Psychotherapy is a collaborative effort between you and your psychologist to get to the core of deep-seated issues to produce change. Change comes about by identifying irrational beliefs and correcting them, causing a shift in thinking, thus a shift in emotions and behaviors. The psychologist will guide you through the process. It is an opportunity to gain insight into negative patterns of thought or action in an effort to change them to a healthier pattern. This, in turn, will have a positive impact on your mood. It can also help you overcome obstacles and make decisions with a healthier outcome.
Common problems dealt with are difficulties coping with daily life, the psychological ramifications of trauma, and medical illness or grief among others. The main goal of psychotherapy is to improve the client’s functioning and mood. Common diagnoses include difficulty coping with anxiety and depression. Also common are experiencing difficulty coping with change/adjustment disorder, and difficulty controlling mood swings.
Do I need to be in distress to seek psychotherapy?
No, extreme distress is not a necessary condition. Maybe you notice a pattern of behaviors that lead you to a negative outcome and negative feelings. You might be experiencing difficulty adjusting to something new in your life. You could be experiencing symptoms of sadness/depression. You might be having difficulty controlling your anxiety or repetitive thoughts. You can be having issues with your partner/spouse that need to be addressed. In sum, there are many reasons to seek therapy.
Is insight important?
Insight is each person’s ability to look within and identify factors influencing them. Insights can be relatively minor such as “I eat when I am stressed” to “I avoid conflict, but it just produces greater friction in the end”. Gaining insight is important in the psychotherapeutic process. By gaining insight you start making the necessary changes to inhibit the old pattern from repeating itself and replace it with a new, healthier pattern.
How does psychotherapy work in couples counseling?
In couples counseling, the purpose is to speak openly about the issues being faced in the relationship and identify goals for treatment. It takes effort and honesty from both parties to address said issues. A variety of new coping skills will be learned and implemented to minimize the discord in the relationship. Common goals are to improve communication skills, improve anger management, coping with jealousy, coping with social media, and making quality time for the couple.
Quality time is essential, especially if there are children. It is easy to forget that you need to nurture your relationship not just your parental roles. This is a way of maintaining the emotional intimacy in the couple. Frequently recommended are date nights where a babysitter takes care of the children at home leaving the couple free to plan different activities that they’d enjoy together.
How does divorce counseling differ from marriage counseling?
Once the couple has decided that the marriage is no longer salvageable, divorce counseling can help. The purpose is to air out any residual feelings that the couple harbors while implementing positive communication skills. If the couple has children, it focuses on making decisions about parenting. Being an effective co-parent is an integral part of helping your children cope with the divorce.
Is medication a necessary part of therapy?
No, medication is not a necessary part of treatment. Your psychologist will make recommendations depending on your symptoms, severity, and duration. If your psychologist feels that medication management would be helpful to you, there will be a frank conversation addressing any questions or concerns you may have. It is always the client’s decision whether to accept the recommendation or not.
Can a psychologist prescribe medication?
No, a psychologist can not prescribe medication because we do not have medical degrees nor do we have prescriptive privileges. We have relationships with trusted psychiatrist that can evaluate you and provide you with a prescription as well as answer any questions you may have.
What is confidentiality?
A cornerstone of effective psychotherapy is the client’s ability to be open and honest with their psychologist. That is where confidentiality comes in. It is the client’s right to privacy. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a privacy rule that creates national standards to protect a person’s medical records and personal health information which includes information about psychotherapy and mental health.
In sum, if the client would like information to be provided to another party, the client would have to sign an Authorization to Release Information Form including the person to be provided the information and their contact information. Your confidentiality can only be breeched without your consent if you are a danger to yourself or others or are abusing a child or an elderly person.
What do I need to do to begin receiving services?
If you are interested in psychotherapy, we at Miami Psychology Group are here to help. All it takes is one phone call.