Development of professional self-awareness of psychology students through the My Prof-Start project
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/2686-9527-2026-8-2-250-262Keywords:
professional self-awareness, psychology students, professional activity, psychological support, professional formationAbstract
Introduction. This article presents the author’s My Prof-Start project, which aims to support the development of psychology students as professionals. The key idea of the project is to foster students’ professional self-awareness through the use of interactive group-based activities. Its primary objective is to create an environment that enables students to unlock their professional potential. This involves the integrated development of three key aspects: the capacity for full self-realization in the profession, the growth of professional competence, and the development of adaptive thinking for addressing practical challenges.
Materials and Methods. The project is implemented using the Balint group format. Originally developed for practicing professionals, this approach was adapted for educational purposes. During sessions, students engaged in the analysis of complex professional cases and dilemmas, which stimulated reflection and collaborative problem-solving, reduced internal tension, and strengthened professional confidence.
Results. Psychology students who participated in the project demonstrated significant positive changes. The most notable improvements were observed in the following areas:
— self-realization resources: participants reported an expansion of internal and external resources required for career development;
— increased competence and flexibility: participants developed the ability to orient themselves quickly within a problem situation and generate non-standard solutions;
— self-regulation arsenal: participants learned and internalized effective strategies for managing their emotional state and behavior in professional situations; they also gained experience of being accepted as professionals in a safe and non-judgmental environment.
Conclusion. The implementation of the My Prof-Start project has confirmed the high efficiency of the adapted Balint format as a tool for developing the professional self-awareness of psychology students. The key result was a qualitative transformation of the participants’ personal and professional profile, which manifested itself in the strengthening of adequate self-confidence, self-respect, and self-effectiveness, creating a solid foundation for their successful self-realization.
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