One should seek a therapist when in pain, or when others are in pain, because of our actions or attitudes. You could also contact a therapist to reflect on a particular issue that you think requires an external or neutral view. You may have multiple and quite personal reasons.

Generally, these are some of the reasons that usually lead people to seek therapy:

• Relationship problems
  
• Emotional problems
• Depression
  
• Anxiety
  
• Stress
  
• School difficulties
  
• Hyperactivity
  
• Behavioral problems

•  Personality Disorders
  
• Eating Disorders
  
• Family or marital problems
  
• Life transition phases (divorce, job change, maternity, marriage, etc.),
  
• Mourning
  
• Phobias
  
• Professional problems
  
• Low self esteem
  

The first appointment tends to take longer, and it may take up to 60 minutes. The therapy sessions have a time limit of 50 minutes. The length of the evaluation will vary depending on the required tests and sessions.

The first appointment tends to take longer, and it may take up to 60 minutes. The therapy sessions have a time limit of 50 minutes. The length of the evaluation will vary depending on the required tests and sessions.

Psychotherapy is appropriate for you if you are not satisfied with your current life situation and believe that it is possible to improve it.

It is intended for all people of all ages.

Choosing to go into therapy means choosing the help of a trained professional on a series of questions about your life. It does not mean that you cannot handle things yourself. Put it this way: help is the best option.

Therapy can help you:

• Understand yourself, your goals and values;
• Develop resources to improve your relationships;
• Address the issues that led you to seek psychotherapy;
• Learn new ways to cope with stress and anxiety;
• Learn to manage anger, sadness, depression and other emotional states;
  

• Improve communication and listening skills;
• Change old patterns of behavior and develop new ones;
• Discover new ways to solve problems within your family or marriage;
• Improve your self-esteem and grow your confidence.

Simply put, therapy is a conversation between you and your therapist about your life and your concerns. The character of sessions depends on your therapist and their approach. I use one known as 'psychodynamics.'

In psychodynamic psychotherapy, the sessions do not have a structured plan.

Their focus is the relationship established over time and the way it influences or conditions you, as we go on.

The appointments can be weekly, biweekly or monthly. The routine is always established with the client's full participation and according to their situation.

The psychologist is a professional who has completed their training in Psychology, ready to work in the clinics, organizations or schools, and a member of the Portuguese professional body, Ordem dos Psicólogos. A psychotherapist is a clinical psychologist with specific training in Psychotherapy, recognized by the same body.

Therefore, a psychologist can be a psychotherapist, but not all psychologists are.

In my case, I am a specialist psychologist in Clinical and Health Psychology, with Advanced Expertise in Psychotherapy, recognized by Ordem dos Psicólogos. In other words, I am a psychologist and a psychotherapist.

Firstly, you can ask a trusted friend or health care provider for a recommendation. You should consider the therapist's style/approach. Some psychotherapists try to be kind, others are to-the-point; some are silent, others are more talkative; some have a sense of humor and may be irreverent, others are more conservative.

Some professionals are reluctant to disclose personal information, as it may interfere with the therapeutic process; others do not consider that rule so important.

I tend to be interactive and friendly. It usually does not bother me too much to answer questions about myself, although I will focus on the client.

Ideally, you should look for a therapist with whom you 'click.' However, it is wise to attend a few sessions before deciding whether it happened. If something is not working for you, say so. Your therapist will be able to adjust to your needs.

This is an excellent question to ask your therapist, as the answer will be unique to you. However, here are some aspects to consider:

1 – How the process works

Insight: you might start questioning things that you took for granted. You may notice that some experiences in your life and the reactions you have now are somehow linked - and in a way that you had not yet considered. You may discover painful truths or disturbing emotions that you had not yet realized you had. This part of the process is not pleasant, but it is worth it. It results in a new perspective. You feel wiser, stronger, and better able to see yourself and the world clearly and act efficiently. You may feel more introspective and less inclined to waste energy struggling with things you do not yet fully understand.

That 'feeling' after the session: there must be a balance between challenge and comfort in the sessions. That is, you should feel respected and understood, but also challenged to look at things differently or try something new. Good sessions are sometimes not necessarily pleasant because part of psychotherapy is facing and solving negative internal states. However, good sessions tend to have intriguing and interesting moments. After a good session, you should feel that you have learned something, that there has been some emotional movement, or that you are engaging with life differently, perhaps all at once.

Improvement in mood between sessions: after the sessions, you may find yourself thinking more clearly, feeling more determined, more hopeful and healthier.

2 - Follow your instincts

If you feel disoriented or uncomfortable with your therapist's style from the first meeting, it might be best to look for someone else

.

3 - Talk to your therapist about progress

Studies show that psychotherapy tends to take longer than medication to achieve positive results, but it does so more robustly. This means that the gains of psychotherapy are long-lasting and that they may continue to increase even after the therapy ended. Nevertheless, it sometimes takes a long time for the first results to appear. Do not fall into the trap of putting so much effort on evaluating the results during the first sessions, that you forget to be in therapy. Obviously, you cannot go on forever without knowing for sure whether you are improving. You may want to ask your therapist when it will be reasonable to evaluate your case.

Whenever something bothers, angers, or disturbs you, you should talk to your therapist. This way, both of you will have the opportunity to reflect on it and understand why this occurs.

Medication is never prescribed in a psychology appointment. If you think you might need medication, you should consult a doctor.

If you cannot attend a session, you should give at least 48 hours-notice through the regular contact. If you are not able to reach me directly, you can leave a message. I will propose another time and date for the missing session. Without enough notice, the session may be charged.

Therapy can be time-consuming because the human mind does not change easily or quickly.

Good question. Sometimes the answer is obvious: you may have solved the problems that brought you into therapy, you may be moving, or you may have agreed that psychotherapy would only last a set number of sessions. But the answer is less obvious. For example, you may feel that you are no longer making the same kind of progress as before, or your priorities may change. Talk to your therapist in case you are starting to pondering whether to continue. Do it for two reasons:

1. The rhythm of psychotherapy: all forms of therapy have a beginning, middle and end. Your therapist will not be able to help you end the sessions with optimal results without some discussion about whether it should end, and if so, without defining a timeframe on which the two of you can agree.

2. The wisdom of the decision: therapy tends to work on the most difficult problems of your life. What makes these problems so difficult? Emotional barriers, cognitive barriers or barriers to judgment, and/or external barriers. When you begin to explore these major problems in your life, there is a good chance that these barriers will begin to act against the therapeutic process. You may feel compelled to leave therapy exactly when it is more important and relevant that you stay.

Talk to your therapist when you feel 'antipsychotic.' These 'anti-change' moods can become a golden opportunity to move forward in the process. Alternatively, you may decide that you are satisfied with your progress and ready to embrace other challenges, or that continuing will simply be too difficult, and it makes sense to end it there. Basically, it is up to you to decide whether the benefits of therapy outweigh the cost. Your therapist can help you clarify this decision, but, in the end, it is yours.

The law protects confidentiality between client and therapist. No information will be revealed without the client's registered permission. Confidentiality is fundamental for the therapeutic relationship and essential for the process to work. The therapist guarantees the confidentiality of all information disclosed during the appointments and sessions, except for situations related to the existence of immediate danger to the client and/or others. In that case, confidentiality may not be maintained by the therapist.

Psychotherapeutic intervention is guided by the ethical principles, defined and presented in the Code of Ethics Ordem dos Psicólogos, and exercised with competence, responsibility and integrity, seeking the client's well-being and healthy growth, respecting their privacy, dignity and identity.