This article explores contributions and limits of psychology, and more specifically, of clinical psychology, coping with psychological suffering concerning unemployment. It is based upon some studies about unemployment representations and psychological suffering developed by the Center of Work Applied Psychology and by the Counseling Center of Instituto de Psicologia - Universidade de São Paulo. These data have permitted to focus, in a critical way, the utilitarian conception of work, trying to answer how and under which circumstances a psychological approach may build contra-hegemonics representations and assistance practices in opposition to utilitarian conception of work.
unemployment; work; clinical psychology; work psychology; utilitarian conception