Find out about the different shrinks before making an appointment.
The mental health of the French is deteriorating with the health crisis of covid-19. More and more people are looking for psychological support, but before you start, find out what suits you best.
Know the differences between shrinks
Between psychologist, psychiatrist or psychotherapist, difficult to navigate. However, before making an appointment, it is best to find out about the differences:
– the psychiatrist who is a medical specialist, with a medical approach, can prescribe medication, make a diagnosis and psychotherapy.
– the psychologist, who has studied psychology, treats the symptoms and the causes of the problems in psychotherapy.
– the psychotherapist, who is either a doctor or holds a master’s degree in psychology or psychoanalysis, deals with psychological, social and relational problems in the broad sense.
Then, each shrink can have a specialty, that is to say a diploma specializing in a particular psychological current: psychoanalysis, EMDR, cognitive and behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, neurolinguistic programming… Knowing how to find your shrink is also find out about the different techniques available depending on the problem to be treated.
Trust your feelings
Very often, the first session(s) with the therapist are decisive in giving a framework to the psychotherapy and getting an idea of the therapeutic relationship. Choosing the right therapist for you is above all about feeling comfortable confiding in yourself with the right distance, not too intimate or friendly, not cold and distant.
Be honest with yourself and your practitioner if something is bothering you. It’s better to change psychiatrists than to abandon your therapy.
Find out more: “In my shrink’s head: And how to choose your own” by Sylvie Wieviorka, HumenSciences editions.
