Abstract:
In previous studies, the main aspects of the history of psychology in Paraguay has been reviewed, in particular the contributions of the pioneers that wrote books and psychological papers on the pre-university period as well as in more recent processes during the university and professional period. All the publications available, however, deal with psychology ingeneral. This article introduces the study of psychology at local level, taking as the geographical space of study a specific location of Paraguay, the town of Encarnación. This work is divided into five main parts. After a preliminary section with historical, geographical and demographic data related to the town, the origins of the teaching of psychology in teacher training institutions are analyzed. Then, theacademicprogramsforthe training of psychologists in five local institutions are discussed, namely Universidad Técnica de Comercialización y Desarrollo, Universidad del Norte, Universidad Nacional de Itapúa, Universidad Católica, and Universidad Politécnica y Artística del Paraguay. A failed academic initiative at the American University of Encarnación is also put forward. In a third place, the beginnings of psychology in Encarnación are analyzed, focusing on the first professionals who worked with applied psychology. More recent spaces related to the practice of professional psychology, in public and private settings, are also reviewed. An evaluation of the present state of psychology and a brief discussion of the future perspectives of the profession are offered as conclusion.