EPP (School of Practising Psychologists) celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2022.
Key moments from 1951 to 1986
- 1951: Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens founded by Father Besson and Lisette Fanchon within the Catholic University of Paris (ICP), on the request of the then chancellor, Monseigneur Blanchet.
- 1954: First cohort of graduates, and alumni association set up.
- 1970: creation of Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens’s first accredited Clinical Psychopathology diploma (with an optional 5th year) allowing graduates to work in clinical settings, including hospitals.
- 1982: start of continuing education programme.
- 1985: law passed on July 25 governing the use of the title of psychologist in France.
- 1986: the first student union set up.
Key moments from 1990 to 2007
- 1990: decree issued in France on 22 March listing Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens’s ‘Psychology diploma’ among the qualifications that confer the title of Psychologist.
- 1992: first cohort of students complete their placement at Montreal teaching hospital.
- 1993: Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens in Paris moves to 23 rue du Montparnasse
- 1996: opening of the Lyon campus.
- 1997: Vietnam mission set up.
- 2007: EPP joins the Erasmus+ programme.
Key moments from 2012 to 2020
- 2013: psychological support centre set up for students at ICP.
- 2014: EPP becomes a member of FESIC (Federation of Higher Education Institutions of public interest).
- 2015: helpline set up for Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens students. Other psychological support centres set up in partnership with higher education institutions.
- 2018: adjustment to the Bachelor – Master – Doctorate format and introduction of teaching semesters.
- 2019: the Vulnerability, Capability, Recovery research lab established.
- 2020: accreditation renewed by the French Ministry for higher education and research.
Key moments from 2021 to the current day
- 2021: opening of the HR and Psychology course on the Lyon campus.
- 2022: joint degree course agreed with Montreal HEC business school, allowing students on the Occupational Psychology and HR course to obtain a DESS (postgraduate diploma) in Organisational Development and Management.
- Named Best School Experience 2022 by Speak & Act.
- 2022: Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens’s 70th anniversary celebration on 18 May, with a day of conferences and discussions among experts. All the presentations are available to watch (in French) on our YouTube channel.
- 2022: Ecole de Psychologues Praticiens celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Lyon campus on 14 December, with an evening of conferences, panel discussions, and presentations from alumni. All the presentations are available to watch (in French) on our YouTube channel.
- 2023: signing of a multi-year cooperation agreement with Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Vietnam.
- Named Best School Experience 2023 by Speak & Act.
Key moment from 2023 to date :
- 2023: signing of a multi-year cooperation agreement with Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Vietnam. Named Best School Experience 2023 by Speak & Act.
- 2024 : Organization of its conference « Plural identities of the today’s psychologists” in Lyon on June 6 and 7.
- Named Best School Experience 2024 by Speak & Act
- 2025 : Hosting of the 5th French and Francophone Positive Psychology Congress on May 15 and 16 at the Parisian campus.
- Named Best School Experience 2025 by Speak & Act
Successive Chancellors, and classes associated with prominent figures
- 1951-1992: Father Jean Besson & Lisette Fanchon (co-Chancellors)
- 1992-2013: Jean-Pierre Chartier
- 2013-2017: Dana Castro
- 2018-2022: Jacques Arènes
- 2022-2026: Christian Heslon
- Since June 2026: Yann Auxéméry