Pijarpsikologi layanan konsultasi psikologi online yang dikembangkan mahasiswa UGM.
Presiden Pijarpsikologi, Regisda Machdy Fuadhy.
The number of psychologists in Indonesia is still limited. Until now, it is still unable to fulfill the standard number established by WHO. Compared to population of Indonesia, this is still under ideal ratio, which is 22:100.000. Currently, Indonesia with 241 million of people has 265 clinical psychologist.
Concerned by the phenomenon, a group of Universitas Gadjah Mada students tried to look for a solution for this problem. They made free online psychology consultation service. Through pijarpsikologi.org, people can consult their personal problems.
Pijar Psikologi service succesfully entered the best 16 among 800participants from 79 countries in “Global Innovation Through Science and Technology (GIST) competition. They also earned third place of Start-up competition in Surabaya a while ago.
Created by 10 students from Faculty of Psychology and Faculty of Engineering UGM, who are Regisda Machdy Fuadhy, Aulia Kusuma Wardani, Nurul Aisya Beryllia, Sadida Fatin Aruni, Anggrelika P Krestaryaningwidhy, Reno Prasasto, Annisa Azzahra Santifera, Clara Shinta Rosari, Maharany Firdausya, and Adyotasalma Danurasti.
The president of Pijar Psikologi, Regisda Machdy, wished that the presence of pijarpsikologi.org could connect pychologists and clients regardless time and space limit. Through this website, client can ask or consult anything related to the problem they are facing.
“Actually many people need psychological consultation, but they are still ashamed and scared to come to psychologist. Therefore, we need to develop this online consultation service,” he explained, Thursday (14/1) at UGM.
Regis said that even though there are many similar services, but they are not managed sustainably, for example, they were created for dissertation or thesis. And some of them are paid services.
This service has been founded since 2014 and launched officially in 2015. Since its beginning, Pijar Psikologi is supported by 14 psychologists. But, it currently has 21 psychologist volunteers. It is also supported by 69 psychologist students from across universities who regularly post articles related to psyhology. Until now, there are at least 200 clients who use this service.
“So, beside giving psychological consultation, we are also trying to psychoeducate people through psychological articles that we published,” he explained.
Regis said that in the near future, they will develop online psychology consultation to be available in smartphone, so they could reach wider audience.
“We wish that this year the service could be available in smartphone version,” he added.