Interview with Todo es Mente: the psychotherapeutic process and change

The reason why people go to the psychologist, regardless of their personal needs or problems in your day to day, can be summed up in a single term: change for the better driven through a process therapeutic.

In all cases it is an aspect of life in which there is something to learn, usually by adopting new habits and other ways of thinking and feeling.

But... How does this gradual change towards a better way of living occur? How is it different from any other life change that can occur without going to psychotherapy? To address this issue We spoke with the psychologist José Miguel Martín Vázquez, from Todo es Mente.

• Related article: "The 8 benefits of going to psychological therapy"

José Miguel Martín Vázquez: the therapeutic process and change

Jose Miguel Martin Vazquez He is a psychologist specialized in online therapy through his psychological assistance center Todo es Mente. In this interview, he talks about the way in which the therapeutic alliance between professional and patient can promote change in those who come to the help of a psychologist.

What are the main ingredients for the therapeutic change desired by the patient to occur?

Within a general context of a positive therapeutic climate, certain facilitating traits must be given, to a sufficient degree, both by the client and by the therapist. Common to both would be 10: self-criticism, communication, concentration, confidence, flexibility, humility, intelligence, motivation, patience and sincerity.

A therapist would also have to possess a self-esteem high, good self-knowledge (ideally having done psychotherapy himself) and an eclectic mindset (regardless of his basic therapeutic orientation).

It will be necessary for the client to gain knowledge of himself and his problems, which lays the foundations for planning and maintaining behavioral changes. The Unconscious has to unlearn and learn little by little, because we are always our past.

Putting words to the problem that causes discomfort to the patient is surely something complicated. How are the goals of psychotherapy established in the first sessions with the psychologist?

Focusing on the client's personality is much more fundamental than focusing on a diagnosis. In the same sense that focusing therapy on increasing the client's field of consciousness is more important than the specific techniques we use.

In a deep and decisive psychotherapy there are no "pills for a symptom"; we go beyond the "external" manifestations of the problem, to focus on the mental context that produces it.

Client and therapist decide what the goals of psychotherapy are going to be (usually we do this in the framing session). I work for therapeutic processes. At a certain point in therapy, we both know that we have achieved the agreed goals. At that time we evaluate the process and the change of the personality, and we analyze it. Next, either we end the psychotherapy, or we open a new process, with new objectives.

To what extent is it important to modify our habits to benefit from the effects of psychotherapy, between sessions?

Psychotherapy begins at the first contact, and ends when the client decides it is over. It's all psychotherapy. A therapy focused only on weekly sessions will not be the most productive. I advise clients to establish written exchanges between sessions, in order to enhance and make the process more effective.

It is often very helpful to do a biographical review, with continuous exchanges of ideas and perspectives between sessions; Likewise, exchanges can be made on any relevant and current topic in the client's life. Behavioral change is important, but in order for it to be sustained and help resolve the problem, it must to be sufficiently “aware”, to have an intimate sense that is achieved with the knowledge of oneself and of the problem.

Many times there is talk of the need to get out of the comfort zone in order to progress and enjoy a good quality of life. Do you agree with this?

Yes, in a gradual way, as the client becomes more aware, as well as psychically stronger. It is common sense that if we keep thinking and doing the same things, with the usual level of emotional comfort, we do not progress (we are doing the same thing).

Suffering, like daring, are ingredients of life just like psychotherapy. But there is "suffering without meaning" and "suffering with meaning." Personality change equates to increased coping ability, and for increased physical stamina, it's normal to have soreness.

In your professional experience, have you come across many people who come to therapy with the idea that it is the psychologist who has to take care of their improvement throughout the treatment, without having to invest any effort? What to do in these cases?

Yes, there are cases of this type. They are usually people with the "Doctor/patient" mental scheme, who are unaware of the complexity of the mental and the responsibility we have in our psychological balance. A psychotherapy is a psychic work, and it will be necessary to have the willingness to "work". In this group of clients, ignorance, or even greater or lesser denial, of the fact is frequent. psychosomatic (the mind/body connection).

In the most favorable cases, we are achieving greater awareness and the person is becoming more aware of what the psychic change is; there are clients "blind" to psychosomatics, who discover a new world. In other cases, we will both know that progress will not be possible.

Do you think that more and more informed people go to psychotherapy, and that this facilitates the process of change for the better for those people with problems?

It is one thing to be informed, and another to know. Intellectual knowledge is useful but insufficient, because experiential knowledge will tend to prevail. There are people who, due to their life experiences, are more prepared to benefit from therapy. They know from experience that "All is Mind"; they just need someone to accompany them in their process of inner growth.

Someone may have the good intention of doing psychotherapy, because their doctor recommended it, but not understand that psychotherapy is neither "going to the psychologist" nor "doing sessions with a psychologist." All people have our moment, depending on what aspect of life.

What can psychologists do to increase the positive impact their work has on society?

Do your job well. Serve others in the best way they know how and can. I call this attitude "Perfection in Activity", and I consider it one of the 7 sources of secondary self-esteem (along with affection). honesty of others, self-knowledge, secondary ethics, achieving internal achievements, overcoming obstacles and transcendence). Others will not love us nor do we love ourselves.