Although it is increasingly common to go to a psychologist, and the patient profile has become incredibly varied in recent decades, there still remains a somewhat limited vision of the tasks that psychologists can perform to help people. .
And the idea that psychological intervention is fundamentally for people with severe psychiatric illnesses is totally wrong today, even though many people still believe in it. Ultimately, behind any type of psychological problem or need there are psychological professionals working to provide treatment and care.
So that… How can a psychologist really help you? Below we will see a summary.
Let’s start with the most basic: what is psychology? It is, basically, the science that studies the behavior and psychological processes, which include the way we think, feel and act From this scientific field arises the branch of applied psychology, which uses scientific knowledge to solve the psychological problems of individuals, groups and institutions.
If you notice, until now there has been no mention of the concept “disease”, “pathology” or “disorder”. And this is no coincidence: psychologists do not work simply obeying terms that limit our scope of intervention, but rather we use these concepts to know what we are talking about when working with certain psychological phenomena, and to differentiate them from the rest. In other words, we distinguish between the pathological and the non-pathological only if it makes sense to do so in a given context, and not because the reason for our work is mental illness: it is not.
There is no clear dividing line that separates what has traditionally been called “madness” and the rest of behavioral patterns. Beyond the areas of work in which each professional specializes, psychologists work with all psychological processes in general, not only with those that can be considered disorders.
You only have to think about what is usually done in couples therapy or in school psychology to see clear examples of psychologists helping people who in many cases have not been diagnosed with any disorder and simply suffer from lack of motivation, difficulties to live with someone, the frustration of not having friends, etc.
How can a psychologist help?
Now that we have seen that psychology is a very broad area of ​​work and full of challenges, it is easier to understand that psychologists usually intervene in a wide variety of problems. These are the most important areas of work.
1. Mood problems
There are many people who go to the psychologist because feel sad or emotionally stuck This often happens in cases where there is depression or other mood disorders, but in others, there is no identifiable disorder, but rather a person who is simply going through a bad time. For example, because of the recent death of a loved one, or because she has been laid off from work.
In all these cases, psychologists work so that our patients learn to maintain habits that keep suffering of this type at bay.
2. Anxiety problems
Anxiety and excess stress are common problems that can occur at any age.
In some cases, much of what causes this discomfort has to do with genetic predispositions, while in other cases it is mainly due to the fact of having experienced stressful situations or being subjected to environments that induce anxiety (school in which there are bullying attacks, very competitive work spaces, etc.). In any case, it is almost always possible to improve significantly through psychotherapy
3. Sequelae of bullying or traumatic events
The fact of being victims of violence can mark many people. In the sessions with the psychologist, everything necessary is done so that these painful memories stop frightening the people who suffer from them.
4. Relationship problems
As we have seen, this is another of the areas in which psychologists get involved to improve the quality of life of those who are in a relationship
5. Support for people with existential crisis
There are people who go to a psychologist simply because they don’t know what to do with their life, which can be summarized as a problem of lack of sources of motivation. In the psychologist’s office it is easier to find exciting projects and commit to ways of learning new skills that allow you to enter new paths of personal development.
6. Learning and developmental problems
Both in child and adolescent psychotherapy and in psychological assistance to boys and girls without diagnosed disorders psychology professionals help them learn to relate to others, with the content taught at school and with their own emotions and thoughts.
7. Psychological assistance to patients with chronic pathologies
Many psychologists specialize in providing psychological support to patients with pathologies and disorders that are damaging their quality of life , many of which are severe. We can highlight, for example, therapists who treat people with psychotic disorders, dementia or diseases that have to directly affect the nervous system, such as cancer.
Another area of ​​​​specialization of the psychologist is eating problems, and specifically support for people with obesity, metabolic disorders or eating disorders (such as anorexia or bulimia).
Where to find psychological assistance?
Today, psychologists serve in a wide variety of contexts, both in companies and in schools and public and private health clinics.
If you are interested in contacting our psychotherapy center in Seville, Cribecca PsicologÃa you can find our contact details by clicking here.
