Career Guidance Meeting: Who’s Who in the Field of Mental Health?

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, on May 19, 2025, specialists from the Department of Psychiatry, Narcology, and Medical Psychology at TNMU organized a career guidance meeting for students who are planning their future studies and career choices — and it turned out to be a deeply meaningful experience. The meeting took place at the department itself, and the conversation with the students was led by Associate Professor Olena Smashna.

The discussion covered:

• Who is a psychotherapist?
• How do they differ from a psychologist or a psychiatrist?
• How do modern mental health professionals work — without stereotypes, stigma, or “diagnosis-phobia”?

Clinical case examples were shared to illustrate what psychotherapy looks like in practice and how to differentiate between depression, anxiety, and burnout.

The participants also learned about the educational paths to becoming a psychologist, psychotherapist, or psychiatrist — where to begin, what the journey looks like, and the variety of therapeutic approaches available (CBT, psychoanalysis, humanistic therapy, etc.).

❗We also debunked several common myths:

• “Psychiatrists only prescribe medication”
• “You only go to a psychotherapist if you’ve had serious trauma”
• “Psychologists just give advice”

Everyone left the meeting with a better understanding of themselves and renewed inspiration to explore the field of mental health.

We thank everyone who joined us!