The psychotherapist uses various methods and techniques of interaction. It is worth knowing how a psychotherapist works and what is it about visiting this specialist
Psychotherapy, or the Greek word for “healing the soul”, still arouses distrust in the average Pole. A psychotherapist is a specific doctor. When going to a family doctor, for example, we expect an examination, diagnosis, prescription and quick results of therapy. We would like the same from a psychotherapist, and meanwhile, at the first meeting, he says that permanent changes take time, more depends on the patient than the psychotherapist, and there is no XNUMX% guarantee of cure. The belief in the effectiveness of psychotherapy comes only when the treatment begins to give results.
Psychotherapy is a deliberate and systematic action with the use of proven methods, the effect of which is to improve the functioning of a person in his environment and reduce mental disorders.
The psychotherapist works together with the patient to remove disease symptoms and develop personality. An important goal of psychotherapy is gaining greater self-awareness, that is – to put it simply – understanding why we make such and not other decisions, where the behaviors we do not like about ourselves come from, what emotions drive us and why. In principle, psychotherapy requires a more active attitude from the patient than in contact with, for example, a family doctor.
When deciding to use the services of a psychotherapist, it is worth checking whether he has the appropriate qualifications to perform the profession. On the website of the Polish Psychological Association (www.ptp.org.pl) you can find a list of certified psychotherapists, recommended institutions and training centers in the field of psychotherapy. We can either choose the appropriate facility from the list, or ask the psychotherapist found in the telephone book about the certificates you have. Since contact with a psychotherapist will be a very important factor in the treatment process, we should choose a person who inspires our trust. It is important to have the impression that this is “our man” – someone who listens attentively to whom questions or advice are worth considering.
The first meeting with a therapist is not very different from visiting a family doctor – our goal is to describe the problem we come across. We will lie down on the couch only with a psychoanalyst, with specialists treating with other methods we will talk to the psychotherapist.
He will propose the most appropriate forms of assistance in his opinion, including the number and frequency of meetings and methods of solving problems. It may also happen that he will advise you to go to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist specializing in solving problems like ours.
Types of psychotherapy
Not all therapists use the same methods of work. In the course of studies, the psychotherapist learns about different psychological orientations, each of which explains the emergence of mental disorders in a slightly different way and proposes different methods of treatment. The psychotherapist chooses the orientation that appeals to him the most and generally works with its methods and techniques. The four most common types of psychotherapy today are:
• Behavioral – cognitive. Behaviorists assume that all bad behavior arose through learning. So to help the patient, he must be taught new, more desirable behaviors. The therapist plays a more active role than in other types of therapy – assigns tasks and gives advice. Behavioral therapy is generally short-term and works well for the treatment of phobias, for example. Behavioral therapy is often used in conjunction with cognitive therapy. In cognitive therapy, faulty thinking resulting from cognitive biases is eliminated (for example, the patient’s belief “I never get it right”). In this way, neurotic and depressive disorders are often treated. This type of therapy usually lasts for several months.
• Psychoanalytical. It is based on the personality theory created by Sigmund Freud. The psychotherapist assumes that the source of the patient’s problems lies in his subconsciousness, which is difficult to access. The therapy consists in reaching the previously unconscious content, among others, through the analysis of dreams, dreams and everyday behavior. As the psychoanalyst believes that the source of many mental conflicts are events from the patient’s childhood, the conversations often include topics about parents and first experiences. It is a long-term therapy and requires frequent meetings with the therapist.
• Existential – humanistic. It focuses the most on the present of the client (psychotherapists of this school do not use the term “patient”). Its aim is to help build self-confidence and support in overcoming difficulties. It is important for the therapist that the patient accepts himself and is capable of self-realization. During the sessions, topics related to life choices and their consequences are often discussed.
• Systemic. The psychotherapist assumes that the patient functions in certain systems (family, professional environment) that affect him. It focuses on the processes that take place there, examining, among other things, whether there are any communication disorders. The goal of therapy is to improve the operation of the entire system.
The psychotherapist, depending on the problem, may propose individual, group or family therapy. In any therapy, the therapist’s most important tool will be a conversation. The meetings will focus on talking about yourself, answering the therapist’s questions, discussing, sometimes performing the tasks entrusted by him, also during breaks between visits. You can opt out of therapy at any time. Both the patient and the psychotherapist can decide about the end of therapy. Success is a change that is so permanent that you no longer need a specialist to maintain it.
Psychotherapist. Pre-visit questions
Three questions for the psychotherapist
Psychotherapist Katarzyna Fenzel from the Center for Psychotherapy and Psychoeducation “OPTA” in Poznań, a member of the Polish Psychological Society and the Association of Christian Psychologists, who runs the website www.pomocnemiejsce.pl is answering.
Psychotherapy is directed mainly to people who are generally mentally healthy, with various problems in their personal, professional and personality dimensions. Psychotherapy is an effective help in the loss of a loved one, in a post-accident trauma, in a situation of experiencing mental suffering (fear, helplessness, emptiness, neurosis, depression).
It also helps with psychosomatic ailments, such as allergies, migraines, and sleep disorders. Generally, the psychotherapist accompanies people who want to get to know themselves better, understand the mechanisms of their own behavior, learn about their inner needs and define real life goals.
It depends on the type and severity of the problem the client is struggling with. In general, psychotherapy can be the main form of treatment or support other types of therapy. If the motivation to participate in psychotherapy is to improve the quality of life and relationships with others, and the client carries out his tasks at work and in the family, psychotherapy is the only helping activity.
If there are mental illnesses characterized by symptoms that significantly limit full functioning, a visit to a psychiatrist is necessary. In the case of more advanced mental illness, hospitalization is necessary. Psychotherapy is then an activity supplementing pharmacological treatment, it begins already in hospital conditions and continues after leaving the hospital.
Will psychotherapy always be successful, i.e. will it solve the problems tormenting the patient, heal the underlying disease that causes unpleasant mental symptoms?
The healing factor in psychotherapy is the relationship between the therapist and the client. So what’s happening in this relationship is important. If the client feels safe and is open to the therapist (the therapist’s task is to create an atmosphere of openness), the results will certainly be faster and better. At one of the first meetings, the goal of the therapy is set, the client assesses the achievement (or not) of the intended goal, decides whether to end the meetings or work on another problem. The psychotherapist is a companion for the client on the way to search for a fuller (truer, more satisfying) functioning.
The effectiveness of the therapy is confirmed in 80 percent. This means that 80 percent. people with specific problems and using psychotherapy feel better compared to other people with the same problems and not using psychotherapy.
Text: Sylwia Skorstad
Source: Let’s live longer