Austria

From January onwards, clinical-psychological treatment will be covered by health insurance

Psychological support on a cash basis has previously been a rare commodity. This will change in January 2024 and the costs will then be covered. But long-term financing is still open.  

Read more here 

Celebratory conference for 70 years of the BÖP

Psychological pioneering work creates perspectives

BÖP sets a clear example for the future of mental health with an inspiring conference

On Friday, November 17, 2023, a total of over 600 members, experts and interested parties came together at the Austria Center Vienna to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Professional Association of Austrian Psychologists (BÖP) . The festival conference under the title " Future. Psychology. Conference on 70 years of BÖP " not only offered an impressive look back at the successes of the professional association, but also provided groundbreaking impulses for the future of psychology in Austria.

The event was opened by Health Minister Johannes Rauch and was under the patronage of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen . Dr. Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat , Director of the Division of Country Health Policies and Systems at WHO Europe, also enriched the start with encouraging and appreciative words. BÖP President ao. In her speech , University Prof. Dr. Beate Wimmer-Puchinger emphasized the significant development of the professional group in recent years. The increasing visibility and recognition of psychology is a result of the commitment of the many people involved in the healthcare system.

Further information and photos on BÖP website 

From left to right : Mag.a Christina M. Beran (Vize President, Secretary of  the Professional Association of Austrian Psychologists), Univ.-Prof. Dr.med.univ. Josef Smolle (Member of the National Council, Austrian People’s Party), a.o. Univ-Prof.in Dr.in Beate Wimmer-Puchinger (President of the Professional Association of Austrian Psychologists), Mag.a Dr.in Michaela Schwarz (Aviation Psychologist) , Prof Dr Christoph Steinebach (President of EFPA)

From left to right: Prof Dr Christoph Steinebach (President of EFPA), a.o. Univ-Prof.in Dr.in Beate Wimmer-Puchinger (President of the Professional Association of Austrian Psychologists), Prof.in Dr.in Dr.in h.c mult. Ilona Kickbusch (International Expert on Health Policy Challenges and Public Health)

Czech Republic

Professional public debate on the new Czech law on psychological and psychotherapy services.  

The Czech Association for Psychotherapy (ČAP) and the Union of Psychological Associations of the Czech Republic (UPA ČR) are launching a professional public debate on the new law on psychological and psychotherapy services. The goal is a broad consensus across the professional community. Legislative regulation, which is still missing in the Czech Republic, would bring clarity and greater availability of psychotherapy and psychology, lower costs for the state and a transparent environment for experts in the field.   

Further information 

Denmark

PPR - to co-create, reflect and include the perspective of children and young people

There are great expectations that PPR can create developmental measures in relation to children's misery, and many efforts are being put in place. Therefore, we must also reflect on our ethical position and the child view we want to promote. Psychologist Bente Kristiansen argues this in this professional chronicle.

Read the professional chronicle here 

Germany

"Borders between profession and family in a borderless working world"

This  is the topic of Nicolas Müller's lecture. The transitions between professional and private lives are becoming more pervasive and the separate areas of life, just a few years ago, are increasingly intermingling. The so-called “Boundary Management” is dedicated to the question of how professionals can coordinate the boundaries between their work and personal lives to strike a good balance between these areas of life.

Access this link to the lecture organized by Employed and Public Psychologists (ABP) section 

Italy

International Workshop “Child Well-Being in Formal and Informal Care and Education Contexts: New Perspective on Intervention” 

October 27, 2023

The international meeting was held on October 27t, 2023 at the Catholic University, within the European Semester promoted by Italy.

Read or download a short report of the meeting as PDF here 

Netherlands

International collaboration among psychologists in the Netherlands and Portugal on governance, education and awareness of the importance of mental health

Feb 2024/SS
The Japan Journal of Research has accepted the article titled “Strengthening the relationship; a digital and educational exchange between Portuguese and Dutch Mental Health Care Associations"  for publication!

In October '23, GGz Breburg organized a captivating digital event in collaboration with the Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses, het Nederlands Instituut van Psychologen (NIP), de Nederlandse ggz, and GGZ Oost Brabant. This event, hosted in partnership with clinical psychologists in training and their supervisors, proved to be both enriching and educational

Read the source article here 

Portugal

Table of Contents:

• 6th Congress of the Portuguese Psychologists' Association and XIII Ibero-American Congress of Psychology
  

• EuroPsy Specialist Certificate in Psychotherapy is now available

• Guideline for psychologists: Remote psychological intervention

• Title of specialist psychologist awarded by the Portuguese Psychologists Association is now recognized by the National Health Service

• Open letter to the President of the Republic of Portugal

• Initial Training Junior Psychologist with virtual reality VRethics

6th Congress of the Portuguese Psychologists' Association and XIII Ibero-American Congress of Psychology

September 25-27, 2024

Registration is now open for the 6th Congress of the Portuguese Psychologists' Association, which will take place in 2024. Simultaneously with the XIII Ibero-American Congress of Psychology.   The largest event in the Ibero-American psychology space returns to Lisbon on September 25, 26, and 27, 2024.  

Purchase your ticket online 

EuroPsy Specialist Certificate in Psychotherapy is now available

January 25, 2024

Guideline for psychologists: Remote psychological intervention

January 17, 2024

Whether in-person or remotely, psychological intervention is guided by professional principles and based on scientific evidence and compliance with Portuguese Psychologists’ Code of Ethics. However, considering that remote psychological intervention involves some specific challenges and to ensure the delivery of high-quality services, below are some recommendations and guidelines that Psychologists must take into consideration, when contacting their clients using remote communication tools.

Read or download the document here as PDF 

Title of specialist psychologist awarded by the Portuguese Psychologists Association is now recognized by the National Health Service

January 5, 2024  

The title of specialist in Clinical and Health Psychology awarded by the Portuguese Psychologists Association will now be recognized by the National Health Service.   With this change, the title of specialist in Clinical and Health Psychology becomes a sufficient condition to access the career of Senior Health Technician, and, through this, psychologists also have the remuneration changed. This will also facilitate the hiring of more psychologists.

Click here below to view video on youtube                                          

                                                                        

Open letter to the President of the Republic of Portugal

January 3, 2024 

The President of the Portuguese Association of Psychologists wrote a letter to the President of the Portuguese of the Republic of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, as he does every year. In the letter, Francisco Miranda Rodrigues reported on the contributions of psychological science and psychologists in 2023. 

 Despite the turbulence and the enormous contextual and internal challenges that we have to deal with in 2024, we remain committed to fulfilling our program and the contributions to which we are institutionally, ethically and civically obliged as psychologists to resolve crises and societal challenges we live in. Portugal, Europe, Ibero-American space and the world count on Portuguese psychologists, can be read in the letter.

Read more 

Initial Training Junior Psychologist with virtual reality VRethics

November , 2023

The Portuguese Psychologists Association implemented, this November 2023, the first editions of the Junior Psychologist Initial Training with virtual reality (VR) VRethics. The first two editions took place in Lisbon and Porto, covering a total of 40 trainees. The applicability of Virtual Reality in Psychology training is now applied to Module 2, on Ethics and Professional Deontology of Psychologists and is unprecedented worldwide in the training of psychologists.

Initial training for junior psychologist with virtual reality

Collected by Patrícia Batista
OPP Press Officer

United Kingdom

BPS responds to Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman report on the safety of mental health patients leaving inpatient services

Feb 01, 2024

The BPS is deeply concerned about the risks to the safety of mental health patients after discharge and urges investment in mental health services and the workforce.

Read more 

British Psychological Society has produced a new strategy, which lays out the core purpose, vision and values going forward

Feb 2024/SS
The purpose section of the strategy outlines the British Psychological Society’s central goal as an organisation, linked to meeting the charitable objectives.

A simple vision guides all of our work as an organisation: ‘Building a world where psychology transforms lives’.

Four shared values are placed at the heart of the culture, helping the BPS to unite our psychological community and fulfilling our purpose: ‘TOGETHER we are OPEN and WILLING with an aspiration for EXCELLENCE.’ These shared values have been used to outline the behaviours that will define the BPS as an organisation, so that we can deliver more for members.

Finally, four shared pillars have been developed, into which the work of the BPS can be divided and against which its progress towards the overall strategic vision will be measured. These are : ‘Community, Champion, Confidence, and Cultivate’.

Read more here 

Watch video on Youtube here 

EFPSA - European Federation of Psychology Students 

Table of Contents

• External Relations
• Upcoming events 
• Projects

Read more 

 External relations

October 10, 2023

Our EFPSA teams have been very active lately. After the External Relations organised a panel discussion on the Mental Health Day in October, our representatives had a pleasure to join two external events - VI COP Convention in Tarragona (Spain) and EFPA Council in Napoli (Italy). We also gathered the EFPSA Representatives in the EFPA Working Groups, and facilitated first meetings with them. Most of the Representatives got involved and started working in the WGs. Big thanks go to EFPA for this opportunity for our past and current members to contribute to the Groups´ activities and future of psychology

Left to right: Alvaro (External Relations Team Member): and Veronika (President) at the VI COP Convention in Tarragona

 Upcoming events

In the upcoming mandate, EFPSA will host several events for students from all around Europe.

38th Congress in April (Greece)

 Projects

EFPSA has been collaborating with the European healthcare students´ associations thanks to EHSAA for the past years. Together we are preparing our interprofessional first Summer University that will be hosted from the 28th of July until the 2nd of August in Braga (Portugal). We are happy to connect both professionals and students during the week full of symposiums, policy tables, workshops, soft-skill trainings, career fair and networking sessions. Externals are welcome to join our network in the open call at the moment. The Research Programme is looking for a PhD/post-doc researcher interested in leading a group of enthusiastic psychology students in conducting international research for one year. The call will close on the 22nd of February, and all information can be found on the webpage or the Coordinators will be pleased to answer your questions via email (journal@efpsa.org).