What is psychological counselling?

Psychological counselling is a process of psychological strengthening of a person facing difficulties and which they find difficult in dealing with. It is carried out with the goal to gradually overcome the problem and to achieve greater life satisfaction.

The approach to psychological counselling depends on your specific problem, your expectations and needs. There are many different methods a counselor can use and their use also depends on their professional orientation.

The result and success of counselling depends largely on your motivation, desire to work on yourself, applying what you have learned and completing assignments between your sessions.

Given the fact that during psychological counselling you face yourself and current inadequate patterns of behavior and thinking, you could experience some transient unpleasant feelings such as sadness, anger, anxiety, fear….

However, long term counseling leads to greater quality relationships with others, more successful solving and overcoming of problems, ameliorating or completely removing symptoms and generally to greater satisfaction and self acceptance in situations we find ourselves in.

What is psychological testing?

Psychological testing refers to procedures, which are used to determine the level of expression of certain traits, abilities and skills in one or more individuals.

Psychological tests are validated, objective and reliable methods of measurement, which predict likely behaviour of a person in certain situations.

Psychological testing is conducted for the following purposes:

• Clinical psychodiagnostics – As part of clinical psychodiagnostics we utilise psychodiagnostic tools to better asses an individual, their sense of experience, thinking and behaviour (especially those nonconforming ones) and in order to offer them adequate psychological or psychiatric help.
• Professional orientation – During professional orientation, testing will help you in selecting your future career, which will be compatible with your intellectual abilities, personality traits and professional interests.
• Professional selection – Testing as part of professional selection is applied when you want to employ the best possible candidate who is best suited for a specified role based on abilities, personality traits and work habits.
• Evaluation of an individual’s potential – We utilise evaluation of an individual’s potential when we want to better acquaint ourselves with and evaluate the potential of an individual and teams. Psychological testing gives us a view into intellectual abilities, personality traits and specific skills associated with a work place as well as giving us the ability to compare results of candidates. However, tests are rarely the only criteria based on which individuals
• Testing personality traits – dominant personality traits, common patterns of behaviour and reactions including interest for learning and adopting new knowledge. If you are a closed person, an introvert and don’t enjoy being in large groups, you will find jobs where you have to act independently more suited for you and not those, which include lots of interaction with others.
• Testing of professional interests – interests relate to things we like, we find comfortable and enjoy in. They are activities that we undertake, objects we like and everything else that is fun for us, exciting or challenging. Interests help us to better get to know ourselves and make easier decisions regarding our profession or career path.
• Talking with a psychologist – counselling relating to selection and realisation of a profession.
• Written report on result of testing – the results from the psychological assessment are presented to the individual or the student and parents in written from as a report.

Assistance in studying for students – learn to study!

Assistance includes individual work with children who require extra support in mastering the school curriculum. Assistance in studying takes place according to a reservation list and needs of the user and is free of charge for children from single parent families.

Organisation of time and studying

• How to organise studying
• Styles of studying
• Obstacles for better and higher quality studying
• Steps for better quality studying
• Balancing fun, studying and rest

Methods for increasing concentration

• What is concentration
• Problems with concentration; external causes, internal causes, physical and psychological stress, mental fatigue
• Fun concentration exercises

Techniques to better remember course material

• Mental maps
• Mnemonic strategies
• Organising content
• Self-programming material

Consult us should you require expert and quality research done in the area of social sciences!

If you require assistance with carrying out research, expert consultation in planning, an independent outside expert or a complete solution, talk to us in confidence.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

• Setting goals
• Development of budget
• Agreeing to a time frame and work principles
• Finalising contract for carrying out research

FORMATION OF INDICATORS AND DATA COLLECTION

• Quantitative methods: survey, questionnaire, online survey, sending survey by post or e-mail, knowledge testing, competency, skills, quantitative observation
• Qualitative methods: in-depth interview, focus groups, structured and semi structured interviews, qualitative observation

REPORTING

• Research results
• Conclusion, recommendations and guidelines

Do you require expert and high quality evaluation to be carried out?
Are you implementing a project financed by the EU and the donor is requiring outside evaluation to be carried out?
Perhaps you need help with evaluating the effectiveness of your program or project?
You’re not sure what and how to measure or what data to collect and how to process it?

What is the purpose of an evaluation?
An evaluation serves as a benchmarking and assessing its impact, influence and effectiveness of a certain activity or a group of activities, projects, programs or other social interventions.

Why is evaluation necessary?
In recent times there has been a greater need and even more requirements by donors (in most cases in the non-government sector) for carrying out outside evaluation, which in itself is very objective, neutral and unbiased. Despite the fact that evaluations have various goals and purposes of evaluation, their motivation is universal and refers to better understanding of one owns work with the goal of its betterment in the future.

How is it performed and how do we obtain results?
The basic principle, which should be adhered to when developing and carrying out an evaluation is to base the evaluation on clear and objective measurement indicators. Indicators are defined and collected in relation to the set goals of the evaluation, i.e. Indicators can consist of evaluation of satisfaction or usefulness for workshop participants, knowledge test after the workshop, number of participants for certain activities, number of performed activities, program certificates received from authorised institutions, etc. Considering the type of indicators or data collected in the evaluation, we can differentiate between quantitative and qualitative methods:

Qualitative: in-depth interviews, focus groups, structured and semi structured interviews, qualitative observation
Quantitative: questionnaire, survey, online survey, postal or e-mail survey, test of knowledge and competence and skills, quantitative observation

Quantitative methods in it carry more objectivity and verifiability, the possibility of clear presentation of results, possibility of comparison with assigned reference points.

Qualitative methods are usually based on free testimonials from evaluation of participants, their impressions, descriptions and experiences. Every evaluation study fully serves its purpose through reporting on performed actions and results. In the report, it is important to concisely and clearly lay out how the evaluation was carried out and most importantly implications based on the focus area. Even in this last part of the presentation, it is important to behave in a participating manner: to report on preliminary results, give advice, and to cooperate closely while on the run with all participants of the evaluation process.

How can you benefit?
It is important to note in the end that every evaluation process requires an individual approach. In most cases it is about studies, which should be adapted to specific project requirements or activities, so that the acquired information should be as accurate and as useful as possible for all evaluation participants. Evaluation is therefore an integral part of all processes within an organisation and all with the aim of optimisation.
Talk to us if you need assistance in carrying out evaluation, expert consulting with planning an evaluation, an independent external expert or a complete solution.

What is vocational guidance?

Vocational guidance is a set of different activities that enable individuals to identify their own opportunities, competences and interests at different times of life, to make decisions regarding education, training and employment and manage their own professional careers.

Why is vocational guidance important?

We spend one third of our lives at work, 7 to 8 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week, 35 to 40 years. Doing the job that makes us happy as well as being successful at it is of immense importance to human happiness. Therefore, choosing a right career is one of the most important life choices.

When to opt for vocational guidance?

• When you want to find out which career is right for you

• When you want to choose the appropriate high school / college

• When you want to confirm your choice

• When you want to find out which of your skills are most advanced

• When you want to change your career

• Get in charge of your career development

What does vocational guidance include?

Psychological testing of different intellectual abilities – verbal, numerical, abstract, spatial and mechanical reasoning as well as knowledge of grammar and spelling linked to activities within different professions.

Testing personality traits – dominant personality traits, common patterns of behavior and responsiveness, interest in learning and acquiring new knowledge. If you are closed, withdrawn, and do not enjoy the company of a large number of people, dealing with tasks which have to be performed independently and which do not require lots of interpersonal contact will suit you better.

Testing of professional interests – interests are related to what we like, what we enjoy. Exploring our interests helps us to get to know ourselves better and to make a better decision about our career.

Interview with a psychologist – counseling regarding choosing a career.

Vocational guidance report – consists of interpreting the psychological assessment to the client.

Psychosocial workshops are designed for elementary school children and are aiming to develop children’s potential: communication, social and emotional skills, encouraging attention and concentration as well as providing emotional support.

Each workshop is carried out in the planned order of activity, which is a thoughtful set of exercises and exchange of experiences in accordance with the theme and goal of an individual workshop.

Through the program, we help the children with:

• developing concentration and persistence in a given activity

• developing skills in dealing with others

• expressing feelings and nonviolent conflict resolution

• learning about and applying different relaxation techniques

• encouraging friendship and mutual respect

• developing self-esteem and positive self-image.

Group size: Working with children is organized in small, closed groups of 4-8 participants.

Duration: Workshops are held through a cycle of 5 meetings, once a week for 1 hour.