Here are Some facts about psychotherapy and psychotherapist:
- Psychotherapy is based on scientific research and established therapeutic techniques.
- Psychotherapy is not only talking, psychotherapists use validated methods and tools to help individuals overcome their challenges.
- Psychotherapists are not necessarily psychologists, meaning they do not hold a degree from a psychology faculty, but they have a 4-year training program in psychotherapy specialized in a specific form of therapy - psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, integrative (which combines the aforementioned approaches). At the same time, psychologists are graduates of a psychology faculty, but they do not have formal training in psychotherapy. When a specialist has both a psychology degree and formal training in psychotherapy, they are typically referred to as a Psychologist and Psychotherapist.
- Psychotherapy is not only for severe mental illness: Psychotherapy can be beneficial for a wide range of concerns, from everyday stress, coping mechanism, emotional self-regulation, relationship issues to mental health disorders.
- Psychotherapy is a process that requires time and effort. It may not produce immediate results, and individuals need to actively engage in the process to see improvements. There is no magic cure.
- The psychotherapist is not a friend but is not a stranger either. They are a specialist who becomes a therapeutic ally in finding solutions together with the client, where the client does not see a way out, so it a collaborative process. The psychotherapist is not “fixing” the client and not telling the client what to do, excepting the cases of safety and risks.