How To Choose A Good Psychologist Who Offers Psychotherapy?

If you are interested in going to psychotherapy services and you do not have much experience in this, it is good that you know a series of criteria that you can use to select the right psychotherapist.

Ultimately, there are many myths about what psychotherapy consists of, and this means that there is a certain risk of going to people who are not really trained to care for patients, in which case they can even make the problem to be treated worse.. Luckily, there are some basic aspects that help avoid problems of this type.

So that… How to choose a good psychologist when going to therapy?

6 keys to knowing how to choose a good psychotherapist

When you are interested in going to a psychotherapy professional, look at these guidelines to make the best choice possible.

1. Check their specialization

Not all psychologists are professionally dedicated to therapy There are other branches of psychology that do not have much to do with patient care: marketing, education, Human Resources, research, etc. In all of them it is possible to dedicate yourself full-time and exclusively as a psychologist.

For this reason, it is important to pay attention not only to the fact that the professional we consider going to is dedicated to psychology, but also to make sure what his or her specialization is.

2. Check that you have registered with the Official College of Psychologists

Psychotherapy is a form of intervention in patients that must follow a series of principles and rules, as it is within the field of health. Thus, It is important to check that the person we are assessing is registered: Colleges regulate the activity of professionals.

3. Check that your work is based on science

Psychotherapy is applied science, that is, its methods and tools are based on scientific knowledge. Therefore, all psychologists are obliged to use scientifically validated therapies which implies that its positive effects on patients have been proven through a series of research over the years.

Therefore, the fact that a psychologist expresses himself in esoteric terms or appeals to supernatural entities to explain the human mind and our behavior is an alarm signal that should lead to his dismissal; It is one thing that consciousness and subjectivity are part of the field of study of psychology, and another that they must be understood practically as if they were magical elements, disconnected from the human body and matter in general.

Likewise, combining psychotherapy with pseudoscientific or esoteric practices such as tarot or homeopathy is also a powerful reason to choose another professional.

4. If the professional is very specialized, don’t worry

The fact that a psychologist specializes in a very specific area of ​​psychological well-being is not in itself a reason to rule him out, nor does it imply that he is a worse professional. Simply, Consider whether the problem you want to treat in therapy fits with the training of that professional

For example, if what you are looking for is help to overcome agoraphobia, it is okay if the psychologist you are going to see does not have experience in child therapy or couples therapy, as long as they do have experience in intervention in anxiety disorders.

5. The psychologist should not offer friendship

A person who claims to offer psychotherapy and at the same time offers to establish a relationship of friendship with the patient, in all likelihood is not qualified to practice that profession.

The therapeutic relationship is clearly professional and although patients talk about their problems openly and honestly and psychologists can offer empathy and even brief moments of relaxed conversation, the objective is clear: to offer a service aimed at achieving specific objectives.

6. Offer concrete objectives

In every psychotherapeutic process there is a first phase of patient evaluation which takes place just before the intervention itself begins. In this, psychologists seek to understand the characteristics of the problem that the person who comes to them has, as well as their life context and characteristics as an individual.

At the end of this phase, before starting the treatment phase, it is important that the professional proposes concrete and easy-to-objectify objectives. In this way, there will be a clear reference at all times that will show whether there is progress or not, and that will mark when it is time to end the therapy.

Note that the psychotherapy process cannot be indefinite, should last a few months or weeks. Only in some cases of chronic and severe illness will it be necessary to make visits over the years, but in these cases they are much more spaced than those typical of a typical psychotherapeutic intervention, since they serve for follow-up.

If after the first contact sessions the psychologist suggests that the therapy will last years or will be something for life with weekly regularity, it is advisable to change psychotherapist.

Are you looking for psychological assistance from experts?

If you are interested in having the professional support offered by psychologists who are experts in psychotherapy, contact our team. In Cribecca Psychology We serve people of all ages, couples and families, either in our center located in Seville or through the online therapy service. The psychologists who work here specialize in all areas of mental health and emotional well-being, and we base our work on the cognitive-behavioral intervention model, one of the most effective and versatile.

For more information about Cribecca Psychology and to see our contact information, access this page.