Abstract
This paper derives from a doctoral dissertation that investigated the experience of psychologists who have worked in extreme situations, such as environmental disasters, plane crashes and armed conflicts. It is an exploratory qualitative research of phenomenological inspiration. The researcher had individual encounters with nine psychologists. As a strategy for the analysis of these encounters, narratives were elaborated, unveiling the meanings of the participant’s experience pointing to elements related to the studied phenomenon: a) living with risks becomes an inherent part of this professional practice; b) belonging to a humanitarian organization is vital to the psychologists practice; c) psychological care develops in harmony with the specificities and demands of the situation, developing from attitudes of empathy and acceptance, as well as from the authenticity of the psychologist himself; d) working in extreme situations is a fertile and peculiar opportunity of learning; e) psychologists revealed feelings of self-realization and gratitude as a result of participating in these situations, and a desire to remain in these contexts. The meaning of the psychological practice in extreme situations mirrors a human gesture of casting oneself in the direction of others with the mission of caring for them.
Psychological Intervention; Phenomenology; Psychologist Practice