Published: October 2024
Keywords:
School, family, mental health professionals, systemic perspective, embrace, therapy.
Maria Koutoupi
Maria Koutoupi is a Psychologist, graduate of the Psychology Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki since 2019, holder of a Master's degree in "Neurosciences and Neurodegenerative Diseases", from the Department of Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in 2023. From 2021 she is training in Systemic and Family Therapy, at the Institute of Systemic Approach and Family Therapy in Thessaloniki. She has worked in the Carers’ Department of the "Agia Eleni" Day Center of the Hellenic Society of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders from 2021-2023, while in the year 2023-2024 she worked as a Psychologist in Secondary Education schools. She has participated and presented in numerous seminars, workshops and conferences, related to her professional and research activity. She loves traveling, nature and having warm conversations with people.
Kyriaki Poulopoulou
Kyriaki Poulopoulou is a Psychologist, a graduate of the Department of Psychology of the European University Cyprus since 2021. In 2017 she completed her first undergraduate degree at the Department of Philosophy and Educational Psychology of the University of Ioannina. She is currently a postgraduate student in the programme "Applied Developmental Psychology", at the Hellenic Open University. Also, from 2021 onwards, she is being trained in Systemic and Family Therapy at the Institute of Systemic Approach and Family Therapy in Thessaloniki. She has been working at the Social Welfare Centre of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace from 2020-2021. During the years 2022-2024 she worked as a Psychologist in a special therapies centre in the city of Kavala and currently she is working in a special therapies centre in the city of Drama. Her restless spirit leads her to participate and attend a wide range of workshops, seminars and conferences related to her professional activity. She loves to discover and get to know new things, ideas, conditions, places, people and situations which she pursues through her interactions and travels.
Anna Vlachou
Anna Vlachou is a Psychologist, graduate of the Department of Psychology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki since 2015, holder of the Master's degree "Criminal Law and Addictions", from the Department of Law of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Department of Law of the University of Nicosia in cooperation with the Centre for the Treatment of Addicted People (KETHEA) in 2018. Since 2021 she has been training in Systemic and Family Therapy at the Institute of Systemic Approach and Family Therapy in Thessaloniki. Since 2017 she has worked in welfare structures in Thessaloniki, in NGOs for refugees and for the last 4 years she has been working in the field of Special Education. Finally, she is certified in Group Empowerment from Learn Inn of the University of Athens, from 2021.
Konstantinos Karavasis
Konstantinos Karavasis is a Social Worker, graduate of the Department of Social Work, of the Democritus University of Thrace (2016-2019). From 2021, he holds a Master's degree in "Special Education", from the University of Patras and the University of Nicosia. He is currently a postgraduate student in the program "Management of Mass Migration and Populations on the Move", at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Since 2021, he is trained in Systemic and Family Therapy, at the Institute of Systemic Approach and Family Therapy in Thessaloniki. From 2017 until 2021, he worked as a social worker in non-governmental organizations with unaccompanied minors, adults and families of asylum seekers and refugees. In 2022-2023, he worked as a social worker in a special primary school and in 2023-2024, at a Center for Interdisciplinary Assessment, Counseling and Support (KE.D.A.S.Y.). He has participated in numerous seminars and conferences related to his professional activity.
Panagiota Makri
Panagiota Makri is a Psychologist, graduate of the Psychology Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki since 2018, holder of a Master's degree diploma in "Special Education", of the Department of Educational and Social Policy of University of Macedonia, since 2023. Since October 2021 she has been training in Systemic Approach and Family Therapy, at Elena’s Karkazi Institute of Systemic Approach and Family Therapy. In the past, she has worked in a Daily Care Center for people with disabilities (St. Theodora), as well as in a Special Education Therapies Center, in the city of Arta. She has organised and participated in numerous seminars and workshops, related to her professional activity, mainly at school.
Aikaterini Papageorgiou
Aikaterini Papageorgiou is a Psychologist, graduate of the University of Crete since 2021 and holder of the Master’s degree "Forensic Medicine – Forensic Psychiatry" from the Department of Medicine at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Since October 2021, she has been training in Systemic Approach and Family Therapy at the Institute of Systemic Approach and Family Therapy of Elena Karkazi. From 2022 until today, she collaborates with Special Therapy centres in Thessaloniki and Katerini, welcoming children and their families, while also seeking cooperation with the children's school environments, in an effort to create a bridge of communication for all those concerned.
Abstract
School, family and mental health professionals are interconnected and ever-changing systems. They move forward with the common good, progress, maintaining optimal mental health, and socialization in mind, but there are also many times when they come into conflict. In this article, six mental health professionals provide their experiences from different professional-educational contexts through a systems perspective. They conclude by presenting a case study and asking what kind of embrace can be offered in such contexts as theirs, and what forms therapy can take.
