‘Need to renew old concepts of Psychology and Psychiatry’: Dr Ravera

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

DIBRUGARH: A week-long certificate course on ‘Neuropsychology and its Applications’ was inaugurated on Monday at the Tapesia campus of Assam Don Bosco University.

The programme has been organized by the Department of Psychology and Counselling in collaboration with experts from the University of Parma, Italy and ExcelCare Hospitals. According to a press communique issued on Monday, a total of 42 participants from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Assam and one international participant from Malaysia are participating in the five-day programme. The course is designed to provide professional training on Neuropsychology which will enable the participants to explore and understand human emotions and learn how conscious and unconscious experiences are shaped by the brain.

While delivering the keynote address, Professor Roberto Ravera, University of Parma, Italy, who is also the founder and director of Ravera Children’s Rehabilitation Centre, said, “Psychology is unique to each human being and thus it cannot be allowed to become a discipline like any hard science. It has to reach the people and it can happen only when it is understandable to the locals.” He further added, “Poverty is the greatest risk factor of all. It is correlated with erratic environmental changes and family crime.”

Dr Virginia Ravera, a psychiatrist from Italy, while highlighting the importance of environment as a factor of one’s psychology, said, “Genetics and environmental factors make us unique and thus, in psychology/neuropsychology, we do not have a rule to follow. There is a need to renew old concepts of psychology and psychiatry and make the discipline more flexible in nature further providing an outline of the objectives of the programme.”

Fr Stephen Mavely, Vice-Chancellor of Assam Don Bosco University, said that people suffering from different mental disorders were the main subjects of the society.

The other dignitaries who attended the programme included Fr (Dr) Biju Michael, Registrar, Assam Don Bosco University, Professor John Romate of Central University of Karnataka and faculty members of Assam Don Bosco University.

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