The reasons that lead individuals to go to psychological therapy to resolve a disorder or overcome the discomfort they feel are different and varied. Many think it will be simple and they will not have to make any effort during the process, others will resist the change, and others may be misdiagnosed.
In some cases, even going to psychological therapy can be counterproductive (aggravate the problems that the person presents). Although a notable percentage of patients improve, others fail to achieve their goals and abandon therapy.
Ineffective psychological therapy: these may be the reasons
What reasons lead a person to not comply with treatment? What causes patients to sometimes end the therapeutic relationship with a feeling of not having achieved their goals? Below we present the main reasons why psychological therapy may not work:
1. Lack of psychological resources of the patient
Is the intervention accessible to the patient? In other words, are you providing him with the necessary tools so that he can improve correctly? Can you use them? For example, a patient may a type of psychological therapy that requires great emotional involvement does not work for you since their degree of emotional maturity is below what the therapy requires.
This patient may need prior emotional training since he or she does not have developed Emotional Intelligence skills. On the other hand, the patient may have low cultural or intellectual capacity that makes treatment difficult.
2. The patient seeks to heal without effort or involvement
Psychological therapy implies a certain commitment on the part of the patient in order to progress. Psychological disorders are not the same as a headache, that is, they require a active patient involvement. If he does not complete the tasks or apply the strategies worked on in the sessions, it will be difficult to improve.
3. The patient does not accept the psychologist’s word
The patient may not accept that the psychologist tells him certain things. He may not accept either. that questions your beliefs or principles. If a person is defensive, it is difficult to persuade him or her to improve.
4. Lack of motivation on the part of the patient
This point has to do with motivation, since if the patient is not motivated it is difficult for psychological therapy to be effective. On the other hand, motivation may be lost if the treatment requires big lifestyle changes or when the treatment has a delayed effect. The psychological change is not immediate. It requires, most of the time, changes in deeply rooted approaches or habits, and that means time and effort.
5. The patient needs another specialist
The therapy may not be ideal for the patient. There are people who function better with cognitive-behavioral therapy and others, for example, with Mindfulness. In other words, not all therapies are the same for all people.
The resistance to change It has to do with a more or less conscious resistance. For example, the patient does not want to lose the treatment he receives or psychological dependence, anticipates negative consequences after the change, does not want the loss of payments or fears uncertainty.
7. The environment favors the problem to persist
Certain environments or behaviors impair patient recovery. For example, a person who wants to improve their problems with alcohol and has friends who encourage them to drink, is very likely to have difficulty getting the most out of psychological therapy.
8. There are other problems that make recovery difficult
It may be that there is a misdiagnosis on the part of the therapist because there are deeper problems than what the patient shows. Additionally, there could be a situation that indirectly affects the therapy, such as a bad work or family situation.
9. Patient’s erroneous beliefs about psychotherapy
There are many erroneous beliefs that can hinder the process of psychological therapy. For example, having low expectations of success or too high expectations about therapy, believing that results will occur quickly, thinking that going to therapy will negatively affect one’s self-image, etc. People sometimes have a wrong view of the psychologist’s possibilities of action. The psychologist is not going to make his patient a happy person, the objective is for the patient to own his own life, and to have the knowledge, means and skills necessary to improve his well-being and solve the problems that arise. .
It is very important that there is a good relationship communication and understanding between the patient and the therapist, which produces a good therapeutic alliance. If there are problems in the interpersonal relationship, the expected benefits may not occur.
The cause of this may be a lack of understanding between both, the attitude of the therapist or the patient, or simply that there is no feeling between both and a relationship of trust does not occur.
