Our Students Involved in Adult Psychology Sessions
In February 2018, UACS second year students of psychology and their lecturer in Adult Psychology Dr. Blagica Rizoska Vanikj had the opportunity to attend practical adult psychology sessions with elderly people as part of the project “Active Living” implemented by the Macedonian National Organization for Gestalt Therapy – Kontakt. The sessions are organized within the program entitled “Taking action on social inclusion of elderly people”, which is supported by the European Union, the Austrian Agency for Development, and the Austrian Red Cross; it is implemented on national level by the Red Cross of the Republic of Macedonia and the organization Humanost. During the sessions, the students had an opportunity to recognize the potentials gained during personal life experiences as well as the needs for help and support for mentally healthy living. By using different Gestalt Psychotherapeutic tools and methods, the elderly people are supported in their process of active living. Additionally, the students attended a lecture on communication with elderly citizens, and discussed about proper communication techniques as well as strategies for dealing with conflicts. “The group dynamic between the lecturer and the elderly people was very experiential and instructive”, says Done Donev, one of the UACS students who participated in the sessions.
