On February 17, 2026, the Head of the Department of General Scientific Social and Behavioral Disciplines of the Odesa Institute of PJSC “Higher Educational Institution ‘Interregional Academy of Personnel Management,’” Doctor of Philosophy, Associate Professor Alla Nerubasska, together with part-time master’s students, took part in a guest lecture entitled “Board Games as an Ecological Tool for Modeling Life Situations.”
The speaker of the event was Liudmyla Opanasenko — PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor of the Department of Pedagogy, Psychology and Educational Management at the Mykolaiv Regional Institute of Postgraduate Education, practicing psychologist, developer of modern psychological tools, and member of the Ethics Committee of the National Psychological Association. The lecture was organized by the Department of Psychology of Bohdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University.
During the meeting, current approaches to the use of transformational board games in psychological practice were presented. The speaker outlined the theoretical foundations of applying game-based methods, provided examples of board games with socio-psychological content, and emphasized the possibilities of modeling life situations during psychological counseling sessions. Particular attention was paid to the resource potential of games as a tool for developing self-reflection, decision-making skills, and awareness of personal behavioral strategies.
As part of the event, Liudmyla Opanasenko presented her original development — the psychological lotto game “Say It as It Is,” highlighting methodological aspects of working with the game and practical options for its use in counseling practice.
The key motto of the meeting was:
“Play psychological games, but do not play with life — live it consciously!”
The Head of the Department, Alla Nerubasska, expresses sincere gratitude to the leadership of the partner Department of Psychology of Bohdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University, in particular to PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor Iryna Ostapolets, for the invitation, the high level of organization, and the meaningful professional cooperation.
We look forward to further productive interdepartmental collaboration and the implementation of joint academic and educational initiatives.
