Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Distance Education Graduate Psychologist, cannot be competent"

Psychology education discussions have been underway for some time in Turkey, where mental health is turbulent.

After Istanbul University accepted the psychology department to the Faculty of Distance Education, Ankara University announced that it would have a psychology department in distance education by not conform to warnings from experts. Üsküdar University Founding President, spoke to our newspaper as follows: “If you direct your relatives to people, who have graduated from distance education and if someone miscarries, someone divorces, or someone's illness increases, those who open this lesson will be responsible. This issue is an obligation!"

Turkey is experiencing at this time discussion in distance teaching education system, which has become a bleeding wound. After Istanbul University and Ankara University accepted students to the Department of Psychology in Distance Education Faculties, reactions have been increased. Distance education psychology departments published in the 2020 YKS Higher Education Programs and Quotas Guide are expected to accept 1200 students. Human health concerns associated with the decisions that led to the prominent names in Turkey in the field of psychology of Üsküdar University’s Founding President, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan evaluated to our newspaper.

Üsküdar University Founding President, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, that there are three reasons why psychology education regards being distance education as negative, told further, “Firstly, psychology education has now become a multidisciplinary education in all its fields, including social psychology, organizational psychology, and cognitive psychology, rather than social sciences. It has come closer to the health sciences and is an education with a very clinical dimension. According to our psychology core training program, there are clinical practices and studies, neuroscience lessons in psychology education. There is also an assessment and evaluation. This reveals the necessity of psychology education to be face to face. If psychology education is not made face to face, psychologists will not be competent in this regard. If we want to graduate from basic science in psychology with professional competence in accordance with the needs of the institution in Turkey's conditions, it must be an expert who passes the application. If we train a psychologist without practice, he cannot be expected to be competent.”

Tarhan told as well that, “The second reason is about distance education. The most important feature of distance education is distance theoretical education. Therefore, psychology education is possible in distance, but in the form of teaching, not in the form of education. Even if it is in the form of a live classroom, in this digital environment, students trained, can only learn the basic and theoretical knowledge for a year or two. The third reason is that psychology is not only an education but also an art. If it is possible to make art from distance, so they can do psychology from distance. If they say we can do fine arts and music from a distance, we will learn such a method if there is one. If you try to teach the art from a distance, it will run into your hands and feet. Clinical testing, measurement, analysis of emotions, and the ability to make personalized comments and treatments according to the subjects, otherwise these people cannot gain.”

"Even if the psychology students who graduated from distance education get a master's degree, they will definitely need scientific preparation," Tarhan said, spoke; "Because if one applied for an issue place with distance education, looking at the courses he would take, it will be seen that there are courses, they do not have mostly applications. With these courses, they cannot get a master's program in clinical psychology anywhere. They must surely prepare scientifically and take the program after completing their shortcomings. It's an obligation to train a psychologist you can't entrust your relative. Anyone who graduates from here cannot do therapy when he goes anywhere by saying I am a psychologist, but if he gives psychological counseling support, the teachers who set this course should consider following: ‘Can I send a relative to him to get counseling? Those who distance this lesson will be responsible if you direct your relatives to such people and if a person commits suicide, a person will divorce or a person's illness increases. This issue is an obligation! Those who graduate from here as 'I am a psychologist' are very likely to have mental health impairments and make mistakes, this is to be considered.”

Tarhan mentioned, “There is a rule that we use in medicine I would like to remind you. ‘Parsley covers the cook's mistake, ironing the tailor's mistake, but the soil covers the health carer's mistake.’ Health is therefore very important; it cannot be neglected. These people will say 'I am a psychologist' after graduating from distance education, they will become healthcare providers. Those who make this mistake in this regard will also be a party to this. But it's a different matter, if those who graduate from distance education are given a restriction, that they will not do clinics, they will only work in Social Research. But if these people will be given psychological counseling, they will be given the title of psychologist, those who sign the diploma of these people should feel that obligation. The biggest damage is to give health care to those who are not qualified, competent, and unsure. Make sure the people who graduated from here will be not competent and sure. Patients cannot be entrusted to these people, nor they can give advice to a normal person. If psychology education is to be provided with distance education, these people should not be assigned in the field of health without going through the scientific preparation process.”

Credits: Milli Gazete/Newspaper

 News’ link (in Turkish): https://www.milligazete.com.tr/haber/5051058/nevzat-tarhan-acik-ogretimden-mezun-psikolog-isin-ehli-olamaz