Psychological Assistance and Violence against Women

The aim of this research was to identify and analyze the insertion of psychologists into the network of services assisting violence against women. Interviews with psychologists working for specific services in Greater Sao Paulo (police, health, psychosocial assistance, shelter, basic assistance) were analyzed. Psychologists are present and their work is requested in all types of services. Their work consists in training and supervising other professionals, as well as assisting women. There is a great diversity of practices, with frequent adjustment of the interventions to the objectives, institutional culture and assistance vocation of the services. There is a relative impreciseness in the psychologists’ work, and this can stand as a barrier to better team and network integration. However, it can also create opportunities for innovations in practices.