Visiting the psychologist is very common today; having a professional with whom to share our feelings so that it can help us to improve when we are involved in difficult situations is quite reassuring. Even so, there are some people who still show some resistance to ask for help when they suffer from a problem that causes them suffering and yet it is very easy to visit other specialists in medicine when suffering from some physical ailment.
Sometimes one of the reasons that explains this fact is that there are people who when they are going through a complicated situation that affects them emotionally think that they are braver and stronger if they keep their problem quiet and try to solve it by themselves . Another reason that prevents some people to share their personal situation with a mental health professional may be the negative belief that psychologists can only help “the insane.” Both ways of thinking originate more negative than positive consequences, since, in many cases we do not have the necessary resources or strategies to deal with what happens to us and what we achieve is to prolong suffering more time but in secret. Not asking for help does not mean that we do not need it, maybe it’s time to flip the coin and start seeing the fact of requesting professional support as a gesture of daring and cunning.
Mental health is as important as physical health, because if we are not emotionally at ease and do not take care of ourselves we can produce changes in our body that affect us negatively. Sometimes our body may become weakened and may be more prone to suffer from certain illnesses because of the psychological suffering we have experienced during some stages of our lives. An example of this can be when we are under a long period of stress; in these situations the immune system is often altered by high levels of cortisol in the blood, which may cause us to be more vulnerable to certain medical problems.
Many times we find ourselves more irascible, susceptible, with sudden changes of mood, less energy, apathy or reluctance, sleep problems, alterations in appetite, etc. There are many symptoms that serve as a warning to warn us that something in us is not going well. These symptoms may vary from one person to another; even the same person may have different physiological responses depending on the moment of where they are. Changes in the body can give us clues that it is time to ask for help..
The psychologist cannot change a fact in itself that has already happened, but if it can equip the person with strategies to deal with that situation that harms him in the most adaptive way possible, so that everything that is in his hands when he does not know how to deal with it . The fact that the person has more resources to deal with the situation may help or solve the problem or to experience it from a different initial perspective that generates less pain.
Each one has its own personality that has been consolidated since childhood due to hereditary factors and lived experiences. When a patient visits the psychologist he does not end up becoming a different person, he remains the same or the same as always but having worked on some aspects of his way of being or acting that caused him problems (for example: automatic ways of thinking or Interpreting situations, communication styles, handling unpleasant emotions …) Therefore, going to the psychologist only helps us find ourselves more satisfied with ourselves.
In the first appointment, the first contact is established, usually it is a semi-structured session that allows the person to discuss their reason for consultation in addition to the information they deem appropriate. Let’s say it’s a flexible session that gives the patient more freedom to manifest what he needs. Often specific questions are asked to know the subject better. From this moment the psychologist can get some indication.
La primera fase es la de evaluación, empieza desde la primera cita y está compuesta por una entrevista y algunos tests psicométricos. Esta etapa de valoración es importante para que el profesional pueda obtener un diagnóstico y pueda darle una explicación a la persona sobre lo que le ocurre.
The first phase is the evaluation phase, starts from the first appointment and is composed of an interview and some psychometric tests. This stage of evaluation is important so that the professional can obtain a diagnosis and can give an explanation to the person about what is happening to him.
The second phase is the intervention or treatment, in which exercises, dialogue or psychotherapeutic techniques are put into practice to help the patient feel more comfortable with himself. Many tasks are recommended for the patient to put into practice in their daily lives.
You really cannot talk about a specific number of sessions. Each person is different and influences many aspects in the recovery process, for example the degree of involvement and participation of the individual during and outside the sessions, the type of problem and the level of severity, if the therapy follows a continuity or Produce some interruptions in time … Anyway, the psychologist after having valued the concrete situation of the patient can share with him his clinical impression and can inform him about the procedure to follow.
Verónica Villalba
Psychology Unit
HC Marbella International Hospital
May 16, 2017
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