2011-05-062011-05-062004-04TOURINHO, Emmanuel Zagury; CARVALHO NETO, Marcus Bentes de; NENO, Simone. A Psicologia como campo de conhecimento e como profissão de ajuda. Estudos de Psicologia (Natal), online, v. 9, n. 1, p. 17-24, abr. 2004. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-294X2004000100003. Disponível em: http://www.repositorio.ufpa.br/jspui/handle/2011/2165. Acesso em:.1413-294Xhttp://www.repositorio.ufpa.br/jspui/handle/2011/2165O Artigo se apresenta em 2 arquivos: um completo e o outro com ERRATA da p. 18 que foi publicada com incorreções.The present article focuses an interpretation of psychology according to which philosophical/reflexive, empirical, and applied contents account for an original configuration of the discipline. The paper considers some historical facts that ground such configuration, which should be considered in order to achieve a better understanding of the heterogeneity of objects, methods, goals and philosophical commitments of the diverse psychological approaches. Some implications of the model to an appreciation of (academic and non academic) doings in contemporary psychology are then discussed. It is argued that the success of each psychological approach depends, to a certain extent, on its recognition of the multifold character of the psychological field and its capacity to give consistent and integrated responses to the different social demands that give rise to the field.porAcesso AbertoPsicologiaArtigo de Periódico10.1590/S1413-294X2004000100003