THE INSTITUTE OF CHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGY (ICP) is the first educational, scientific and enlightening institute in Russia aimed to develop Christian school in the Russian psychology.

The Institute has been founded by the Charity Fund “Russian Orthodoxy”.

The Head (Rector) of the ICP is Andrej Lorgus, priest of the Russian Orthodox Church and psychologist.

The necessity of the Christian Psychology. The necessity of psychological knowledge for modern Christian services is obvious: nursing and care, children upbringing, family counselling and many other issues require psychological background and skills. However, the psychology in general, as well as the Russian school of psychology are quite far off Christian values.
Christianity has priceless spiritual and anthropological treasures which have been embodied in psychology. The Christian Psychology is a natural step in psychology development with the basis in Christian values, Christian anthropology and theology. The psychology development has been enriched with the establishment of Christian school in the general humanitarian paradigm of psychological science.

The necessity for establishing the Institute: the establishment of an educational, scientific and enlightening institute might create a basis for the Christian Psychology development. Besides, the ICP might be “step 2” in the area of Christian psychological education, after step 1 - establishing of the Faculty of Psychology of the Russian Orthodox Institute named after John the Divine. There is no other institute in the modern Russian education system. The establishment of the ICP might fill the natural “gap”.

The goals of the ICP
Institute of Christian Psychology has been established to create a scientific and educational basis for post graduate education development. Educational activities in the field of psychology have been sufficiently developed in Russia. However, post graduate education still needs additional development steps. And the ICP will contribute to this development.

And most important this will form the required basis for development and support of the Church social services, the services that are so much longed for by the society.

Initiative group of the ICP

The initiative group embraces psychologists who had graduated from the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University named after Lomonosov:

Andrey Lorgus (priest and psychologist)
Viktor Semenov (candidate of science in Psychology),
Olga Krasnikova (lecturer, counselor),
Igor Kireev
Vladimir Strelov (lecturer and employee of the Synodal Department for Youth Counselling of the Russian Orthodox Church)  and others.

All the group members have worked at the Faculty of Psychology of the Russian Psychology Institute named after John the Divine.
The group has got an experience in establishing a faculty of psychology, as well as in licensing and accreditation in the profession of “Psychology”.
The Institute of Christian Psychology will be licensed in the following special education: “Psychology of Personality”, “Psychology of Religion”, “Psychological Counselling”, so that the graduates with the Institute diploma would officially work in state and church organizations.

Programmes of the ICP:

·       2-year study programme in Christian Psychology(for psychologists and non-psychologists)

·       Training programmes

·       Out-patient counselling / therapy

·       Seminars

·       Career counselling

·       Lectures

·       Bibliodrama

·       Publications

 We cooperate with:

European Movement for Christian Anthropology, Psychology and Psychotherapy (EMCAPP): http://emcapp.w.neutech.fi/

IGNIS — Academy for Christian Psychology: http://www.ignis.de/english-abstract.html

Association of Christian Counsellors Finland: http://www.accfinland.org/index.php?id=8

Society for Christian Psychology, USA: www.christianpsych.org

ACC Association of Christian Counsellors, Deutschland: www.acc-dachverband.de