companies and institutions today.

Likewise, there is the use and integration of technology, both for practice and for training. Given that there is greater accessibility for students to training programs, thanks to the offer of online postgraduate courses or distance, enables the option of continuing training and combining it with work practice, family responsibilities or other studies.

Should all Master's or Postgraduate programs in Psychology have a theoretical-practical approach, or is it still feasible for some options to focus only on theory?

Master's or Postgraduate programs in Psychology may have a theoretical-practical approach that allows students to apply the knowledge acquired to real situations, or focus on a theoretical approach where, as in the field of research, it may be more interesting to focus only on training at the level academic. This will depend on the specialty of the training, the degree of academic preparation and even the personal preference of the student himself.

What are the challenges that the new generation of graduates in Psychology will have to face?

The new generation of graduates in Psychology will have to face challenges such as the adaptation and inclusion in their day to day of the new technologies and virtual work tools, since digitization is currently present in any employment.

Among its advantages, it should be noted that it allows access to Psychology to a greater number of people who, due to mobility problems, distance or time, they cannot physically go to a consultation, it is also extremely useful so that data management can be done more efficient.

Thus, the need to keep up to date in a constantly evolving field appears, for which reason the Continuous training is fundamental and essential in view of the continuous advances in research and techniques of intervention.

Likewise, the new generations must be aware of and take cultural diversity into account in their clinical practice and be prepared to work with very heterogeneous profiles.

In summary, the new generation of graduates in Psychology will have to face challenges such as adapting to new technologies, working transversally with the rest of professionals, adjust to changes in the labor market by integrating the different existing approaches, maintain constant training and be aware of pluralism cultural.