My therapy is not going well: what to do when your psychologist does not help you

When a person goes to a psychologist it is because he needs help from a professional, although, sometimes therapy may not work at all well.

Regardless of whose fault it is, the fact is that when your psychologist does not help you, it is best to have a second opinion.

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Psychological therapy: what to do when it doesn't work

Therapy may not work for a number of reasons. One of the problems may be that the psychologist in question has not correctly identified the problem. If the psychologist does not work in this initial phase, the treatment that he carries out will not work either or, at least, it will not work with all the desired effect.

Secondly, If the therapy is not going well, it may also be because the appropriate therapy has not been applied. Sometimes the patient's problems are complicated and they do not know how to connect with their psychologist.

It is a fact that psychology is a very complex field and, sometimes, finding the right therapy can be difficult.

Finally, another assumption why a therapy may not work is because the sessions have not been carried out with the recommended frequency.

In the same way that a medical treatment does not work well if it is not taken in the right dose, a therapy, if it is not carried out often enough, can fail. In this case, we ask you to be patient, to comply with the guidelines established by the professional.

A premature withdrawal from therapy will never solve anything.

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What to do if my therapy doesn't work?

If you feel that your therapy is not working, the first thing you should do is talk to your psychologist. You have to be quite clear and not have any shame when commenting on it. Do not be ashamed, your psychologist is here to help you and will greatly appreciate this type of information that you are going to provide.

In the vast majority of therapies the objectives are set by both parties and, of course, the work requires the involvement of both. Both the patient and the psychologist are in the same boat, so communication is the most important thing.

Having confidence with your psychologist is essential to be able to maintain a fluid conversation with him. If you are not able to communicate this problem to your psychologist, it is a bad sign.

The best way for the psychologist to make a valid diagnosis and establish the appropriate therapy is to be honest. If you think that you are wasting your time or that he is not helping you at all, do not be afraid to tell him, since everything is going to be for the better.

On the other hand, that a therapy with a psychologist does not work for you does not mean that your problem has no solution.

From Atlas Psychologists Tres Cantos we recommend get a second opinion, so you should never lose faith in therapy.

If when you have a bad experience with one dentist you go to another, and when the same thing happens with a hairdresser you also do it, why not with a psychologist?

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How do I know if my therapy is going well?

Sometimes it takes a bit to see the results of therapy. Sometimes patients are in a rush to recover or despair of thinking that they will never be able to recover.

These aspects end up clouding judgment and make it impossible to establish a diagnosis through which it is known whether the therapy is working or not. As in practically everything, there are a number of factors that help us realize that therapy is not working.

Psychology is a profession that is based on science. This implies that the actions of psychologists have to be substantiated.

Unfortunately, some therapists still base their practices on approaches other than evidence, achieving results that are not satisfactory for the patient. A psychologist must listen patiently and not talk about himself.

One of the most important faculties that a psychologist must have is that of know how to listen. What's more, should actively participate in your problems by asking you directly for more information and thus better understand your situation.

If your therapist doesn't spend a lot of time listening to you or is constantly interrupting you, that's another bad sign.

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Communication in therapy is important

In the same way that you must communicate to your psychologist what is happening to you, he has to reason with you the decisions he makes. The best way to understand a therapy is to be clear about the reason why it is being done.

A psychologist should be able to explain in a simple way why they suggest certain guidelines. If he does not explain or minimize your problem, it is another sign that the therapy is not going well.

For a therapy to go well it has to focus on the future. It is useless to focus on the past, nothing can change anymore. If the psychologist spends a great deal of time turning to the past, it is likely that he will end up aggravating the problem, generating a new one, or lengthening the duration of therapy.

All these aspects are negative and new symptoms that the therapy is not going as well as it should. A psychologist has to help you in your day-to-day life and offer you practical solutions that will help you when you leave the consultation. Clearly removing the past does not help this.

During a psychological treatment there are days when you will surely do better than others, especially in the early and intermediate phases of therapy. For this reason, it is important to know that a psychologist cannot treat a problem in one session, and the results of some sessions are not necessarily super positive. Of course, over time you should notice an improvement.

A psychologist should never cross the professional line. He is not your friend, you must be clear about that. The psychologist must be honest with you and offer you objective professional treatment. Likewise, they should never judge you or impose their value system.

If you feel identified with any of these problems, it may be time to change your psychologist.

Pay attention to all the details and, of course, keep in mind that whenever you go for a consultation it is to go better. If you back off or feel bad about yourself, change before the problem becomes more serious.