Eesti Psühholoogiaüliõpilaste Ühendusest (EPSÜ) Psühhobussini. From the Estonian Psychology Students Association (EPSÜ) to Psychobus

Abstract

EPSÜ was officially founded on 18 November 1992. Aune Valk, Kristel
Karu-Kletter and Raivo Valk, all students at the time, found the
inspiration to create the organisation at a congress of EFPSA, the
European Federation of Psychology Students’ Associations in Bergen.
They also needed a legal body to apply for a space for their activity.
There were 13 founders altogether, all psychology students from Tartu.
The articles of association were prepared, as advised by Professor
Jüri Allik, and the first board, which would be known as the Kuuspea
(Sixhead), was elected (Kristel Karu-Kletter, Raivo Valk, Luule Mizera,
Tiina Uudelt, Kaia Kastepõld-Tõrs and Aune Valk).
EPSÜ was to unite all students who study or have studied psychology
in Estonian institutions of higher education, and a few years later,
in the academic year of 1995/1996, students of Tallinn University
(then the Tallinn Pedagogical University) joined the organisation.
EPSÜ has organised freshers’ events, general meetings, summer,
winter and spring courses, field trips, and meetings with faculty members.
It has also organised and participated in international events,
congresses of EFPSA, meetings of students from the Baltic states,
congresses of psychology students from the Nordic states. EPSÜ has
participated in the Be More Leadership program and it is part of the
Healthy Student Organization program.
EPSÜ has produced leaflets and published some interesting pieces
of writing on their website. Over time, Psycho Thursdays have formed
an interesting chronicle of informal meetings with faculty members.
This tradition spread from Tartu to Tallinn.
Several pioneering organisations have grown out of EPSÜ. The
website Lahendus.net, offering free anonymous Internet counselling,
operated under EPSÜ for 10 years, and since 2011, it has acted as an
independent NGO. The counsellors are supervised every month, they
have training courses three times a year, and receive continuous guidance.
Many practicing Estonian psychologists have experience from

Lahendus.net. In addition, in 2014, a company called Psychobus that
aims to popularise psychology as a field of research through science
shows and workshops grew out of EPSÜ.