The Ministry of Education and Science introduces the “spiritual security” training course for psychologists

The Ministry of Education and Science of Russia has published the program of the training course “Spiritual security of a person and traditional Russian spiritual and moral values ​​in the work of a psychologist”. The ministry intends to include this course in the educational programs of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology. The Doxa publication drew attention to the document.

In the annotation to the document, it is stated that 40% of graduates of Russian universities majoring in psychology “adhere to values ​​opposite to traditional Russian spiritual and moral family values.” According to the authors of the program, it is dangerous to allow such specialists to consult clients — first of all, veterans of the “SVO” (that’s how the war in Ukraine is called in Russian documents) and their relatives. It is indicated that the question of the need to develop criteria for the selection of psychologists for such consultations was raised at the government meeting on September 13, 2023. Based on the results of this meeting, the Ministry of Education and Science presented the program of the new course.

In addition, according to the document, it is necessary to inculcate traditional values ​​in future psychologists, since “when interacting with a client, the psychologist’s worldview and civic identity play a key and often decisive role.” According to the authors of the program, the psychologist is obliged to transmit the “correct” values ​​and orientations to the client.

“The reasons for impaired psychological well-being and mental health of a person lie in their violation of the foundations of spiritual security, which are inextricably linked with the traditional moral values ​​of the peoples of the Russian Federation,” the program says.

The academic course “spiritual security of the person” will consist of 72 hours of lectures and practical sessions. Undergraduate and graduate students will be told “about spiritual life in a historical perspective” and about “mental wars waged by unfriendly countries against citizens of Russia by promoting foreign spiritual values.”

The negative consequences of a departure from traditional moral values ​​are suggested in the program to be considered using the following examples: “World Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, contemporary Ukraine”.

After completing the program, students will have to pass the exam.