Victor F. Pérez: "We tend to mask the condition that causes discomfort"

The possibility of attending psychotherapy has been a great advance in the field of mental health in recent decades. Where years ago only the possibility of receiving medication or even isolating oneself from the rest of society was offered, today you can count on professional support to learn to manage emotions, to control impulses, to adopt a more constructive perspective and that does not feed hopelessness or psychopathologies in general, etc.

However, none of this will take place if the person with psychological problems does not seek professional help. Thus, It is key to understand what mechanisms are those that lead people to go to the psychotherapist's consultation for the first time. We will talk about this in this interview with the psychologist Víctor Fernando Pérez, who is in charge of the ENDI En Directo center.

• Related article: "What to expect on a first visit to the psychotherapist?"

Interview with Víctor Fernando Pérez: Why do people go to therapy?

Víctor Fernando Pérez is a psychologist, speaker and Executive Director of ENDI En Directo

, a psychology and coaching center born in Mexico City. In this interview he talks about what leads people to seek therapeutic help.

From your point of view as a professional... What are the most frequent reasons why people go to psychotherapy?

The reason for consultation is related to frequent and intense conditions of sadness, anguish, disgust, guilt... That is, emotions and feelings that come from very different causes but that if they were not worked in therapy would tend to somatize (They can lead to symptoms or physical or organic disorders in which it is not ruled out that at some point the person needs attention medical).

The main reason is anxiety; whoever requires therapy faces constant even permanent anguish. Among other symptoms, the sensation of tightness and difficulty in breathing stand out (which normally is not made conscious until the anxiety is already installed); Something that requires attention is that in many of these moments there is usually emotional pain, something similar to a feeling of anguish, usually centrally in the chest.

Sometimes people arrive when there are already conditions that bring them closer to a depressive picture, which corresponds to a series of symptoms accompanied by a pattern of discouragement in which one has been living in a intense some of the aforementioned emotions, which cause discomfort and require treatment to heal emotionally.

Is it common for people to go to therapy without having a very clear idea of ​​the problem they have, and that they understand it much better after the first sessions with the psychologist?

Yes, especially when we talk about the events that produce those emotions. This happens because humans tend to avoid attention or mask the condition that causes discomfort. It happens that some people come when they had decided to pay attention to what causes them emotional pain. When the problem is already being reflected in a more intense discomfort, it is when something we call the breaking point is reached.

Of course, any of these situations in which the person awakens awareness of his discomfort serve as drivers for the person to truly assume the will to rescue himself.

In the best case scenario, someone close to him or her may try to encourage you to realize what is happening. Sometimes the sufferer refuses to feel that there is something wrong and that is when it is enormously helpful for someone who is interested in her well-being to help her seek a better state of well-being and support.

Can the people around someone who is in emotional pain help them to get out of it?

It is likely, although it is not easy for this to happen. Normally the closest people cannot help as they would like because they have an emotional bond with those who are having a bad time, or even because they feel affected by their condition; but it is clear that they do not want to see her suffer.

How do people fall into hopeless situations?

In situations of discomfort that remain for a long period, there may be a condition that the person interprets as demotivation or a decay.

The lack of motivation can sometimes be due to the fact that the energy that the person has is focused on facing what we call “crisis”. It is important to find what will help the person to get out of that hopelessness, therapy is of great help.

How can therapy help?

Any therapy process must first focus on reducing discomfort. Therefore, in addition to understanding the reason why the person requires help, the first stage is to make a good detection of conditions that can affect their general condition.

When the person comes to my attention, in the protocols I attend in a considerate way, with a human sense, what we know as four bases for physical, emotional and psychological balance. For this reason, those who attend receive attention to four factors that we consider "the four pillars of vital balance."

Is there still the myth that it only makes sense to go to the psychologist if you have a mental disorder?

It is an excellent question. I tell you that there are people for whom this myth continues to exist, and unfortunately some cases that are turn one into a condition of complexity could have been treated in the first stage with a good accompaniment psychological.

Now, the conditions of mental disorder or organic condition in any case require to be treated by another specialist, be it a psychiatrist or a neurologist.

Luckily, more and more people go to therapy to solve situations that do not become serious conditions and that with good accompaniment are resolved in the best way.

Can you give some examples of people who can benefit from psychotherapy without having developed a psychopathology or even without feeling bad in their day to day?

Of course. I have patients who request therapy when they find that it is being a little more difficult or that it will take longer to resolve a situation in which the person is also involved emotionally.

For those who have avoided falling into the myth of mental illness, it has been shown that difficulties can be solved in a more practical way and finding their best resources with therapy. Problems that have not been aggravated are resolved and as a consequence, their condition is easier to address and resolve.

What role does coaching play in psychological intervention processes?

Well, first of all it must be mentioned that today there are many methods that are called coaching, and that much of the unofficial practices have deviated from what is the original method of care therapy.

The original method of coaching works in conjunction with psychotherapy. Coaching in its most professional concept and aligned with international standards works.

I can mention among other institutions the ICF (International Coaching Federation) seeks to help women people to find solutions to problems that do not involve psychological intervention, as well as to enhance results and overcome limits self-imposed. It is important to clarify that coaching is not a process that solves crises or traumatic events, however it is of great help in various processes.

Do you think that in the coming years, the fields of intervention of psychotherapy will diversify even more?

I'm convinced. In fact, the advancement of technologies and communications today allow people to go to online therapy in the most practical and simple way. More and more people are benefiting from this new way of receiving therapy.

Although there are still people who find it difficult not to have the therapist in person, once they are given the opportunity they realize the great advantages: receive care wherever they are without having to travel, which means comfort and great savings in weather. Online therapy, with the correct measures, offers a high degree of reliability. It is also a great opportunity that you can choose your therapist anywhere in the world.

Therapy is empowering the role of psychology by creating an awareness of self-care and timely attention. We must not forget that in any case psychological therapy must always be focused on the sensitivity of the human being.

Maintain an empathic sense and consideration for everyone who requires help and that does not prevent us from seeing a even greater growth in the field of intervention of Online Therapy and with the support of other technologies and for this, it is necessary to be more prepared.