EntreSesiones #10 · Mariela Checa, dean of COPAO

What this video is about

In this episode of EntreSesiones, Alberto Moreno talks with Mariela Checa, dean of the Colegio Oficial de la Psicología de Andalucía Oriental (the official College of Psychology of Eastern Andalusia) and lecturer at the University of Málaga. She explains that she decided to get involved in the College after the pandemic, having missed a clearer stance from the profession. They talk about how going to therapy has become normalised, the importance of remembering that psychology is not about giving advice but about professional interventions based on science and ethics, and the risk of pathologising behaviours that are not pathological.

The dean identifies as priorities the fight against unqualified practice and the need for a more united profession. She comments on the shortage of psychologists in the Andalusian public health system, with a ratio she puts at 3.8 professionals per 100,000 inhabitants, and her concern about the excessive use of psychiatric medication. She also describes parenting coordination, a role designed for families with high levels of conflict after separation.

The conversation also covers parenting styles, the effect of social media and the use of artificial intelligence as a supposed therapist. It closes with the College’s projects, such as its suicide prevention area, and with the importance of self-care and sport in her life.

Topics: professional association, unqualified practice, public mental health, parenting coordination, social media