Analysis of Practices of a Psychology Training-Clinic: Current Potentials and Challenges

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the potentials and challenges of the training experience in a psychology training clinic, investigating how this institution meets the demands of students’ training in the current context. A case study was carried out at PUC Minas training-clinic. The methodological procedures included a triangulation of methods, involving the following strategies: documentary research, participant observation, surveys and interviews. Michel Foucault’s contributions inspired the process of producing and analyzing data. Although the training clinic studied, is a powerful and privileged learning space to face the current training demands – for competencies, plural, ethical, that articulate both theory-practice and teaching-research-extension – many challenges pervade in its daily activities, and thus make operationalizations difficult. In this institution there are still difficulties in overcoming: the exclusive focus on content, the search for early specializations, and the low connection between theory and practice, and this inhibits more precise articulations and less fragmented practices. Most of the interviewees pointed out the lack of a more structured, effective and continuous articulation outside the walls, with the public health network, and intramural, with the other University services. Finally, the school-clinic is very well regarded and evaluated, but its daily life evidences diverse controversies, which indicates the need for its practices to be rethought, mainly due to the new social configurations.

Psychology Training Clinic; Psychologist Training; Curriculum Guidelines; Psychology Education; Michel Foucault