The expert listed the signs of a psychologist who is not suitable for the patient

A qualified psychologist never makes any diagnoses, does not recommend or cancel medications, cognitive behavioral psychologist, Candidate of Psychological Sciences Elena Korbmacher told Izvestia on May 1.

"A psychologist, even a clinical one, does not have sufficient qualifications and authority to do this. All this is the field of activity of doctors with specialized education (most often it is a psychiatrist, a psychotherapist)," she said.

According to her, there are situations when poor emotional well-being after a visit to a psychologist is due to the unprofessional actions of the latter: the use of incorrect interventions, the demonstration of an inadequate level of empathy (excessive or insufficient), the imposition of their assessments and emotions.

"The client's feelings may also worsen after meeting with a psychologist who violates the boundaries of communication or does not observe professional ethics. An example of this could be the use of stigmas in communication with a client ("you are paranoid," "infantil," "hysterical," and others)," the specialist clarified.

Faced with such a situation, it is important for the client to inform the psychologist about his experiences at the next meeting and further understand how the service provided meets his request for help, whether it is worth continuing to interact with this specialist, the expert explained.

"When choosing a psychologist, we should focus not only on reviews, ratings, citations and the number of diplomas, but also on the quality of contact with you. Sometimes even the most renowned psychologist does not suit certain clients according to his personal characteristics," Korbmacher added.

However, not only a good or bad psychologist can be a factor in a client's poor health after a session. There may be many reasons for this. The expert emphasized that the human psyche is not an open book, the processes occurring in it are nonlinear, therefore, if an event occurred after a session with a psychologist, it does not mean that it occurred as a result of communication with a specialist.

"But if, nevertheless, at a meeting with a client, a psychologist notices that he is potentially dangerous to himself or others (demonstrates acute psychotic symptoms, directly or indirectly reports planned suicide, violence, etc.), then he is obliged to notify the competent authorities (for example, ambulance, police), recommend that the client consult a doctor."a psychiatrist," Korbmacher noted.

This is why, before the first meeting, the client and the psychologist conclude a so-called therapeutic contract, in which all the nuances of working together must be agreed in advance. Including those that imply a violation of the confidentiality of the meeting by the psychologist.

"The low qualification of a psychologist can become an obstacle to recognizing certain markers in the client's behavior, indicating the need to involve related specialists or provide emergency assistance of a non—psychological profile," the expert concluded.

Earlier, on March 31, it was reported that more than half of Russians (56%) feel signs of burnout or depression at work. This is stated in the results of a survey of analysts of the Kontur communications service.A lot of sense." At the same time, 20% of respondents think that a psychologist could help them cope with a difficult moral state, and another 5% are already working out their problems with a specialist.