10 essential characteristics of a good psychologist

Being a good psychologist is not always an easy taskas this profession can become stressful and overwhelming.

Dealing with other people and their sometimes serious problems and helping them manage their emotions correctly can be exhausting. Among psychology professionals, it is known that, especially those who engage in psychological therapy, the first to attend therapy sessions are the therapists themselves. This can help them be more objective in treating their patients.

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Principles to be a good psychologist

Many times, the difference between being a good psychologist or a bad psychologist is found in the attitude, in following a series of principles or habits that improve good professional work. Psychological therapy may not work at times, but psychologists must avoid that bad practices are the reason why the patient has not benefited from therapeutic help.

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But, What are the principles that a good professional psychologist should apply? How should a good psychologist or therapist be? We will explain them to you below.

1. Never judge a patient

Throughout your professional career, a psychologist may come across patients who think differently from him in many ways. In addition, some of the experiences that patients reveal may be difficult to understand for many people. But the psychologist or therapist must understand the situation, and despite not sharing the patient's way of acting or thinking, he should never impose her opinion.

The psychologist is a professional who has been trained to provide the patient with the necessary tools to improve her psychological well-being. Therefore, a good psychologist neither judges nor criticizes his patients.

2. Be accessible

Patients are usually people who need professional help for different reasons, but are generally in a situation of psychological and emotional distress. A good psychologist allows his clients to feel comfortable in his sessions and is accessible. This helps the patient open up and feel ready to overcome her fears.

3. Actively listen

The therapist must pay full attention to his patients, so he must not only hear what he says, but must listen fully. This means that you must actively listen, that is, pay attention with the five senses to what the patient says.

What's more, the psychologist should not continuously interrupt his patient during the session, because it is not positive to maintain the therapist-patient connection. In this sense, it is essential that the psychologist provide an excellent rapport in their sessions.

4. Be self-aware and sincere

The therapeutic relationship is not always easy, because psychologists are human beings with their own emotions and thoughts.

But the good psychologist is self-aware and knows when he stops being objective and relies on prejudices when it comes to helping your patients. In addition, good psychologists are honest with both the patient and themselves, allowing them to guide the patient on the road to recovery.

5. Be in continuous training

A good psychologist is continually training, because you must be able to understand and care for your patients in the best possible way. Our society is constantly changing and technological advances are changing the way we interact with the environment.

To understand the current reality it is necessary for the therapist to constantly update the knowledge of it. Training is essential to continue improving and to continue growing at a professional level.

6. Be ethical

The psychologist, in addition to possessing theoretical and practical knowledge for the correct development of their profession, You must be aware of your resources and limitations and of the ethical principles that govern the exercise of your profession.. There is deontological code that all mental health professionals must strictly follow and that they guarantee a professional and quality service.

The social responsibility of the psychologist obliges him to respect the dignity of his patients and preserve and protect fundamental human rights. Among some of the ethical obligations of the psychologist, we can find: use her knowledge to promote human well-being or maintain professional secrecy.

7. Communicate effectively

Since psychologists deal with people, it is necessary for them to master certain interpersonal skills and communication skills.

Well, one of the reasons why there is a good professional relationship between a therapist and a patient is good communication and understanding between bothIt is absolutely necessary for the professional to have a series of communication resources that make their message reach the patient clearly.

8. Be patient

One of the qualities that the therapist must possess is patience. Throughout the therapeutic sessions there may be ups and downs on the part of the patient, something that can also affect the psychologist, by making him question his working method.

The psychologist-patient relationship is not always idyllic, and on many occasions the psychologist must be tolerant and patient, and must be able to convey that patience so that the patient is aware that ups and downs are normal.

9. Be nice

But the therapist must not only be patient in front of the person in front of him, but, to carry out his professional work successfully, must be empathetic.

This means that he must be able to put himself in the place of the other to feel what he feels and think as he thinks. In this way he will be able to understand the magnitude of the problem that the person is experiencing and will be able to help him. If the psychologist cannot be empathetic, he can minimize the problem that the patient experiences, which could lead him to use inappropriate tools.

10. Derive when necessary

The psychologist must understand that he cannot help the patient in all his reasons for consultation, nor is he an expert in solving all problems. One of the principles to be a good psychologist is know how to derive when necessary.

Therefore, the psychologist must refer the patient to another professional so that the latter can benefit from the help provided by another healthcare professional. Failure to do so, he is committing professional malpractice.

Bibliographic references:

• Official College of Psychologists of Spain. (2010). Code of ethics. Available in: https://www.cop.es/pdf/codigo-deontologico-consejo-adaptacion-ley-omnibus.pdf
• Badós López, A. and García Grau, A. (2011). Therapeutic skills. Available in: http://diposit.ub.edu/dspace/bitstream/2445/18382/1/Habilidades%20terap%C3%A9uticas.pdf