Expectations in psychological therapy

For a few years, mental health has become increasingly important in the sociopolitical sphere of our country. Going to the psychologist is increasingly a practice integrated into our routine.

It has become something so normalized that, in any situation that is interpreted as problematic, we can hear “go to the psychologist”. The idea that going to a psychologist can solve all your problems is widespread and it is not surprising, since it is a habitual objective of the people who go to consultation.

There may be people who come with a certain idea of ​​what it is to go to the psychologist and, later, end up disappointed or frustrated. Here they come into play the expectations that both the consultant and the professional have of what psychological therapy is.

• Related article: "The benefits of going to psychological therapy"

Expectations in psychotherapy

Many times, the therapeutic process does not work or even does not start because they are not taken into account. the person's expectations, their goals, what they want to work on in therapy and what can be achieved with the therapy.

The professional must be responsible for clarifying these aspects, among others, to build a path on which to move forward. It is, therefore, an essential part that can sometimes go unnoticed or fall into oblivion.

In this way, some of the most common expectations of the person who comes to therapy are the following.

1. Going to the psychologist will solve all my problems

People may see life circumstances as problems to be solved. However, not everything that happens to us in life is a problem to be solved. Going to therapy will help to see things clearly and with another, more adaptive perspective.

2. feel good/happy again

Many people seek to return to feeling as good as a certain stage of their life. In this sense, it is necessary to analyze how your life was at that time and how it is now, what circumstances they have at the present and what is important to them.

The concept of each person's happiness also comes into play and what they consider they need to feel happy. Each person is different and, therefore, it is necessary to know what they understand by happiness and well-being in order to regulate those expectations before moving forward.

• You may be interested: "About happiness: what is it that we all seek?"

3. quick changes

When we go to therapy we want to notice changes in a short time, feel better quickly.

Keep in mind that therapy is a process, and as such, it takes time. In addition, in most cases the discomfort has been prolonged for a long time until we decide go to therapy and, therefore, the positive changes that we expect will not be as fast as we would like. Working on these expectations is necessary in the initial phase, valuing and reinforcing the changes that are made, no matter how small.

4. search for relief

The first times that we go to the consultation, we may feel relieved to tell what worries us and that nobody judges us. However, this does not always happen, and we can feel discomfort when leaving the consultation or the days after. If this happens, there is no need to worry. it is something normal because we have removed experiences and emotions in session. Being a part of the therapy also necessary to guarantee progress.

5. The psychologist will tell me what to do

It can be thought that, after telling the psychologist what is happening to us, he will tell us what we have to do, as if he were giving us a script on how to act. Instead of that, It will let us decide for ourselves, being responsible for how we act at all times.

On the other hand, the psychologist may also have expectations about what he wants to achieve with therapy, for example:

6. Solve patient problems

The professional may feel the pressure of wanting to solve all the problems that the person brings to the consultation. But not everything is under his control, much of the therapeutic work is done by the person. So the professional, and more so in its early stages, he should regulate those expectations.

7. Remarkable changes in record time

In addition to solving all the problems, the professional may be required to do it as quickly as possible, and that the person shows improvement as soon as possible. This can lead to working in a hurry, using many techniques and requiring the patient to move and do things. Despite the fact that the psychologist puts all her effort on the table, the therapeutic process requires time and the rhythm of each patient or client who comes to the consultation must be respected.

Working expectations in therapy

To work on the person's expectations, it is necessary to work on them in the first sessions. It is convenient to expose them, analyze them, incorporate them into therapy or clarify them in case they could hinder the therapeutic work.

To see what the person expects from therapy, you can ask questions such as: What would you like to achieve? What do you think is going to the psychologist? It is also essential to work out what you expect from the psychologist, with questions such as: How can I help you? What do you expect from me? Finally, it can be useful to check how committed the person is to the therapy and whether they trust the professional.

Finally, it is vital to jointly establish the objectives and work on the person's expectations in order to design an individualized and personalized intervention.

The psychologists of the PsicoAlmería center always take into account the adaptive regulation of the expectations of the people who come to your consultation, along with other therapeutic skills that guarantee psychological therapy effective.

Author: Sandra García López, psychologist at PsicoAlmería