Changing the stereotypes of "counsellors"

Stereotypes, as a relatively inflexible form of cognitive organization, serve in the organization of personal experience. They are relatively difficult to change and take a relatively long time. In our study we have tried to examine whether some traditional stereotypes of "counsellors" have altered during more than three years of work by members of the Croatian Psychiatrists Association with displaced persons in a camp in Zagreb. The statistical analysis of the information indicated that stereotypes have changed and in such a way that positive stereotypes have become more positive while the negative have become less negative among those displaced persons who had continued counseling from psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers from our Association. In the long-term, these results can be considered even more positive than the actual process of psychological assistance because the change in stereotypes is likely to be reflected in a larger number of future clients and through future generations.