Interview with Susana López: the evolution of Psychology

Science is always the opposite of a set of dogmas that should never be questioned; for this reason, all the ideas that are sustained in it are likely to be revised. And one of the consequences of this is that the different fields of research and work in science are evolving constantly, being these transformations the result of advances in terms of knowledge obtained scientifically.

Thus, Psychology, as a science, has also been changing. In this case We interviewed the psychologist Susana López, so she can explain a little how these transformations look from her perspective as a professional.

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Interview with Susana López: changes in the world of Psychology

Susana Lopez She is a psychologist with a practice in Tortosa, Tarragona, where she performs individualized psychotherapy and family therapy. In this interview, she talks to us about the transformations that Psychology has gone through as a field of research and intervention.

Throughout your professional career, what do you think has changed the most in the way society views mental health?

The truth is that I believe that an important turn has been taken. Years ago mental health was still a taboo subject. However, currently attendance at psychological therapy is openly discussed. The main reasons for consultation have also changed. She seeks help for disorders that make normal life difficult, but also, unlike before, to improve the quality of life through self-awareness, which is known as personal growth.

As knowledge about the human mind and our behavior patterns has advanced, what limits has psychology crossed, in this time? How has it diversified?

I would almost say that there are as many types of therapy as there are therapists. Each professional adds his stamp to what he has studied and, as the experience expands, techniques are added that improve the results.

In my case, I started with an approach based solely on thought and behavior modification, and have grown enriching with other ways of working that take into account previously neglected aspects and now integrated with techniques of mindfulness.

Approaches that give importance to bodily experience also enrich the current panorama, linking the physical and psychological dimensions. The Acceptance and Commitment Therapies In my opinion, they have essentially modified the way of working in consultation, being able to improve cases that presented resistance to change.

Would you say that the cases in which the problem to be dealt with has to do with the person's personal development needs? are more complex than those in which the patient has a clearly diagnosed disorder and must be given treatment?

I would say that the complexity and effectiveness of the therapy is related to other aspects such as the will to change, the establishment of a good therapeutic relationship and, of course, the management by the psychologist of the necessary tools in each case, regardless of the reason for the consultation.

As for couples therapy, do you think that the logic by which it is governed is very different from what was used in psychotherapy when you started practicing?

For me, the emphasis has shifted from the couple as a system to taking into account the individual difficulties of the members and their improvement as a catalyst for change in the relationship.

In what way would you say that today psychology seeks to provide well-being to the person as a whole, and not just solve the type of discomfort for which they have come to the consultation?

Along the lines of what I mentioned earlier, Psychology seeks for the person to be able to locate what are the beliefs that are limiting them, anticipating future discomforts. Analyzing the causes of the reason for consultation, we can structure the therapy and work on aspects that the client may not have requested to review.

How do you think the world of psychotherapy will continue to evolve?

On the one hand, at the technical level, with the extension of tools that take into account not only the cognitive-behavioral dimension but also the emotional, social, and why not? also the transcendental or spiritual. Regarding the incorporation of technology, changes take place that allow therapy to be carried out even to those who, for reasons of distance, time or personal difficulty, could not receive it. Online therapy, especially in the times of COVID, re-evolves psychological therapy.