Labor psychology: between organizations’ and workers’ health. An approach to the labor psychologist’s training and practice

Abstract

On one hand, we present the theoretical, methodological and ethical foundations that give rise to new positions of action for the labor psychologist in the health area. We analyze the formation process, within the scope of professional practices, oriented to the diagnosis and intervention in the field of sufferings of relational nature and individual and collective effects. We extract some of the denominated ‘obstacles’ that emerge from the teaching and investigating experience, and that can be recognized as a tool-oriented vision and an individualizing perspective of the interpretation, among others. Finally, we highlight eleven characteristics of this orientation to intervention, that exceed the functional perspective and the putting in relation between the organization’s and the worker’s needs.