The program aims to provide post-graduate education focusing on the development of theoretical background, practical competencies and spiritual reinforcement in individuals working in community services, foundations, municipalities and elementary and secondary education. The graduates will be able:
- to apply the current psychological theories and evidence – based counselling practices in order to offer assistance towards the resolution of real life problems of individuals and/or groups.
- to organize the community social work of a church parish or of an organization
- to assist the personal and social development and to promote the psychological well-being of individuals and/or groups
- to participate as specialists in scientific teams engaged in the resolution of individual and social problems.
Finally, the program opens up a range of professional options after graduation and the opportunity to pursue a research career or a Doctoral degree in Applied Psychology.
Upon completion of the program, the graduates are expected:
- to utilize the knowledge acquired pertaining to modern theories and research findings as regards the cognitive, emotional development of children, adolescents and adults with a view to understanding and addressing issues of concern
- to understand and apply in their work the founding principles of Orthodox Theology
- to understand and apply ethics during the design and implementation of a research or an intervention
- to conduct empirical research within their field of interest by accessing the required databases, choosing the suitable data collection tools and methods and be able to present their scientific work
- to adopt a critical viewpoint towards bibliography and the findings of studies and discern the potential of application in their professional and personal lives
- to deploy a set of essential counseling skills (e.g. double listening, deconstruction of a problematic story, the utilization of strengths and competences, the promotion of a wishful changes) of in conformity with an ethical code of practice and in accordance to the principles of cultural tolerance and acceptance of political, religious, social and ethnic diversity
- to communicate effectively with children and adolescents through the counseling techniques and skills that he/she will master so as to address the multiple challenges and the resistance immanent in such an interpersonal process and help in reducing dysfunctional behavior and in making important personal decisions
- to identify dysfunctional states and recognize the symptoms of pathological behavior in children, adolescents and adults and be able to make effective referrals
- to demonstrate deep understanding of contemporary techniques/practices taking into consideration the evidence-based researches in specialized topics in Applied Psychology (e.g. bereavement management, counseling people with terminal illnesses and their relatives, parenting skills and intercultural skills)
- to demonstrate excellent communicational skills with individuals or groups experiencing a specific psychological difficulty (suicidal ideation, anorexia, drug abuse, crises during adolescence)
- to demonstrate competency in applying knowledge and theoretically sound, evidence-based practices to address juvenile delinquency and identifying and analyzing delinquent behavior and applying practices to reduce delinquency in school and the community
- to set an original research topic and master the skills to deploy scientific methodologies and conduct scientific research in accordance with the authoring requirements of a scientific monograph.
More specifically, the program’s structure is organized around three specialization paths:
- The students who choose the specialization in (a) Ministry in the Community or (b) Administration of an NGO or Foundation or Municipal Welfare Service will be able to:
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- plan the pastoral and social work required considering the particularities of their community/church parish and implement it by demonstrating the ideal cooperative spirit with all participating parts by capitalizing on the skills and principles of applied psychology, social ministry and administration of an NGO.
- demonstrate knowledge, skill and competency in management so as to effectively organize and monitor the work of a non-profitable organization by deploying a successful strategy which will be capitalized on the human resources, a comprehensive marketing matrix for goods and services, attesting sponsorships and manage the financial resources according to plan.
- to evaluate the interaction of people in the familial environment, resolve interpersonal problems, and guide the clients throughout a crisis (e.g. divorce, loss etc.) by utilizing techniques from multiple theoretical frameworks and ensuring the potential applicability.
- to identify the needs, expectations and problems of vulnerable individuals and/or groups in the community and the impact of social factors, as well as the psychosocial aspects of supportive services (on an individual, group or communal level) and to act to a) record the evaluation of their clients’ psychosocial state; b) plan intervention programs; c) successfully implement the intervention and, d) evaluate the intervention. They will also engage in action plans and manage their implementation as to render the accommodation of needs and the resolution of problems possible.
- The students who choose the specialization in Applications of Psychology in the School Community or the Educational framework will be able:
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- to master and deploy current, evidence-based techniques/practices in variable topics of Applied Psychology pertaining to school community dynamics (e.g. bullying, intermediary action, mentorship, intercultural skills, emotional intelligence, self-esteem, gender issues in school environment).
- to demonstrate readiness to evaluate the communication context and be able to adapt their skills to address individual differences in their communication with pupils, parents and colleagues.
- The students who will pursue doctoral studies in Applications of Psychology and Counseling will be equipped:
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- to conduct experiential research or intervention, collect data, select the descriptive and deductive statistical data analysis method which is more relevant to the scope of their research project, and, ultimately, use the SPSS statistical package.