The practice of psychology is an exquisite blend of intuition, technique and experience. That means that graduating from a university and obtaining a degree is not the goal, it is just the beginning of a training path that never ends.
In order to help people, we not only need to appropriate various techniques, which are constantly evolving, but we must also develop certain therapeutic skills that are only enhanced with practice.
The 10 pillars that support the work of the clinical psychologist
- Stay updated. New psychological studies are published practically every day, research that sometimes calls into question old paradigms and opens a new path to understanding the psyche and the therapy process. From time to time, new techniques and methods are also discovered that will allow you to improve your professional practice. Therefore, staying updated is an obligation.
- Be honest. We are not infallible but sometimes we trust so much in our professional ability that we refuse to admit a mistake or accept that we cannot solve certain cases, this is what is known as the “God Complex”. If you do not have experience treating certain problems or if you think you will not be able to help the person, it is best to refer them to another professional.
- Practice objectivity. The goal of a psychologist is not to impose his or her vision of the world but to put himself in the person’s shoes and help him solve the problem by adopting his point of view. The therapist’s job is not to give advice and transmit their way of understanding life but to guide their patients to make their own decisions.
- Don’t force. The psychologist’s task is to find the most appropriate and least traumatic way to promote change. In this process, the person should feel comfortable and guided but never forced. Your mission is to show him different paths but the final decision is his.
- Don’t judge. In a consultation you hear many stories and it is likely that you do not share certain beliefs or ways of behaving, but the psychologist’s task is not to judge or criticize the patient but to understand the patient’s motives and value system. When a person perceives that they are being judged, they will not feel comfortable and the therapy will not progress.
- Respect the person. There are people who are reluctant to use certain techniques or therapeutic approaches and there are even those who do not perform the tasks that are recommended to them. Keep in mind that therapy is not imposition, it is dialogue, negotiation and consensus. Therefore, you will have to work to understand what is happening, reevaluate your strategy and propose other solutions.
- Retrace your steps. Therapy is almost never a linear process; after each session you should analyze possible progress or setbacks. If necessary, go back and restructure the line you had proposed to follow. Remember that to face the most complex problems, there is also the possibility of requesting supervision of clinical cases.
- Be very patient. People who ask for help usually become desperate, the psychologist does not have that luxury. Therapy does not always go as quickly as we would like and it may not follow the path we had planned. Don’t forget that each person is unique and so is the pace of psychotherapy, it is essential to be patient.
- Keep professional secrecy. People who ask a psychologist for help place their trust in him, telling him about painful experiences that they would not want to come to light. These people expect their secrets to be well kept and it is the psychologist’s job to make sure that is the case.
- Fall in love with Psychology. Aristotle stated that “pleasure in work is what leads to perfection in it.” Feeling a true passion for Psychology will allow you to continue researching and do your best with each person who asks you for help. Remember that without passion you have no energy, and without energy you have nothing.
