How is therapeutic adherence generated in psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a process of helping people that is never based on one-sidedness: it requires interest and deliberate participation both of the therapist as well as the patient, even if only one of them adopts the role of a trained professional to dedicate himself to this type of interventions. If there is a clear asymmetry in the involvement of these people, psychotherapy will not progress, or even be interrupted.

In the same way, it is useless that in the first sessions both the patient and the professional make an effort so that the therapy advance if in the following stages the first loses interest and decides to give up, not going to appointments with the psychologist. And it is precisely for this reason that the concept of therapeutic adherence is key, since psychotherapists must apply a series of Strategies to minimize the chances that the patient will fail to show commitment to the progress of the intervention psychological. In this sense, here we will talk about the most important measures adopted to generate therapeutic adherence in psychotherapy.

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The pillars of therapeutic adherence in the psychologist's office

These are the main elements of the development of therapeutic adherence between the psychologist and the patient (duly adapted to each particular case).

1. Apply active listening

The experience of being able to express yourself openly about what you have not been able or dared to tell other people is one of the first aspects that generates well-being that psychotherapy brings to the patient. That's why it's important facilitate their involvement in this process by going beyond just listening; You have to make that person feel heard, something that happens by giving them constant feedback, reactions through gestures at what he is saying, maintaining eye contact, punctuation, brief requests for clarification, etc All this without interrupting or slowing down the flow of the dialogue.

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2. Never prejudge or share strong opinions

Making patients not feel judged when attending psychotherapy sessions and talking about what is happening to them is possibly the main pillar of therapeutic adherence. This means transmitting, both from verbal language and from non-verbal language, that we do not make value judgments about their lives, their past actions and their ways of coping with emotional pain, among other things. In the same way, and this is something that is sometimes overlooked, it is advisable not to issue very extreme or strong opinions about polarizing or current issues. In this way, the fear of reflecting a different ideology or even opposite to that of the therapist, prone to being criticized, is not fostered.

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3. Inform the patient and clear up their doubts and concerns

Helping the patient understand the reason for the behaviors that make them feel bad is key so that it does not cost them to spend a lot of time talking about their problems throughout the sessions; This is key because some people must face a great feeling of guilt every time they openly talk about their past and their way of dealing with life's problems. In the same way, help you get rid of unfounded worries and myths about, for example, the psychopathology that he has developed and for which he comes to the clinic, is a good way to avoid I ended up wanting to avoid at all costs thinking about her by not going to therapy and trying to live as if nothing happened to her bad.

4. Set both long and short term goals

Formulating short-term objectives (that is, they can be achieved in a matter of hours or a few days) is necessary for the The patient feels that by making an effort in the present moment, he can feel the satisfaction of having made progress in the psychotherapy process. If there are only long-term mints, these will be too abstract to arouse their interest and commitment.

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5. Highlight achievements so far

Observing about the achievements the patient has made so far and showing satisfaction with her commitment to therapy is a very good measure of positive reinforcement of his behavior, and it will make him feel on the path of improving his situation, so that throwing in the towel at that moment will help him It would mean the loss of all those victories that he has been accumulating and that he will keep in mind thanks to the professional's reminders about everything he has got.

6. Call when no-shows occur and take advantage of online therapy

It is not necessary to show passivity before the absences to the sessions programmed in the agenda; you have to act by making at least one phone call to find out the reasons for your absence, something that serve to reflect that this lost opportunity has objective consequences beyond the subjectivity of the patient. Besides, In the face of possible inconveniences such as the fact of traveling on time to another city, you can consider the option of holding online sessions by video call so that you don't feel that that chain of meetings with the psychologist has been interrupted anyway and that absenting yourself again would not be a great loss.

7. If possible, involve the family

If contact with the patient's relatives can be maintained, this will facilitate That person have allies in the therapeutic process in their own home, people who will help you meet the objectives set in therapy and who will encourage you not to stop going to meetings with the psychologist. Of course, making it clear at all times that the confidential information discussed in the sessions will not be shared with the other members of the family without their permission.

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Do you want to train in psychotherapy?

If you want to learn the theory and practice of therapeutic adherence and many other aspects of psychologists' work in caring for patients, you will be interested in the Online Professional Postgraduate in Integrative Psychotherapy offered by Institut Mensalus in collaboration with the University of Nebrija.

This 6-month training program will allow you to observe and analyze real cases with patients, perform exercises practices and receive the experience and tutorials of a teaching staff who dedicates most of their professional activity to psychotherapy. At the end of the postgraduate course, students receive their own University Degree from the Nebrija University of Madrid.