Psychologists' work to be regulated by law in Moldova

Chisinau, 15 November /MOLDPRES/ - The parliament today voted a draft law which provides for the rights, obligations and duties of the psychologists.   

A lawmaker of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), Liliana Grosu, unveiled the draft in the parliament, elaborated in cooperation with national experts Daniela Simboteanu and Virginia Rusnac.   

The document approved by the MPs was publicly consulted with representatives of the community of psychologists, civil society and academic environment.  

The draft law defines such notions as psychological assistance, services of psychological assistance, supervision, psycho-therapy, free-lance psychologist, report of psychological assessment. The draft mentions the degrees of specialization: psychologist practitioner, psychologist specialist, chief psychologist, as well as the conditions he/she should meet for each degree.    

Also, the National College of Psychologists will be created, which will monitor the competent authority in the regulation, authorization, control and supervision of the exercising of the profession of psychologist. The college will be financed from the state budget.  

At the same time, a single register of psychologists will be created. It will provide the systematized record of the information about the psychologists who provide services of psychological and psycho-therapeutic assistance in the public, private systems and the free-lance one. Also, a system of attestation of psychologists is envisaged, with a periodicity of at least five years.   

The document also sees the establishment of the professional Day of the psychologist, which will be annually marked on the date of the law’s adoption.

Statistics data shows that about 1,000 psychologists work in Moldova.