Rizaldos: "Empathy is crucial to be a good psychologist"

Miguel Angel Rizaldos he is one of those clinical psychologists whose résumé cannot be synthesized in a few lines. Born in Aranjuez (Madrid) in 1967, he studied at the Faculty of Psychology of the Complutense University of the Spanish capital. In addition to dedicating body and soul to clinical psychology, both in his face-to-face and online consultation, Rizaldos finds time to teach in different Masters and courses, in addition to being a regular in the media and passionate about the running.

As if this were not enough, he is also one of the most active and prominent psychologists in social networks, where he contributes "His two cents" (as he puts it) to the dissemination of a myriad of topics related to psychology clinic. Today we have had the privilege of sharing a chat with him.

What led you to become a psychologist and, specifically, a clinical psychologist?

Phew... Well, 30 years ago I decided to study psicology. I recently celebrated with my classmates the 25th anniversary of my undergraduate degree at the Faculty of Psychology of the Complutense University of Madrid. Seems like yesterday.

There were two reasons that led me to pursue this degree: on the one hand, I had older friends who started doing the degree. before I did, and on the other hand, I had always been attracted to knowing how people's behavior worked.

You are also working to offer training courses on topics related to psychology and have taught Master classes Did you see yourself dedicating part of your time to teaching when you started your career as psychologist?

Absolutely not. But there comes a time when you have the need to transmit all your experience. I think it is my obligation as a professional and as passionate about psychology. There is no better legacy. I am an enthusiast of the skills of the therapist, I consider that the profession of psychologist after 25 years has to be transmitted and that unfortunately is not learned in the university.

Clinical psychologists have to have and work with scientifically-based tools and techniques, but it is also necessary that we have the "art" of doing it individually and adapted to each person. That is something that is not explained in the books.

The environment in which clinical psychologists must work has changed a lot in a short time, mainly due to the appearance of the Internet. Do you think mental health professionals are making good use of the potential offered by the network of networks? What is your personal experience in this medium?

I think not everyone is taking advantage of the internet, although more and more professionals are joining.

For me, for more than 4 years, social networks and the internet have helped me to disseminate general guidelines that can be very useful for many people. I am firmly convinced that it is a duty as a professional in health in general and in psychology in particular.

With the internet I can have a more continuous and contingent presence in therapy. People are very grateful and feel supported even if the relationship is not (and has never been) face-to-face. It is also important because in this way it is easier for the person to “empower”, that is, to be autonomous in their own treatment and it is she who works to improve her; something that is fundamental in psychology.

First of all, it must be clarified that online therapy is not a therapy in itself, but a way of reaching people who need therapy. It is about taking advantage of communication and information technologies (ICTs) as tools that can make us professionals more accessible.

As in other aspects of life, not everyone will feel comfortable, or see it possible. It is normal, there are some cultural barriers that are still difficult to overcome. It will also depend on the case to see if it is the most appropriate or not to be able to opt for online therapy. In psychology, as in health in general, we cannot be on the sidelines of technological advances and we must try to integrate them into our day-to-day life.

On the other hand, it can be done from therapeutic treatment to the resolution of small clarifying doubts, simple consultations or psychological advice, that otherwise could not take place, since normally people do not consider going to a psychologist's consultation to solve a small doubt. In short, it is about being more versatile professionals.

What do you think clinical psychologists bring to society, beyond the services they offer to each of their clients individually?

I am passionate about the dissemination of psychology and I firmly believe in the potential of the Internet as a tool to reach more people and make psychology more accessible. Therefore, I consider it a professional obligation to disseminate content on social networks. I also collaborate as a clinical psychologist in different media, I believe in the advantages and effectiveness of psychology to generate well-being.

Lately there is a lot of talk about Positive Psychology, a branch of psychology that emphasizes the importance of concepts such as personal development and life goals tied to meaning. What do you think of the approach it proposes?

The positive psychology, together with third-generation behavioral therapies, represent the most innovative thing that has happened in recent years in the field of psychology. They have been and are a turning point towards a greater development and effectiveness of psychology.

It would be trivial to consider that even having difficulties I feel good, that only being positive solves problems. You have to act. And this implies will, struggle, overcoming, sacrifice... All this, initially, can be a great obstacle and cause us rejection because it costs us effort. We tend to save energy. We want solutions without work. In life, the distance between willing and power is shortened with training, with effort, with perseverance. That is, not only thinking, but also doing; as our ancients would say: "joining the gesture to the word".

Do you think people are more adept at managing their emotions than they were a few years ago? How do you assess the influence of the crisis on our psychological health?

At the present time, and thanks to the rise of the emotional intelligence, I think we have the strategies to regulate our emotions in a more optimal way. This does not mean that it reaches all people as it should. It is an aspect, that of emotional intelligence, that it is increasingly taken into account in the training of our children, although I consider that we are at the beginning of transmitting to the new generations a management of emotions that generates well-being and health. Psychologists are obliged to disclose strategies that have already been scientifically proven that are effective in generating emotional well-being, an issue that is closely linked to the Health.

The crisis has put the weakness of the welfare state on the table. Not long ago I was with my primary care physician and when I asked about the percentage of her patients who had anxiety or depression due to the crisis, he told me about 80%. The problem is that it is not being treated properly.

According to the protocols of the who, pharmacological treatment is not being combined with psychological care. In Spain psychological problems are being "plastered". It is regrettable that there are no clinical psychologists in primary care in our country, as there are in other European countries. And the few psychologists that are in the mental health services are saturated and this leads to very limited attention.

From the point of view of a psychologist with a lot of experience behind his back, what is the message that you would try to convey to those young people who want to dedicate themselves to psychology?

The only thing I would remind you of is that you are going to work with people, and that means you are going to have to get involved as human beings as well.

I understand my work as a psychologist from consistency and passion in this profession. I also consider it crucial to foster empathy with the person I work with, my patient, to build a therapeutic and humane environment that helps him achieve his goals. If you are not up to it, better dedicate yourself to something else. I believe that in this work you cannot be aseptic, and with a lack of empathy from there it is not effective. People are much more than a diagnosis and they need your involvement.