On 30 June 2022, a discussion panel on the “Psychological Support for the Public: Improvement of Legal Regulation” took place as part of the 10th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, moderated by Deputy Chair of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights Irina Kirkora. Attorney, Mediator, and BGP Litigation Family Law Senior Associate Gayane Shtoyan took part in the discussion.

The panellists included the Chairman of the State Duma Committee for the Protection of Health, Senator and Member of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy, Vice-President of the Russian Professional League of Therapists, and other representatives of the community of researchers and scholars, and Russia’s public authorities. The experts discussed Russia’s need for improvement of the system of legal regulations of the social relations emerging in the sphere of psychological support of the public. The panellists all agreed that it is necessary to develop a systemic law at the federal level to govern the relations in that sphere. 

Gayane Shtoyan talked about the role of a competent therapist and psychological expert examination in legal and attorney work, and, in particular, in family disputes, where a need often arises for determining where the child is going to live next. The expert cited examples illustrating the role of a professional psychological interview with a child that allows to identify the child’s true needs. In practice, it is on the basis of such an interview that the final judgment is made, Gayane observed. She noted that at present, Russia has no regulations on engaging psychologists to work with children.

Gayane concluded by emphasizing the importance of legal regulation of psychological support not only of the public at large, but of the specific social unit – that is, a crumbling family. 

Watch the panel here.