Alexandra Palombo has lived in Stockholm, Dubai, London and Italy. She has worked as a make-up artist on TV, as a film assistant and in the hotel business. At the University of Skövde, she found the perfect education and now works with supporting young people.
After several years of working, Alexandra Palombo began to think about doing something else. She read about the programme Cognitive Neuroscience - Applied Positive Psychology, a unique interdisciplinary programme at the University of Skövde, and felt that the pieces fell into place.
“I have always been interested in how the human brain works linked to emotions and behaviour. For me, this education was a perfect match. I applied, got accepted and I dropped everything else.”
Alexandra states that the step was not that big, from the make-up room to an education where supervision within the framework of applied positive psychology and personal therapy was included.
“In the make-up room, it was important to make the meeting pleasant and deliver in a short time. There was also a great focus on creating a calm feeling and making the person feel relaxed before broadcasting.”
Good support from the teachers
Alexandra speaks enthusiastically about her time studying at the University of Skövde.
“For me, it was good to come to a completely new place with a different calm. The education was of a high standard and the research is at the forefront, so the teachers were up-to-date and very engaged. Of course, it is always a pressure to pass exams, but it helps to study together and after the lessons we often stayed and talked to the teachers. It's really familiar at the University.”
Is there any part of the education, any course you want to highlight in particular?
“In the practical moment, we got to try both the role of the therapist and the role of client. Regardless of what you want to do after the education, it was incredibly good to get the knowledge and experience to have tried both.”
During her studies, Alexandra worked part time at a residential care home for young persons and realised that she wanted to work with teenagers.
“I hadn't thought of that at all, but it's fun. For me, it was an incredible feeling to be able to explain a young person's behaviour and also reactions and make the person understand how it was connected to human biology. You can have a lot of effect from the little you do and see a quick change.
When Alexandra started her education, she wasn't sure how well she would do. Partly because she had not studied at university before.
“I actually didn't know if I would be able to study for three years. Now I have studied for five years and I have really loved being a student. The education has given me a wide range and a deeper understanding of the human being as a whole and I am incredibly grateful that I found it.”
Stayed in Skövde after finished studies
After studying at the University of Skövde, she did a Master's degree and studied courses at several different universities and colleges. She has mainly focused on emotional psychology and attachment theory, but has also studied developmental psychology and health psychology. Alexandra now works as a family therapist within the social services in Skövde and is one of three people who will start a unique school social team in the municipality.
“It feels incredibly exciting to be able to help start up this important function. Together, staff from school and social services must build bridges and collaborate around children and young people in school with problematic absenteeism. Applied positive psychology is an important branch of psychology where the focus is on working with individuals' strengths and resources to increase well-being and make people feel better.”
Alexandra has no plans to move back to Stockholm. She found both education and work in Skövde.
“I love Skövde. Skövde also has a perfect intermediate location between the two largest cities in Sweden - with only two hours to Stockholm and one hour to Gothenburg, but here there is a completely different calm and I appreciate that.”
Read more about our study programmes in Behavioural sciences