Top psychologists to provide online training on COVID-19

By Zeynep Rakipoglu

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AA) - A Turkish mental health association will bring together its members and world-renowned psychologists in online training to help repair the psychosocial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

On Thursday, Canadian psychologist Paul Bloom is giving online training on "The Pleasure of Suffering and the Search for Meaning," the Mental Health Association said in a statement.

This Saturday, American clinical psychologist/psychotherapy researcher Christopher Muran and clinical psychologist Catherine Eubanks are scheduled to give training on “The Therapeutic Alliance, Fracture and Repair."

The traumatic effects of COVID-19 on human psychology are expected to continue for many years, the statement warned.

In traumatic situations such as COVID-19, disasters, wars, terrorism, and migration, which threaten the existence of both society and individuals, people need psychosocial support as well as medical support, it added.

The association has implemented many projects to help repair the personal and social breaks resulting from the pandemic.

The association has launched a project called IMDAT (Hold on to Counseling Network in Combating Suicide) as part of efforts to prevent suicides.

Out of 1,800 psychologists who volunteered for the project, 81 were selected for all 81 provinces of Turkey.

After getting online training from experts at the Mental Health Association, the volunteers will engage people at risk for committing suicide.

The project is supported by the Turkish Youth and Sports Ministry.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz.