A Bad Psychologist Can Hurt You A Lot

Sometimes we trust a healthcare professional almost blindly. Daniel Goldstein says in this case that ” psychology is a manual for your own mind. ” But what happens if we fall into the hands of a bad psychologist? What does Goldstein’s guide to life become?

It is logical to think that a bad psychologist will do a lot of damage to our psyche. So it is with any health professional. A bad doctor, physical therapist or therapist, could cause not only not better, but worse.

The existentialist psychologist Viktor Frankl considers the term Iatrogenic neurosis to refer to these types of professionals. Now, are we helpless in this situation? Bearing in mind that we are not doctors or therapists. How can we overcome helplessness in the face of a bad psychologist?

How to spot a bad psychologist

Precisely to detect a bad psychologist nothing like another who knows his profession well. That is why we will then put ourselves in the hands of Juan Armando Corbin. This specialist in organizations and coaching has created a list in which he reveals some important keys to detect the figure of a bad psychotherapist.

Do you feel judged?

Your therapist is not there to judge you. His job is to understand you, not impose himself on you. He doesn’t have to share your point of view, but he does have to be empathetic. With the right tools and understanding, they can help you, but if they criticize you, they are entering personal terrain beyond their employment.

Do you notice that it cannot help you?

Within the psychological branches, we find various specializations. Obviously, a professional can come across an enormous diversity of cases. So, if you don’t have the necessary skills, better leave it.

Think that there are specialized psychologists for each of the problems against which psychology can be a very useful resource. That said, the most common is that a psychologist has a broad view of all these problems but is only prepared to treat a certain set of them.

Are you focusing too much on him?

If your therapist focuses too much on himself, he is probably a bad psychologist. Some professionals use their own examples to create a good climate and find a place where the patient can identify himself. But if this ends up focusing his speech on a string of achievements and personal situations far from your problem, he may not be the professional who can best treat you.

Do you take care of the emotional connection?

The therapist must make the patient feel comfortable, but can never cross the emotional line. The relationship must be trustworthy, but strictly professional. Physical attraction, for example, is considered by many branches of psychology as an obstacle for therapy or intervention to end with good results.

Do you use active listening?

How can a psychologist treat his patient if he does not use active listening? Your emotions are sincere and sensitive during therapy. You open up to the professional. That is why he must be alert to all five senses. He must know how to interpret each of your words and gestures or at least devote all his attention to the service of this purpose. Otherwise, the connection will be lost and important data to deal with your problem will be lost.

Do you think he gives the real importance of your problem?

What for me may be a trifle, for you could be a mountain. That is why a professional has to assess each patient’s problem in its proper measure. If you underestimate it, you will not fully understand the symptoms or offer the right treatment.

Does he talk to you about other patients?

A therapist has a total confidentiality pact with his patient. That is why they cannot talk to others about your problem, or vice versa. So if you think that he gives you private information about other people he treats, he is in malpractice and you could even report him.

Does he understand your value system?

We all have our own value system. And this one may not agree with that of our psychologist, but that does not give you the right to question it. If the professional judges you and believes that their beliefs are better than yours, they make a mistake again. He may not like how you think, but he has to respect you.

Does he refer you to another professional?

Not always a problem is fixed from the strictly psychological field. It could be that another professional could be of great help. For example, in eating disorders. Or it may be the case that your therapist is no longer able to advise you. It is at that moment when he will refer you to other specialists. But if you don’t, you are again in malpractice.

So,  if you think that you are in the hands of a bad psychologist, do not hesitate and leave it. Rest assured that it is not doing you any good. Observe that the professional treating you does not have several of these conditions, because unfortunately, not everyone who calls himself a therapist has the necessary knowledge and attitude to help you.