How to Choose The Right Psychologist.The moment comes when, for one reason or another, we decide to turn to a psychologist. We do not know, however, how to choose one among many … How do you choose the right psychologist? We all know someone who was from a psychologist without solving anything.
Maybe this person has followed one or two months of therapy, has ventured, but has not learned to handle his illness or in general to control the situations … Continue reading to figure out how to distinguish good psychologists from who is not!
Everyone talks about the mind without tapping, but remain perplexed when asked to define it.
BF Skinner
What signs tell us that we have to deal with an unreliable psychologist?
The main problem is that practically anyone can open a psychotherapy study, though not having the title of a psychologist. The first thing to think about is therefore the lack of a degree in psychology or psychotherapy.
In this sense, one must pay attention to all the alternating thinking currents to deal with emotional problems, such as anxiety. These are new “miraculous” therapies that “cure” without doing anything . Reiki or Bach’s flowers are examples of alternative therapies, however, which has not been shown to be effective.
However, even when a psychologist is a therapist, you have to be careful because many are not really professionals. Many people report having started therapy with a psychologist without any results.
How do you describe the sessions? They say they spent the time talking and talking without the psychologist contributing in any way to the conversation. Patients vent themselves, but as time passes, they realize that nothing changes. Malaise continues to be present, it only goes temporarily during the session .
Of course the therapist must intervene. Not just to ask questions, because it’s not enough. A professional psychologist does not just ask the patient, but explains how mental processes work and gives him the tools to handle them.
What questions can we ask to understand if it is the right psychologist?
In group therapies, patients often ask: “How do we know if this is a good psychologist before starting treatment?” It’s very simple. Just ask a few questions.
Do not be ashamed. In the end, are your money to pay the sessions, which at least serve to improve your wellbeing, right? This is the psychologist’s job! First, ask him about his studies and the title he has.
Then, it is useful to know what psychological current belongs to. In this sense, if he answers to be a cognitive-behavioral psychologist , it is a good signal . Maybe he is not a good psychologist, but the effectiveness of the techniques of this current has been empirically demonstrated. In other words, numerous studies have been conducted to verify that this is really a useful technique.
The greatest discovery of my generation is that humans can change their lives by changing their mental attitude.
William James
It is a very important aspect, because in the psychology there are numerous currents that adopt therapeutic processes that not only do not help the patients, but often worsen the problem for which they are addressed to a psychologist.
As we have said, it is possible that even a cognitive-behavioral psychologist is a bad therapist. So when you have to choose a specialist, ask him how he intends to go about the general treatment and especially the sessions . It is your right to know the intervention program as well as the underlying goals you will need to reach.
When we choose a psychologist, how should the therapeutic path be?
When you ask the psychologist how he intends to carry out the sessions, there are some answers that will let you know if he is a professional who wants to really help you overcome your illness. The treatment must be structured.
You may consider an appropriate psychologist to evaluate you and plan your treatment. In general, evaluation takes place in the first two sessions and, based on the results obtained, the goals to be achieved and the means to succeed are planned .
If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem will sound like a nail.
Abraham Maslow
An example is to include behavioral activation if yours is a depression problem. Then, the therapist will have to explain what will happen and which techniques you will use together to overcome the problem. In other words, you need to know what the psychologist is working with you and why . If before the therapy begins the psychologist explains all this, then it is a good signal.
Choosing the right psychologist means turning to a professional who will give you the tools to learn how to handle your problem yourself. The therapeutic process may take some time, but if you respect the intervention program, you should notice some improvements at a glance .
These results should give you more autonomy, reducing the incidence of the disorder in your life, in order to regain your well-being. Otherwise, it is advisable to change a psychologist: be aware that even among the best therapists there are some who can deal better with certain kinds of disorders and who less.
Pictures courtesy of Juliette Leufke, Kelly Sikkema and Sebastian Mantel.
