The Identity of a Mental Health Professional

Psychology In Theory And Practice

People are becoming increasingly aware of the need to maintain good mental health. As a direct consequence of this, an increasing number of people are looking for the assistance of experts in the field of mental health, which exemplifies the significant need for persons with this skill set in today's society. Recently, it has become abundantly clear that psychology has become one of our society's most important fields of work. Students who choose to major in psychology learn to think critically, develop an awareness of the variety of human behavior and the factors that contribute to it, and appreciate the application of scientific techniques in practice.

The study of psychology can trace its roots to antiquity but has a relatively recent history as a profession. For over two millennia, philosophers focused nearly entirely on mental health concerns. They regularly composed treatises or devoted lengthy works to the psyche, then considered an immaterial entity, which has now become the focus of psychological research. During the second part of the 19th century, psychology developed into its own independent branch of the scientific community.

The word “psychology” originates from ancient Greek, where the word “psyche” refers to the soul, and the word “logos” refers to either a word or a concept. The word “psychology” is represented by the Greek letter “Psi.” In the 18th century, the word became well-known due to the publishing of “Psychologia empirica” and “Psychologia rationalis” by the German philosopher Christian Wolff. Before the advent of the scientific revolution in the 19th century, philosophy and psychology were often confused with one another. Several prominent philosophers, such as Plato, Aristotle, Saint Augustine, and Descartes, were among those who made significant contributions to the development of psychology.

The separation of psychology as a scientific discipline from philosophy did not occur until the 19th century. Thus, psychology is a relatively new subject of study. It is generally agreed that Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt and William James should be credited with founding the academic subject of psychology. Wundt was a structuralist who believed that the best way to understand the cognitive experience of others was to dissect it into its component parts and then reflect on those parts. James was a proponent of the functionalist philosophy, which held that mental activity assists the body in adjusting to its surroundings.

Sigmund Freud is widely recognized as one of the most influential people in psychology. He believed comprehending how the conscious mind works was impossible without first understanding the unconscious mind. Freud felt that one might obtain a deeper understanding of the human psyche through analyzing dreams, practicing slip observation, and engaging in free association. Another significant movement that impacted psychology was behaviorism, which emphasizes studying people's behaviors and responses. Famous researchers who contributed to this discipline include Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, and B.F. Skinner.

Gestalt psychology played a crucial role in the development of the discipline. Gestalt psychology placed an emphasis on taking a comprehensive picture of human beings and their experiences. The assumption that all individuals have an underlying capacity for “well-being” rose to the humanistic tendency, which evolved along with the rising dominance of behavioral and psychoanalytic ideas. Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow are two of the most well-known names in the field of humanistic psychology.