Questions
Why not opt for an "alternative" therapy?
Take into account that, in percentages, the factors that contribute to therapeutic change ( Lambert, 1986 ):
Factors common to all theoretical models: therapeutic relationship and client expectations.
Specific factors to each model.
The placebo effect can explain up to 20% of the improvement in a treatment, so it can happen that any other non-scientific therapy "gives acceptable results", but there is a high probability that it dissolves over time because we have developed a dependency. psychological treatment.
In psychotherapy, the ego itself is strengthened and the schemes and patterns of each one are found to understand and thus prevent any other future problem from within.
Will my data and history be protected?
Your data will be treated with complete confidentiality and your data will be hidden in case you have to ask other professionals for second opinions. In case of making any changes, you will always be asked for verbal or written authorization.
*Confidentiality can be omitted in case of danger to the patient or others, or by order of a judge.
*In cases of therapy with minors: the same premise will be applied, and parents will be informed of what is strictly necessary that the therapist considers in case the minor prefers it and does not entail any risk for him or others.
How long will my therapy last?
We cannot know how long it will take to achieve the goals you want. It depends on many variables (Saldaña, 2009):
To a very high degree, the type of problem and associated, the severity and motivation for change, along with expectations.
To a high degree, the erroneous attribution of the problem, social supports, fulfillment of tasks and experiences in previous treatments.
In a medium and low degree, economic resources influence, that there are no associated problems, and lastly age, sex or cultural level.
Keep in mind that psychotherapy is not a medical process in which you take a medicine and "heal yourself", but a long process full of advances and setbacks, and it can last for months and years, something that does not mean that it is worse, It all depends on how much you want to improve your life.
What do I do if I feel like going to therapy isn't working for me?
First of all I would ask you to talk about it openly; It is very common for people to have resistance (barriers) when they realize that going to therapy is not only "going in and being happy", but it is hard work that can sometimes be unpleasant, since it involves looking at the own shortcomings and things we do wrong that prevent us from achieving our goals, and we don't like that.
Therefore, I would like you to commit to:
Do not make a unilateral decision about therapy without working on it first.
Do not make decisions in moments of high emotional intensity (arguments, "lows" ...)
Try to be open and honest in consultation to discover what is the real emotion that is underneath that idea that the therapy "does not work for you".
Going to the psychologist is for very brave people and can be very scary, and our subconscious will try to "run away" from what it does not like to look at, but if you overcome that urge, we will have half the work done.
Can I schedule sessions less frequently?
Sure, but it is not recommended; the more time passes between sessions, the easier it will be to "forget" what was worked on and obviously, it will also be a much slower and longer process.
I advise a weekly session and see results in less time than lengthening the process, since the revelation that you have the capacity to act will be given in the first option, and it is very important for motivation and expectations. Otherwise, you could demotivate yourself and worsen expectations not only with me, but with potential future psychologists you consult.
If one day I need emergency care, what can I do?
Sometimes we have moments of weakness or crisis in which we feel very bad and I understand it; At first the sessions will be agreed upon, but I am available at any other time (during business hours) if you want to talk to me via WhatsApp.
Anyway, we will work on this situation in session to understand the causes and consequences.
Are you at risk undergoing therapy?
It is true that in the hands of someone not trained or graduated in psychology as a "coacher" or "life counselor" they can do a lot of damage to our mental health.
In the hands of a professional, therapy is a process that a person does with a lot of effort, and the worst that can happen is that the desired results are not achieved or they get tired before obtaining them. I insist on keeping in mind that it is a long but profound journey and it will always be remembered to stop the therapy if it is detected that it is being harmful or that the objectives are not achieved.
Can I schedule a test session?
There are no "test sessions" in this case, since only taking the anamnesis and receiving the request involves between 1 and 3 sessions, depending on the patient (motivation, confidence ...).
I encourage you to get to know me and see what I can teach you about yourself in a first session, it may surprise you.