There is no doubt that Psychology is one of the most complex sciences and that anyone who dedicates themselves to it professionally has never read enough to know everything about the mind and human behavior.
However, many times the emphasis placed on theoretical knowledge hides the fact that, at least in the case of psychotherapy, a large part of the professional’s skills and abilities have less to do with the memorization of data and information. textual, but with the mastery of certain practical skills, linked to real-time interaction with patients.
And there is no clinical manual (or instruction manual) that allows you to offer a quality service to those who need help of this type: you must have several skills that allow you to adapt to what is happening during the session.
Therefore, in this article we will talk about the most important skills that a therapist can possess to perform well in their work and be able to give their best to patients especially in the world of psychological therapy.
The most important therapist skills when caring for patients
When offering appropriate psychotherapeutic care, the most important skills that professionals must apply are the following.
1. Context domain
Yeah In any communicative situation, the context is always capable of giving one meaning or another to the words, this occurs even more in the field of psychological therapy, in which very personal topics are discussed about which the patient may be reluctant to talk directly. That is why it is very important that therapists develop their ability to read between the lines and understand what is hidden beyond the literal, in order to detect the feelings and concepts that are linked to what worries patients or what they It hurts them on an emotional level.
Assertiveness, understood as the ability to communicate important ideas without giving in to the fear of making people uncomfortable (although always taking into account the feelings and interests of the interlocutor) is key in therapy. Therapists must know how to guide the conversation towards those topics that are relevant at all times and this means not running away from certain conversations or certain key questions that must be asked when the moment arises.
3. Time organization
Knowing how to control time is essential not only throughout a therapy session (in which you have to know when and how to address certain topics), but also when planning days and weeks in general. We must not forget that the work of the psychotherapist psychologist does not end when he is not dealing directly with patients; You must be responsible for maintaining proper maintenance and order in the workspace (essential for, among other things, working fluidly and without interruptions when working with people who need help) and it is also necessary to carry out tasks related to communication and marketing, dealing with collaborators, making collections and payments, controlling finances, etc. No matter how vocational this work is, it is still precisely that, a work carried out with material resources and in association with other professionals. Are They are seemingly banal tasks but of vital importance to stay afloat in the job market.
4. Tolerance of uncertainty
In therapy there will always be a space given over to uncertainty. We are dealing with people with all that this entails: they are not puzzles to be solved, but very complex and constantly evolving human beings, so it would be totally counterproductive to try to know exactly everything they experience, how they think at all times, etc. Falling into these pretensions only leads to frustration and burnout.
Therefore, another of the therapist’s key skills is, while offering psychological assistance, assume that you cannot and should not try to fully capture the essence of the person you are dealing with, nor offer absolute explanations about their behavior patterns. The focus should always be on your problem or need to be covered, and from there, detect relevant pieces of information.
5. Empathic sensitivity
Beyond the information that can be expressed in words, it is important to connect emotionally with the patient. Of course, a balance must be maintained between close treatment and even personal appreciation (if the latter arises) and professionalism. That’s why, The way of addressing the problems for which the patient has come to the consultation should not be purely intellectual or motivated by curiosity: you have to know how to respect certain limits and do everything possible to make the process comfortable (without giving up therapeutic objectives that may involve facing fears and leaving the comfort zone).
You may be interested: “Empathy, much more than putting yourself in someone else’s shoes”
6. Ability to learn to learn
Learning to learn consists, among other things, of adopting routines of consulting reliable sources of information, but not only that. It also consists of test yourself get used to reviewing information, train collaboratively and combine it with individual study and practice, and more.
7. Synthesis capacity
The capacity for synthesis makes it possible for therapists to not be left with a simple collection of data given by the patient: You have to know how to select what is important and, with it, create a map of the problem to be treated and the possible solutions. That is, you have to know how to create new information with the information already given, which also provides a reference to, as the therapeutic process progresses, know if you have been working with the correct hypothesis or not.
Related article: “The 13 types of learning: what are they?”
Finally, we must not forget that the work of psychotherapists involves a constant routine of learning from mistakes. There are too many variables at play not to make mistakes on a regular basis, even in the smallest details. But if we assume that as professionals we always have the most objective and informed view of what is happening to the patient, this ability is lost.
Do you want to specialize in the world of psychotherapy?
If you want to become a professional in the field of psychological therapy, the Master in Integrative Psychotherapy from Institut Mensalus is for you. This training program lasting one academic year is designed for graduates in Psychology who want to develop as psychotherapists based on an integrative theoretical position, and in addition, its completion allows them to obtain a University Degree from the Nebrija University of Madrid.
It is a very good option to learn the theoretical-practical aspects of therapy from psychologists who dedicate most of their professional activity to caring for patients in the Mensalus center itself; Thus, the Master allows you to see real therapy sessions and participate in practical practices with real patients under the supervision of therapist-tutors. In addition, it gives the possibility of taking classes in person or remotely live online.
