How Is Therapeutic Adherence Generated In Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is a process of helping people that is never based on unilateralism: it requires the interest and deliberate participation of both the therapist and the patient, even if only one of them adopts the role of trained and trained professional to dedicate themselves to this type of treatment. interventions. If there is a clear asymmetry in the involvement of these people, psychotherapy will not progress, or will even be interrupted.
In the same way, it is of no use if in the first sessions both the patient and the professional make an effort to make the therapy progress if in the following stages the former loses interest and decides to give up, stopping attending appointments with the psychologist. . And that is precisely why the concept of therapeutic adherence is key, since psychotherapists must apply a series of strategies to minimize the chances that the patient stops showing commitment to the advancement of the psychological intervention. In this sense, here we will talk about The most important measures adopted to generate therapeutic adherence in psychotherapy.
The experience of being able to express yourself openly about what you have not been able or have not dared to tell other people is one of the first aspects that generate well-being that psychotherapy brings to the patient. That’s why it’s important facilitate involvement in this process by going beyond simply listening ; You have to make that person feel heard, something that involves giving them constant feedback, reactions through gestures to what they are saying, maintaining eye contact, clarifications, brief requests for clarifications, etc. All this without interrupting or slowing down the flow of the dialogue.
2. Never prejudge or share strong opinions
Making patients not feel judged when attending psychotherapy sessions and talking about what is happening to them is possibly the main pillar of therapeutic adherence. This means transmitting, both through verbal and non-verbal language, that We make no value judgments about their lives, their past actions, and their ways of coping with emotional pain, among other things. Likewise, and this is something that is sometimes overlooked, it is advisable not to express very extreme or strong opinions about polarizing or current issues. In this way, the fear of reflecting a different or even opposite ideology to that of the therapist, prone to being criticized, is not encouraged.
3. Inform the patient and clear up their doubts and concerns
Helping the patient understand the reasons for the behaviors that make them feel bad is key so that it does not cost them to spend a lot of time talking about their problems throughout the sessions; This is important because some people must face a great feeling of guilt every time they talk openly about their past and their way of dealing with life’s problems. In the same way, help you let go of unfounded worries and myths about, for example, the psychopathology that you have developed and for which you come to the consultation, is a good way to prevent you from ending up wanting to avoid thinking about it at all costs, stopping going to therapy and trying to live as if it did not happen to you. nothing bad.
Formulating short-term goals (that is, those that can be achieved in a matter of hours or a few days) is necessary so that the patient feels that by making an effort in the present moment they can feel the satisfaction of having made progress in the psychotherapy process. If there are only long-term mints, they will be too abstract to spark their interest and commitment.
5. Highlight the achievements made so far
Making observations about the achievements that the patient has achieved so far and showing satisfaction with his commitment to therapy is a very good measure of positive reinforcement of his behavior, and will make him feel on the path to improving his situation. So throwing in the towel at that moment would mean the loss of all those victories that you have been accumulating and that you will keep in mind thanks to the professional’s reminders about everything you have achieved.
6. Call when absences occur and take advantage of online therapy
There is no need to show passivity in the face of absences from the sessions scheduled on the agenda; You have to act by making at least one phone call to find out the reasons for their absence, something that serves to reflect that this lost opportunity has objective consequences beyond the subjectivity of the patient. Besides, Given possible inconveniences such as traveling to another city on time, you may be offered the option of holding online sessions by video call so that you do not feel that this chain of meetings with the psychologist has been interrupted anyway and that being absent again would not mean a great loss.
If contact can be maintained with the patient’s relatives, this will facilitate that that person has allies in the therapeutic process in their own home, people who will help you meet the goals set in therapy and who will encourage you not to stop attending meetings with the psychologist. Of course, making it clear at all times that the confidential information discussed in the sessions will not be shared with other family members without their permission.
Do you want to train in psychotherapy?
If you want to learn the theory and practice of therapeutic adherence and many other aspects of psychologists’ work when caring for patients, you will be interested the Professional Online Postgraduate Course in Integrative Psychotherapy offered by Institut Mensalus in collaboration with the University of Nebrija.
This 6-month training program will allow you to observe and analyze real cases with patients, perform practical exercises and receive the experience and mentoring of a teaching staff who dedicates most of their professional activity to psychotherapy. At the end of the postgraduate course, students receive their own University Degree from the Nebrija University of Madrid.
