Find your psychologist online or in your city

It happens that a person turns to a psychotherapist hoping that a couple of sessions will help him solve all his difficulties. But this does not happen, during this time you can get temporary relief, reaction of complex feelings and emotions, but deep work takes much longer. Sometimes months and years are needed to understand the true reasons that prevent us from feeling 100% happy. Short-term therapy is a minimum of 10 sessions with a psychologist. Long-term therapy from 30 sessions, depending on the request, the speed of the client's progress, the peculiarities of his character, and the level of personality organization.

The main difference between a psychotherapist, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a coach lies in their training, methods used, and the issues they deal with.A psychologist is a professional who studies the mind and behavior. Psychologists have at least a master's degree in psychology, and many have a doctorate. They can perform a wide range of tasks, including conducting psychological research, performing psychological testing, and providing psychotherapy. A psychotherapist is a type of psychologist who specializes in helping people deal with their mental health issues. They may use various types of therapy to help their clients change behaviors, overcome problems, and improve their lives. Psychotherapists may also have specialized training in a specific type of therapy. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in mental health, including substance use disorders. Psychiatrists are qualified to assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems, and they can prescribe medication. A coach primarily focuses on helping clients set and achieve goals, overcome obstacles, and make changes or shifts in their lives. They do not diagnose or treat mental health disorders and typically work with individuals who are functioning well but need help in specific areas of their lives. Coaching is more future-focused and goal-oriented. Each of these professionals can play an important role in mental health care, but the best choice depends on the individual's needs.

If intensive work is required, then meetings occur up to twice a week. More often, it's one meeting per week. Also, everything depends on the method in which the psychotherapist works and their approach.

A psychotherapist must definitely have a higher medical or psychological education. They must have undergone training as a psychotherapist, at least within one of the directions, for example - Gestalt therapy, psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral therapy, etc. They should have received more than 100 hours of personal psychotherapy (this means that they have worked out their problems and will not bring them into therapy with the client). They should be under the supervision of a more experienced psychotherapist, consulting with them in difficult moments, while maintaining confidentiality. All psychotherapists on qui.help necessarily meet all these criteria and make it into our database only on the recommendation of another psychotherapist. During the first sessions with a psychotherapist, you will definitely form some impression of them. And if you feel uncomfortable working, firstly, you need to discuss this with the psychotherapist themselves, as your impression may be a projection from life that you have imposed on the psychotherapist. This is also part of the psychotherapy process. However, if discomfort does not go away after discussing unpleasant feelings with the therapist themselves, then it is worth thinking about changing the specialist. The psychotherapist that suits you will, firstly, listen to you without interrupting. The second point - they will be genuinely interested in your story. And you should get a feeling that you trust this person, that you are ready to tell them the truth, without trying to look better than you really are. You should feel comfortable.

Becoming a psychotherapist requires a lot of material, mental, and physical effort. Long-term education, personal psychotherapy, supervision, and constant professional development require serious financial investment. Therefore, a psychotherapist sets the cost of their session, in part, based on the need to cover these expenses. Additionally, psychotherapists bear constant costs for renting premises and purchasing necessary materials for work. To a large extent, the price depends on the therapist's experience, the number of specializations and courses they have completed. Therefore, the cost for novice psychotherapists is slightly lower. The cost of a session also depends on the city where the psychotherapist practices. The larger the city, the higher the costs, and the higher the cost of a session with a psychotherapist. That's why some people prefer to work with a psychotherapist online.

One of the therapist's tasks is to create a space where the client will feel safe. Confidentiality is an important component of this. On reputable training programs, enough time is devoted to this issue. The mere fact of the client's meetings with the psychologist and, accordingly, everything that happens at these meetings should not leave the psychotherapist's office. The decision to keep the fact of working with a psychologist confidential or not remains with the client. For example, if you meet your psychotherapist in a public place in the presence of other acquaintances, they will pretend not to know you, unless you wish to disclose your acquaintance and the fact of personal therapy. In accordance with the ethical code of psychotherapy, everything that happens in a session with a client is strictly confidential! An exception, which is definitely agreed with the client, is when a psychotherapist can discuss a client's case with their supervisor, without mentioning names. This will help the psychotherapist work with you more effectively. In this case, the same rules of confidentiality apply to the supervisor. Exception: confidentiality is not maintained in cases of the client committing criminal offenses, threats to the life and health of the client or third parties. In these situations, the psychotherapist will be forced to turn to the appropriate authorities and report the danger.

In the literal sense of the word, supervision translates as "oversight." However, professionals today understand this term somewhat differently: supervision has now become synonymous with mentorship. Supervision is aptly called "therapy for therapy" as it forms the conceptual and value core of any professional psychotherapeutic training. Why is supervision necessary at all? When a future psychotherapist completes their education and undergoes mandatory therapeutic practice, it is necessary for someone to monitor that they do not harm themselves or their clients. By analyzing the therapist's individual working skills, style, methods of working with the client, the supervisor aims to resolve problems and difficulties that arise during a given session and, if necessary, directs the supervisee to individual therapy. The supervisor provides an expert evaluation of the therapist's work, offers their view of the situation, helps to find ways to assist the client with their request, and provides support to the therapist. Regular supervision not only enhances the skill of the psychotherapist but also serves as a prevention of professional burnout. In one way or another, supervision always goes hand in hand with therapy: today, they are rightly considered two sides of the same coin.

Let's answer right away, no. A psychotherapist will not give you advice and teach you how to live. Many people think that they should turn to a psychologist who was able to overcome a similar problem and will tell how to do it in your case. The task of the psychotherapist is to help you find your own way to solve problems. It's a different matter when a psychotherapist builds the positioning of his services around a spectrum of certain problems because these issues are personally familiar to him or are in the area of heightened professional interests and research. But this does not mean that other psychotherapists cannot effectively work with these problems.

Firstly, psychotherapists are just like other people, who experience challenging life stages and traumas. They also need help and support and they seek it from their own psychotherapists. Secondly, a psychotherapist's personal therapy is a mandatory component of professional training that includes, on one hand, training in conducting therapy and, on the other hand, client experience, which implies knowing the boundaries and resources of one's personality, working through behavioral patterns, forming receptivity to elements of the psychotherapeutic process, developing a deep understanding of psychotherapeutic practices, addressing personal issues, and working through personal limitations that affect successful independent psychotherapeutic activity. Since a psychotherapist's tool is their own personality, they need to constantly improve this tool and ensure that it is in working order. Therefore, qualified psychotherapists regularly receive personal therapy, which is also very important for preventing professional burnout.

That happens! And it's definitely worth discussing with your psychotherapist, which is also a part of the therapeutic process. If the discomfort continues, ask them to recommend another specialist to you. The psychotherapist with whom you have already worked will do this best.