The profession of a psychologist necessitates completing a master's degree in psychology. Psychologists are responsible for making accurate diagnoses based on patient interviews and psychological tests and providing professional psychological assistance.
What a visit to a psychologist looks like depends primarily on your needs. Secondly, it depends on the form of help you are seeking.
It is a short-term form of help (lasting approximately a dozen or so meetings) intended for people who do not experience deep mental suffering and do not feel the need for in-depth work on changing their personality. Psychological help brings the best results for people who function well daily, but something prevents them from fully realizing their potential and ability to enjoy life. In such a situation, the psychologist
can provide emotional support, support the client in understanding the sources of their difficulties, and then – through various exercises – help the client implement positive changes in their life and consolidate them.
It is a form of support intended for people who find themselves in a crisis and often emergency: e.g., they have recently experienced the death of a loved one, betrayal by a partner, violence, mobbing at work, etc. Crisis intervention serves to support the client in returning to mental balance. How a psychologist helps in a crisis is based primarily on alleviating the symptoms that a person experiences due to stress (e.g., maladaptive behavior, destructive thoughts, difficulties regulating emotions, bodily symptoms, tendency to self-isolation, or aggression).
If the situation requires it, the intervention is also aimed at motivating the person to take action to ensure the safety of themselves and any people for whom they are responsible (e.g., moving out with their children from a violent partner). The client starts psychotherapy after a crisis intervention and achieving the most important goals.
These sessions, whether single or multiple, are geared towards providing essential support and imparting knowledge about various mental disorders and issues. Psychoeducation is recommended for individuals who have recently been diagnosed and their loved ones who may be unsure how to support the individual best.
It can be said that it is a hybrid of psychological assistance and psychoeducation for parents experiencing difficulties in raising a child or building a close bond with them. Educational consultations are usually conducted by a child psychologist. During the meetings, the following topics are discussed: the stages of a child's development and problems that may arise at these particular stages. The psychologist also guides parents in establishing healthy boundaries and offering appropriate emotional support to their children.
When working with individuals who have severe symptoms of mental health disorders, it's not just about providing psychotherapy; it's also about offering long-term support for those who have undergone trauma. To assist those who suffer from the extensive impact of traumatic experiences, a psychotraumatologist, a university graduate with additional postgraduate training in psychotraumatology, is authorized to provide support.
According to the latest guidelines, a qualified psychologist can help individuals experiencing mild depression or anxiety. Nonetheless, they should not treat patients facing severe depression, suicidal thoughts, and similar conditions.
Prescriptions for all medications and sick leave can only be issued by a doctor, i.e., a medical graduate. A psychologist is not like that. A psychiatrist deals with the diagnosis and pharmacological treatment of mental difficulties.
A mental health certificate can help obtain additional qualifications (e.g., extended time in the high school leaving exam, obtaining a firearms permit) or using the privileges we are entitled to.
Only a psychiatrist can issue health certificates. If the doctor obtains enough information, such a document can be issued even based on one meeting with the patient. However, a psychologist or psychotherapist may issue a written opinion on the functioning of the person they meet, but at least after several sessions.
If a client asks a psychologist to obtain a written opinion after one consultation, they will not receive it (or at least it would be contrary to the principles of ethics). In such a situation, they can only issue a short “note” stating that a psychological consultation occurred on a given day.
There is a fundamental difference in the type of support and the scope of services offered depending on whether we see a psychologist, psychotherapist, coach, or psychiatrist.
Each of these specialists provides completely different services, so it is worth deciding in advance who we want or need to make an appointment with. Before choosing a specific person to whom we plan to entrust our difficulties or personal development, it is worth checking the specialist's education and qualifications.
To become an expert in personal development or other psychological services, you must invest much effort and time and gain education and experience (confirmed by diplomas and certificates).
A psychologist should not feel offended if clients ask to show their qualifications or certificates because they worked hard to obtain them. That's why he's probably happy to show them off. This type of verification is the most effective way to protect yourself from falling into the hands of a fraudster or fraudster who claims to be an expert in a given field.
A psychologist is not the only specialist who provides psychological help, so it is no wonder that sometimes it is difficult to know who to contact for help.
The primary distinction between a psychologist and a psychiatrist lies in their educational background. A psychologist typically holds a master's degree in psychology, while a psychiatrist has a medical degree and is, therefore, a licensed doctor. Consequently, psychologists are not authorized to prescribe medication, whereas psychiatrists can.
Despite this differentiation, these professionals often collaborate. For instance, an individual may engage in therapy with a psychologist while making occasional visits to a psychiatrist for medication prescriptions.
Usually, psychologists are visited by people who want to deal with depression, problems in relationships, or relationships with children, parents, and parents-in-law—also, those who are grieving. A psychiatrist, however, usually does not conduct therapy – they diagnose, develop treatments, prescribe medications, may run a private practice, or work in a psychiatric hospital ward.
However, nothing will happen if someone visits a psychiatrist and decides that it is better to go to a psychologist for a given problem – in which case the person will be referred to this specialist.
Additionally, a psychotherapist, who completes a psychotherapy program after graduating in psychology or a related field, has practical training that exceeds that of a recent psychology graduate. However, it is crucial to choose a psychotherapist from a certified school to ensure quality treatment.
The first meeting with a specialist is usually based on an interview with the patient. It is the patient's task to talk about their problem, and the psychologist can only ask appropriate questions that may guide the patient to certain matters or provide a broader background to the expert.
There is no need to be afraid of the first psychological consultation – if the patient has a problem they cannot solve on their own or cannot even determine what is bothering them, they should visit to regain peace of mind. A psychologist is an expert, a specialist who will help diagnose the problem, listen to the patient, and try to help them. They may also suggest that the patient go to a psychiatrist or psychotherapy if they deem it necessary.
The psychologist must ask certain questions to get the broadest possible picture of the patient. It is good to prepare in advance and know the answers to improve the course of the visit. The time that the patient would spend thinking about the answers should be spent on other important issues related to psychological help. Here are some standard questions.
Before the first visit to a psychologist, the patient should consider their problem – when it first appeared and whether it relates to any situations or events in their life.
It is worth writing down all the symptoms and looking at them – when they appear, are they frequent, and is it that they always stress they are.
The psychologist will inquire whether the patient has any ideas about the problem's origins and what preceded its onset. Did the issue arise due to specific situations, or did it manifest “out of the blue”? If the patient does not have such knowledge, the psychologist will ask additional questions, e.g., about childhood, relationships with parents and loved ones, relationships at work, sources of stress, etc.
Many people go to a psychologist feeling sad, apathetic, and depressed for unknown reasons. As a result, they withdraw from social life, have no energy for activity, do not want to do anything, and often do not want to work. Such behaviors significantly affect their functioning in society, causing discomfort. The psychologist will determine where the problems come from, so asking about the effects and changes in the patient's life is very important.
Depending on the problem, the psychologist will ask how the patient manages it. What do they do? It may turn out that the techniques used are ineffective, and a psychologist can help the patient implement other methods of dealing with the problem.
A psychologist will ask the patient about their current life situation and inquire about childhood memories, including experiences with parents, siblings, friends, and school. Discussing these memories may help identify the causes of problems or behaviors. The patient needs to be prepared for the conversation, as childhood memories can sometimes reveal deep-rooted issues affecting the individual.
A psychologist is a specialist authorized to conduct psychological tests that diagnose the patient. Therefore, when going to a psychologist, you should consider that, depending on your needs, they may conduct various tests. The patient must answer the questions included in the tests honestly. Only thanks to this the psychologist will be able to make an accurate diagnosis.
When someone sees a psychotherapist, they want to change their life. If they've seen a psychologist or psychiatrist before, they may already have a preliminary diagnosis for the therapist to work with. The therapist must first understand the patient's problems if they haven't seen these specialists.
Before choosing a specialist, check in which field he conducts sessions. Everyone is slightly different, and not everyone will suit the patient, so it is worth considering what type of psychological therapy to choose.
Subsequent sessions are intended to bring the patient closer to achieving their goal. The goal of the therapy may change during it, or the patient may discover the cause of their suffering in something completely different than they expected. The therapist usually actively participates in the conversation with the patient and asks questions and hypotheses but cannot give advice. The work in psychotherapy is done by the patient; they will not receive a ready-made solution; they must learn it themselves with the help of a specialist.
The first visit to the therapist is a conversation about what the patient wants to change, their vision of therapy, and how much time they can devote to it. If the goal of the therapy can be determined after the first visit, the psychologist or therapist provides the approximate number of meetings and (depending on the type of therapy) homework (e.g., paying attention to emotions during specific situations).
The most common schedule is to visit a specialist once a week or every two weeks. The visit lasts about 50 minutes.
Table of Contents
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illnesses. read more »
A psychotherapist is a trained professional who treats mental and emotional disorders through therapy. read more »
Psychotherapy, is a treatment method used to help individuals with a wide range of mental health conditions and emotional challenges. read more »
Behavioral therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on modifying harmful or unwanted behaviors. read more »
Depression is a mental disorder which usually is manifested by abnormal mood regulation. What are the signs of depression? Which… read more »
A hypochondriac is a person who is constantly looking for diseases and various health problems in themself. How is this… read more »
Misophonia is an inappropriately strong reaction to specific sounds. It occurs in many disorders. Learn about the meaning of misophonia… read more »
Agoraphobia is a type of phobia, that is, it belongs to the group of anxiety disorders. It's a very strong… read more »
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is the general name for behavioral disorders. It is most common in children and… read more »
