Contents
And the truth: how does it help modern man? Why do our experts need Psychologies, what do they see as the meaning of our cooperation? These questions are answered by psychologists and psychotherapists: Ekaterina Mikhailova, Irina Panyukova, Vadim Petrovsky, Anna Varga, Andrey Rossokhin, Svetlana Krivtsova, Dmitry Leontiev.
We try to understand what others think, we ask ourselves: why did they act this way and not otherwise? And sometimes: why do I do this – and can I do otherwise? All this is the work of our psyche, and psychologists observe and describe this work. They come to our aid in difficult life situations. For example, when we part with a loved one or cannot come to an agreement with our children. This is in general. And there are separate, private questions that arise before each of us, and different tasks: some of them are resolved during the day, others we have to solve all our lives.
Psychology means something different for everyone. What does it mean for a specialist, a person who has chosen it as his profession? For ten years, on behalf of our readers, we have been turning to recognized professionals to reflect on the most pressing and exciting topics together with them. But it’s not often that you get the chance to ask what the experts themselves think about collaboration with the journal and about the place psychology occupies in our lives. Today we have an opportunity to learn about it first hand.
Read more:
- How do you know when it’s time to see a psychologist?
Ekaterina Mikhailova, psychotherapist
- When we talk about psychology, we are not talking about the art of manipulating others and playing on someone’s weaknesses, we are talking about the practice of being attentive to the inner world, about the right to one’s own world. And then the answer is clear: modern man needs psychology in order to remind him that he and others, which is essential, have an inner world. That childhood memories, dreams, or reflections on the meaning of life are important. That each of us can be interesting, full of secrets and will surprise others and himself more than once.
- The Psychologies team treats psychologists and their work with care and respect – this is second. And firstly – Letters from readers have become for me a kind of “window to the world”. They accurately reflect everyday ideas, norms and way of life. Working with letters makes it possible not to forget where you live.
Read more:
- Daughter and mother: separation is difficult, but necessary!
Irina Panyukova, sexologist
- Understanding how our psyche works is important in the same sense as knowing the rules of the road is important for safety and comfort.
- I read Psychologies with or without reason. The magazine helps me to learn the point of view of specialists from other countries, with a different mentality, and this greatly expands my professional horizon. And I am simply fascinated by the language in which materials about sexuality are written, made jointly with French colleagues. In it, scientific character is expressed poetically, naturally, as in a beautiful literary work. There is a lot to learn! I often read a magazine in the evening, after work, this allows me to “switch”, to feel like just a person, not a psychotherapist. And reflect on the events of the day, dispel tension, restore peace of mind and a sense of inner comfort. I never cease to be surprised – most of the articles are written in such a way that I want to say: “Oh, this is about me!” The magazine helps to see familiar situations from a different angle, gives impetus to new thoughts and positive emotions. Thanks to the editors for the joyful opportunity to be with you!
Read more:
- Irina Panyukova: “Men are not born, they become”
Vadim Petrovsky, transactional analyst
- To really be a modern person, for whom psychological culture is part of the general culture (along with the ability to read, write, wash hands before eating). We have two illusions, opposite in meaning, but perfectly coexisting with each other: “all people are like me”, and “all people are different”. Therefore, we have the misfortune to judge by ourselves when we try to understand what happened to someone else yesterday and what will happen to him tomorrow, and he (she) gives us surprises. On the other hand, the notorious “knowledge of oneself” is a very conditional thing. Do we know, for example, how we will behave in a difficult or unusual situation? Take, for example, Milgram’s experiments with role-playing rigidity (under the dictation of an instructor, people are capable of doing monstrous things; moreover, the majority of such people, therefore, potentially each of us belongs to them). Or another example: “something is not right in my family, there are normal families.” Knowledge of psychology allows us to understand what illusions we live in and that our ideas about the “norm” are very unrealistic.
- Psychologies is an open university of psychological knowledge. It largely contributes to overcoming the distance between psychology and life. When a psychologist-consultant conducts a session on the pages of the magazine, he contributes to solving the problems not only of his client, but also of other people, among whom is himself as a person. Therefore, when I work with Psychologies, I, a person prone to doubts, not only exchange experience with colleagues on how to help a person, but also look at how they themselves manage to live according to their own beliefs and principles.
Read more:
- “Relationships in a couple are finite, but love can last a lifetime”
Anna Varga, family systems psychotherapist
- All of us, voluntarily or involuntarily, are aware of our mental processes, we try to understand the motives and experiences of other people. This is inevitable, this is psychology, our own, “household”. And scientific knowledge makes us more literate and competent.
- You feel like a member of the club. When the magazine first started, everyone discussed excitedly how it would be in our society, where there are no individual views and ideas. It’s nice that the magazine is very successful and that it has many domestic imitators. Periodically, I even start sketching topics for Psychologies, and then the routine sucks, and I don’t write. And then I regret it.
Read more:
- What can systemic family therapy do?
Andrey Rossokhin, psychoanalyst
- I am not at all close to the psychology that serves the modern “consumer person”. I am inspired by another, eternal psychology that preserves and develops the human in a person. This psychology protects the territory of my soul. Each of us needs it like air to remain passionate, feeling, thinking, changing, constantly looking for new meanings of life together with other people.
- When a magazine poses difficult questions, bringing up new topics, it encourages me to be an explorer, to look beyond the known, to develop the ability to talk about the complex in a living language. Over the years of cooperation, one of the most powerful creative experiences for me was the work on the column “What does this picture tell me about?”, When the masterpieces began to come to life, open up in a new way, forcing the soul to work – fantasize, suffer, think. So the magazine helps me in amazing and full of pleasure searches and discoveries of new meanings.
Read more:
- What does this picture tell me? The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo Buonarroti
Svetlana Krivtsova, psychotherapist
- It is only in the last two or three decades that psychology has truly entered the culture of educated people. Without it, human relations, constructive cooperation with others, but most importantly, a truly good relationship with oneself are impossible. Psychology, or rather phenomenological psychology, is the science of the mathematical logic of experiences, and people need it.
- The journal Psychologies captivates with its lack of arrogance towards the reader, on the one hand, and the professional selection of topics, on the other. Seemingly mutually exclusive features – a popular publication, which, nevertheless, even a professional reads number by number with interest. This paradox is the secret of the magazine. Not a magazine in general, but this particular Russian team – its editors. Intelligent and professional real people. And this gives rise, by the way, to patriotic feelings, despite the French name. Why read? Pragmatically, we can say – because this is a world-class quality product. And if deeper, I can say about myself: I was lucky to be present at the birth, development and flourishing of a real cultural phenomenon, the scale of which has not even been properly comprehended yet. Far from psychology, people are actively adopting a culture of responsible care for their own lives. Isn’t that real enlightenment? And I’m proud to be a member of Psychologies too.
Read more:
- Advice for the “squeezed” and hypersensitive
Dmitry Leontiev, psychologist
- Psychology is the user’s guide to oneself. We can use the capabilities of our brain by 3%, or we can significantly more. And although knowledge of psychology is not the only and, perhaps, not the main factor on which this depends, but to be a qualified user of oneself means to take into our own hands what we used to let go to chance and set of circumstances. For some, this is an extra burden, and for others, new opportunities.
- Collaboration with Psychologies is an opportunity to share my life and professional experience, to talk about my important ideas. It’s also a kind of psychological help, even though I don’t see who I’m talking to.