Sooner or later everyone needs help to tackle life's problems head on. Psychotherapists are trained to help their patients cope with a variety of difficulties and to guide them on the path to psychic well-being. However, starting to see a specialist can trigger some anxiety. What to expect from the session? Will you have to bring out parts of yourself that have been hidden for a long time? And then what should you tell a psychotherapist? You can make several preparations to manage these concerns and be able to get good results from the sessions. Therapy is a very enriching process, but it requires a great deal of effort on the part of both the practitioner and the patient.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Organizing the Practical Aspects of the Sessions
Step 1. Find out about the expected rates
It is very important to understand if you can afford private sessions or if it would be better to go to a public service. If you do not have great financial resources, you can consider the option of going to the ASL, the hospital or the nearest clinic. At most you will have to pay a ticket, but the cost will be much lower. In some cases, it is possible to obtain an exemption or deduct the expense from taxes. Of course, this gives rise to some drawbacks, for example you cannot choose the specialist or the specialization.
- If you go to a private specialist, remember to define the details regarding payment and visits immediately. In this way, you can dedicate the rest of the session to the actual therapy, without having to think about practical matters such as checking the agenda and paying.
- If you will see a specialist in private practice, remember that they will give you a receipt. The health services of psychologists and psychotherapists, public and private, are tax deductible, even in the absence of a medical prescription.
Step 2. Find out about the specialist's qualifications
Various psychologists and psychotherapists have different types of training. In fact, they have different training, specializations, certifications and qualifications behind them. The words "psychologist" and "psychotherapist" are generic, they do not refer to a single professional title and do not indicate a specific training, educational qualification or qualification. To understand if a professional has not received adequate training, consider the following red flags:
- You are not provided with information regarding the patient's rights: confidentiality, professional regulations and tariffs (all this allows you to consent to the therapy in a fair and correct way).
- The professional is not registered in the register of psychologists.
- He graduated from an unrecognized institution.
- He defines himself with a vague title, you cannot find information on his training and you believe that he practices the profession in an abusive way (in this case you have to file a complaint with the register).
Step 3. Prepare all relevant documents
The more information the specialist has about you, the better he will be able to do his job. Helpful documents include past psychological test reports or recent clinical reports. If you are a student, you may also want to bring him a document stating your recent grades or other evidence to testify your latest progress.
These documents will be useful at the first interview: the specialist may ask you to fill out a form about your recent or past mental and physical health. By streamlining this part of the visit, you will have a greater opportunity to get to know each other from a personal point of view
Step 4. Make a list of the medicines you are taking or have recently taken
If you use any medications for psychological or physical reasons, or have recently stopped taking one, you will need to provide the following information:
- Names of medicines.
- Dosage.
- Side effects you have witnessed.
- Contact details of the doctor who prescribed them for you.
Step 5. Prepare a reminder
When you first meet a specialist, you probably have a lot of questions and concerns. To be able to talk about what is important to you, take notes to remind yourself to gather all the necessary information. Bringing them with you to the first session will allow you to feel less confused and more comfortable.
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These notes may include the following questions to ask the specialist:
- What kind of therapeutic approach will he use?
- How will the objectives of the sessions be defined?
- Will you have to complete homework between sessions?
- How often will you have to go to appointments?
- Will the therapeutic work be short-term or long-term?
- Is the specialist willing to work with other doctors who assist you to develop a more effective treatment?
Prepare for a Session With a Therapist Step 6 Step 6. Try to go to appointments regularly
Since therapy is meant to give you a safe space in which to work on yourself, time needs to be managed wisely. Once the session has begun, the specialist will have the responsibility of keeping track of the time, allowing you to focus on the responses and to think only about the progress of the therapy. However, it is up to you to organize yourself to get to this point. Remember that some professionals charge for missed appointments and you may not be able to deduct these expenses from your taxes.
Part 2 of 2: Prepare for a Profitable Session
Be Mentally Resilient Step 6 Step 1. Keep a journal to regularly talk about your emotions and experiences
Before going to a session, take some time to think deeply about the topics you want to talk about and the main reasons that prompted you to go into therapy. List specific information the expert should know, such as the factors that upset you or make you feel threatened. The specialist will be ready to ask you questions to stimulate a dialogue. Either way, if you took the time to do these reflections before talking to him, it would be easier for both of you. If you feel stuck and don't know what to do, ask yourself the following questions before the session:
- "Why am I here?".
- "Am I angry, unhappy, stressed, afraid …?".
- "What impact do the people around me have on the situation I am facing?".
- "During a classic day of my life, how do I usually feel? Sad, frustrated, scared, trapped…?".
- "What changes do I want to see in my future?".
Prepare for a Session With a Therapist Step 8 Step 2. Practice expressing your uncensored thoughts and moods
As a patient, the best way to follow effective therapy is to break out of the box. In fact, you've probably set rules for yourself about what is appropriate to say or to keep to yourself. When you are alone, express those weird thoughts out loud that you wouldn't normally say explicitly. In psychotherapy, taking the liberty of analyzing your impulses, ideas and feelings as they appear is one of the most useful techniques for witnessing real change. Getting used to formulating these reflections will make your innermost side more easily emerge during a session.
Uncensored thoughts can also include questions. In fact, you may be interested in the specialist's professional opinion about your situation and how the therapy will affect. The professional will be responsible for providing you with this information as far as possible
Benefit from Interpersonal Therapy Step 9 Step 3. Harness your curiosity
You can practice expressing your deepest thoughts, feelings, and doubts with questions that ask "Why?". As you go about your daily life, try to ask yourself questions about why you feel the way you do or have certain thoughts - this will pave the way for you when you are in the psychologist's office.
For example, if a friend or colleague asks you to do them a favor and you have reservations about it, ask yourself why you refuse to help them. The answer could be straightforward, for example you can say "I don't have time". However, go further and ask yourself why you think you can't do this or can't find the time. The goal is not to come to a solution for this specific situation, but to do the exercise of stopping to try to understand yourself better
Prepare for a Session With a Therapist Step 10 Step 4. Remember that the first specialist you turn to is not the only one on the face of the earth
It is essential that a good personal relationship is established between patient and psychologist for the therapy to be successful. If you put too many expectations on your first meeting without making this consideration, you risk feeling bound to a specialist who is not entirely suited to your situation.
- Did you feel misunderstood at the end of the first session? Does the personality of the specialist make you a little uncomfortable? Maybe it makes you think of someone you have negative feelings about. If the answer to at least one of these questions is yes, it would be best to try looking for another expert.
- Remember that it is normal to be nervous during the first session - you will learn to feel comfortable over time.
Advice
- Remember that there will be more sessions in the future. If you can't tell everything, don't panic. As with all deeper changes, this is also a time-consuming process.
- Remember that the specialist is obliged to protect the confidentiality of everything you tell him. Unless the expert believes that you pose a risk to yourself or someone else, his job requires him to maintain professional secrecy, so he cannot disclose what he is told in a session.
