First part of answers to typical questions that people have about psychology and psychologists.
When many people come to my office for the first time, the first thing they say is that they have never been to a psychologist and they don’t really know what to say, or how I am going to help them with their problem. With this article I will try to clear up doubts about what a psychologist is, what he does and how he does it in a general way.
What is psychology?
Psychology is the science that studies people’s behavior in all its manifestations and contexts, that is, it seeks the reasons for both what people do and what they do not do. Psychology is interested in both normal and abnormal behavior, which is behavior that implies some disorder or difficulty for the person themselves or in relation to others.
What is a psychologist?
He is a person with a degree or degree in psychology, for which he has had to study for at least 5 years all the aspects and behaviors that make up the person.
Is a therapist the same as a psychologist?
No. To be a therapist, no type of training is required. Anyone can be a therapist, just put it on their business card.
What is a clinical psychologist?
A clinical psychologist is a graduate in psychology who has specialized in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of adaptive or normal behaviors, and maladaptive or abnormal behaviors that may cause subjective discomfort and suffering to the person.
What does a clinical psychologist do?
A clinical psychologist listens without judging, understands, advises, provides the necessary tools and accompanies the patient to help them resolve the psychological problems they suffer from on a daily basis.
How do I know if I need the help of a psychologist?
You need a psychologist if you suffer from intense emotional discomfort, if you have asked yourself this question more than once, because no one asks this question without reason, or if more than three people have told you seriously that you need a psychologist, a It may be wrong, two may be coincidences, but three or more are too many coincidences.
Why are there so many types of psychologists?
All psychological schools or currents generally agree on the diagnosis of the patient. The difference is that each school or current has a different anthropological conception of the human being and that means that different tools are used depending on each orientation to help the patient.
Are psychologists effective?
Yes. Psychology is a science that, through the scientific method, has demonstrated its effectiveness in solving psychological problems. As in any profession, there are good psychologists and less good psychologists.
What is the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?
The similarity is that both evaluate, diagnose, and treat maladaptive behaviors. The difference is that the psychiatrist has a purely biological conception of the human being (the patient’s discomfort is due to chemical imbalances in the brain) and the treatments are always with medications. The psychologist has a bio-psycho-social conception (the patient’s discomfort is due to the situations experienced, the thoughts and behaviors that he has, as well as his social relationships). The intervention by the psychologist will be through words and the learning of psychological techniques. The psychologist also treats relationship problems, family problems, addictions, sex, learning, self-esteem and interpersonal relationships…
No. Medications can only be prescribed by medical graduates. Although the psychologist may know about psychotropic drugs, the most he can do is advise on natural remedies as any normal person could do.
