About us
THE UKRAINIAN PSYCHOANALYTICAL UNION – a membership-based nonprofit organization that helps psychologists and psychoanalysts grow and develop professionally in the field of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapies, and also provides psychological services to individuals.
Our goal is to change the common stereotype of psychologists, psychoanalysts, and psychotherapists as “mind doctors” and “psychiatrists,” whose services—in the minds of most people—are equated with admitting that one is “sick” or “mentally deficient,” so they put it off until the last minute or ignore it altogether. The reality is that just one consultation with a professional can significantly ease a person’s emotional state, reduce anxiety, and instill hope—and sometimes even confidence—that their problem can be solved, that they are not alone, and that things aren’t as bad as they imagined. Currently, psychological practice in Ukraine is not subject to licensing, which means that the law does not protect the end consumer from potential harm (both material and psychological) in the event of incompetent actions by the expert they turned to for help. In light of the above, the “Ukrainian Psychoanalytic Union” has established a set of rules for its members designed to protect potential clients by ensuring quality control over the psychological services provided.
PROVISION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS:
- Only verified specialists with a relevant college degree in psychology or psychoanalysis who have completed over 100 hours of personal didactic analysis with a training analyst certified by the UAP/ECPP/IPA;
- the opportunity to submit feedback on your experience with a specialist to the organization’s Ethics Committee;
- social programs for those who need psychological assistance but cannot yet afford it;
- in-person and online consultations;
- our own counseling center.
A paradigm shift in the “psychologist/psychoanalyst/psychotherapist–client, patient, analysand” relationship cannot occur if the focus remains solely on one side of the coin. Unfortunately (or fortunately), highly qualified professionals are not born—they are made. But despite years of professional education and practical training, we must not forget that helping professionals are also human beings who can experience emotional and physical burnout and need support from colleagues and professional communities. As a rule, membership in a professional organization “de jure” implies such support, but “de facto,” the professional becomes just another “name on the list” and gains the opportunity to cite their membership in such an organization as a marker of personal status. We do not subscribe to this kind of ideology, which emphasizes primarily the gloss of outward appearances, and this has shaped our approach to building a professional community.