How To Choose A Psychologist Or How To Reduce The Chances Of Meeting A "charlatan"

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

In our society, you can often hear: "Psychologists are charlatans, I will never go to them", or "I was once, it became even worse than it was, these psychologists themselves need to see a psychologist", or "I went, and he told me" Be strong, man! Do not be afraid, everything is fine with you”, but how good is it ?? I feel bad! I only spent money,”and so on.

Yes … Sometimes you look around and the truth is, you think how many "charlatans" are around, and you get lost, how can you find the one to pay attention to, is it really that bad things are?

In this article, I will try to explain and give recommendations on what you should pay attention to when choosing your therapist. What should be alarming when choosing, how to make the right choice, and what should be prepared for going to therapy.

And so, straight to the point.

When choosing a therapist (psychologist, psychotherapist), it is important to pay attention to:

1. Education

Education is not a "crust", it is basic knowledge, a foundation that every specialist should have. This is what the specialist relies on in his further training and work. Education should be specialized, that is, psychological (medical, pedagogical), and also, a specialist usually undergoes additional education at some psychotherapeutic institute (details in the next paragraph).

2. Additional education

It is quite difficult to become an intelligent specialist, having only a basic education, after graduation. Rather, even almost impossible.

Psychotherapy training is a long and painstaking work. For this, a couple of trainings on "bitchology", or personal growth, or even a 4-day training on working with metaphorical cards are not enough.

In order to work well with people, it is important to have a so-called tool. You can master it in Institutes and various schools of psychotherapy (for example: the program of the Moscow Gestalt Institute, or the School of Transactional Analysis, or the Institute for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, etc.). Such institutions, most often, are members of various Associations (for example: the Ukrainian Association for Transactional Analysis, or the Society of Psychologists Practicing the Gestalt Approach, etc.). They adhere to European training standards and, based on these very standards, issue the appropriate certificates confirming their qualifications.

Training in psychology and psychotherapy is an almost endless process, but on average, it takes about 5 years of basic education (or 2-3 years of the second higher education), plus from 4-5 years of the basic course of additional education (in total, from about 7 years). All this in 99% of cases is confirmed by appropriate certificates.

3. The presence of a psychologist or psychotherapist of individual therapy (that is, when the therapist goes to the psychologist himself)

All good specialists go to psychologists. And the longer they do it, the better.

What is it for?

The fact is that many psychologists work with their sensitivity. This is the therapist's ability to be not a “robot” while working with you, but a human. To respond with your experiences to your pain, shame, fear, powerlessness; ability to be with you when you are in different experiences and remain whole; the ability in the right place not to "fall apart", or not to "merge" with you, but to be as useful as possible.

The psychologist works with his "wounded places". In the course of his personal therapy, he learns to deal with and be with these places, and sometimes to heal them. He cannot understand you if, in the place where you are now, he also has a "bloody wound", or an "abscess", or a "corn", or he is all "in armor" and he does not know how to be himself with this and how to deal with it, which makes him unable to feel, and therefore, understand and support; a kind of "shoemaker without boots" turns out.

In order to be useful, the psychologist needs to “live” those “wounds” himself; and in order to help heal strangers, you must first learn how to deal with your own. This is why it is important that the therapist has hours of personal therapy.

Feel free to ask about it. A good specialist will answer this question without difficulty. And if the "psychologist" bends over and shows with his whole appearance that your question makes his "crown shake", then I would recommend looking for a specialist elsewhere.

The amount of personal therapist's therapy can be measured in years, or perhaps hundreds of hours, and that's a good sign.

4. Availability of supervision hours

Supervision is a collegial space in which the therapist or psychologist has the opportunity to maintain his therapeutic identity and / or discuss issues of concern to him that relate to the client, practice, etc.

It is quite difficult to work without supervision. All therapists have difficulties: in working with a client, in shaping a practice, in a relationship with a colleague, in a community, etc. Often the therapist needs support, from a reputable colleague, or from a colleague that the therapist can trust. Difficult client situations may require an outside perspective and a sobering discussion.

The therapist needs supervision to work better with you.

The therapist usually talks about supervision at the first meeting. It does not contain names, surnames, or any other characteristics by which the client can be identified. Likewise, the supervisor adheres to the same Code of Ethics as the therapist. Therefore, what is said in supervision is also confidential.

5. Lean on the inner feeling:)

If you call a psychologist who is doing fine with the previous points, but you don’t like him, don’t go to him.

Sometimes people like it and sometimes they don't. And it is better to look for another person who is pleasant than to run from under the stick after a "phantom".

What you can additionally pay attention to:

* It is advisable to come on a recommendation

This item is not always possible to fulfill. But still, when a therapist is recommended, then the chance to get to a therapist who is "not very" decreases. Here, it is also important to remember that all people are different, and if a therapist approached someone and someone admired his work, then this does not give a 100% guarantee that it will be the same with you. All people are different and all therapists / psychologists are different.

* It is advisable to read something about the method in which the psychologist works

This can save you from unfulfilled expectations.

For example, there are methods in which the "effect" occurs rather quickly, but usually, it does not last very long.

And there are methods where for a tangible result you need to work long and painstakingly, and the result is fixed for years.

* It is advisable to realize that therapy is work.

Often quite unpleasant, and not only the therapist, but also the client works in this work.

I hope this article will help you find a good specialist for yourself and not run into a "charlatan":).

That's all.

Good mood, the one who reads:).