Kyrgyzstan

Counselling is a term used alongside such terms as psychotherapy, psychology, and psychiatry in Kyrgyzstan (Molchanova, et al., 2015). Although mental health experts understand the differences, psychiatrists and psychotherapists working in crisis centers prefer to call themselves counsellors to avoid stigmatization by patients (Molchanova, et al., 2015). Because of the confusion associated with terminology, the number of psychologists or counsellors in Kyrgyzstan is difficult to determine. There are currently no professional non-medical psychological associations that are active in Kyrgyzstan. After the collapse of The Kyrgyz Department of Psychological Science of the U.S.S.R, the Kyrgyz psychological community found itself in the situation of trying to reform and revive the psychological association which required a new source of funding and support (Molchanova, et al., 2009, p. 273). There are also no universal training paradigms for counselling psychology in Kyrgyzstan. Each University has its own training paradigm that is different from one another. A Specialist Degree in Psychology (5 years) is offered by both the National State University (NSU) and Salvonic University (SU); a graduate with a specialist certificate may continue their studies at a graduate level or proceed to work in the psychological field. However, there is no specialization in counselling, therefore study primarily focuses on theory and research while less attention is given to practice (Molchanova, et al., 2009, p. 273).