The 13 benefits of Psychology (and why it's a good idea to go to the psychologist)

The study and application of psychology is very useful in different areas, and the work of psychologists is beneficial in different areas. Do not forget that in this discipline there are many specializations and, although many people associate the figure of this professional to the clinical or psychopathology, we can also find psychologists working in companies, in the marketing world, in sports clubs and even in the schools.

And it is that the study and application of psychology is beneficial both to improve the welfare and mental health of people and to promote interpersonal relationships, improve sports or organizational performance, help groups work better and much more. .

The psychologist is a professional who, from a scientific perspective, studies how people and groups think, feel and behave, and possesses the knowledge, techniques and tools to diagnose and intervene in different problems that can arise mentally, behaviorally, relationally ...

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Psychology is not just dealing with psychopathologies

Erroneously, there is a popular belief (albeit to a lesser extent) that the psychologist is dedicated exclusively to deal with patients with psychological disorders.

The reality is that psychology professionals carry out different functions, and although one of them is to diagnose and treat the psychological problems of some people, this professional is present in different environments, which do not necessarily have to do with a hospital or a hospital. Psychology clinic.

For example, psychologists can work in companies carrying out personnel selection processes or by participating in the training of workers, they can act in schools so that children with special educational difficulties can improve their academic performance and have the same opportunities and rights as any child of their age.

You can also work directly with an athlete (for example, a tennis player) to get more out of your workouts or the competitions in which you participate, and learn to better manage your emotions to perform at a high level during a championship. The benefits of psychology are multiple , and psychologists, with their effort and dedication, contribute to this being so.

What are the branches of psychology?

As you can see, psychologists participate in different fields of application , because psychology can have as many facets as activities performed by the human being. Some of the most important branches of psychology are:

1. Organizational Psychology and Human Resources

The psychologists can participate in companies performing different functions, including selection of personnel, training or reduction of work stress.

The psychology of marketing and consumer may also belong to the area of ​​psychology of organizations, and is responsible for carrying out research aimed at creating services and attractive products for the client. It is also responsible for establishing communication strategies that are more useful, and makes efforts to provide knowledge about neuromarketing, among many other functions.

2. Social and community psychology

One of the branches of psychology that generates more interest at present is the social and community psychology, which puts the focus of attention on the collective and the relationships between people in a context . It takes into account group processes and how social and relational dynamics affect individuals.

3. Clinical and health psychology

It consists of research and intervention focused on psychological problems and the well-being of people .

Although clinical psychology deals directly with psychological problems, whether or not they are very serious, professionals in health psychology usually focus their work on improving the well-being and quality of life of some individuals who do not necessarily suffer from mental disorders. For example, patients with cancer, in the case of specialization in Psycho-oncology.

4. Educational and developmental psychology

These professionals may or may not work in schools, but their work usually focuses on the processes of learning and education. For example, working with individuals who suffer ADHD or improving the relationship between family and school.

The psychology of development is often linked to the psychology of education. However, although some of the functions in both areas may overlap, the psychology of development focuses on psychological and behavioral changes that occur in different stages of life, from childhood to old age.

5. Sexology

This field aims at the application of psychology to the resolution of problems related to sexuality (erectile dysfunction, paraphilias, lack of sexual desire, etc.), as well as contributing to improve the sexual performance of individuals.

• Maybe you're interested: "Study Sexology: 8 reasons that can convince you"

Benefits of psychology

Therefore, psychology has many fields of application, and all of them are very useful for people in different aspects. Necessary stop linking the science of behavior to psychopathology , because psychology positively affects many areas of our life and in different contexts.

In summary, the benefits of psychology are:

1. To get better communication skills and relational of people.
2. Help improve emotional intelligence and conflict resolution and help to better manage other related aspects (for example, stress).
3. Improve the relationships of couple and family and, of course, their well-being.
4. Maximize the potential of people and his own personal development thanks to self-knowledge, planning and the improvement of one's own motivation.
5. Improve the quality of life of people with diseases (for example, diabetes or cancer).
6. Diagnose and intervene in the overcoming of different mental disorders.
7. Improve the knowledge of the structure and functioning of our brain, and help to understand and improve cognitive functions such as memory.
8. To get better Teaching and learning processes , and work together with the faculty to motivate all students.
9. Create a better group climate, for example, in schools or organizations.
10. Improve the processes of evaluation and incorporation of changes. These changes can be of all kinds, for example, when dealing with drug addicts.
11. Improve the processes of personnel selection, teamwork, production of a company and employee welfare.
12. Psychological interventions can reduce the need for pharmacological treatment .
13. Positive manipulation of psychological variables related to sport. For example, self-confidence, level of activation, aggressiveness, perseverance or team cohesion.

Emotion, Stress and Health: Crash Course Psychology #26 (March 2024).