How to prepare for your visit

How to prepare for psychotherapy and choose a therapist wisely? Introduction to the common path

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

The decision to undertake psychotherapy is often a breakthrough moment. It requires the courage to stop, look inside yourself and ask for support. However, we know that the very process of looking for a therapist and preparing for the first session can be fearful and uncertain. In the IPSK Clinic, we believe that successful therapy begins with a conscious choice and realistic expectations.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide for you. We want to show you what this road looks like, what to look for before entering the office and what pitfalls to avoid.

1. A choice based on foundations, not chance

The choice of a therapist should not be a matter of chance or based solely on who has the next available date. Psychotherapy is a process of treatment based on knowledge, science and specific paradigms. Before you make an appointment, it is worth paying attention to the competencies:

• Education and internships: A professional psychotherapist is a person who has completed higher education and many years of comprehensive psychotherapeutic training (often stationary, requiring hundreds of hours of study and clinical practice).
• Affiliation and registers: The therapist should belong to recognized psychotherapeutic associations and work in accordance with their code of ethics.
• Supervision: This is an absolute standard. It means that the therapist regularly consults his work with a more experienced specialist, taking care of the highest quality of assistance.

How to read reviews on the Internet? We live in a culture of ratings and stars, but in the case of psychotherapy, opinions can be deceptive. Therapy is often a difficult process, during which the patient is confronted with pain, and sometimes – as part of the transfer – feels anger at the therapist. Sometimes this anger, which is a natural stage of therapy, turns into unfair “hate” on the Internet. On the other hand, the lack of opinions does not mean a lack of competence – psychotherapists cannot (and should not) ask patients to leave reviews. It is worth basing on verifiable facts (education, training) and building trust during the first consultation meetings.

2. Red flags – how do you know that “something is wrong”?

Psychotherapy is a safe space, but also has very clear boundaries. Unfortunately, it happens that nowadays therapeutic offices are permeated with currents that have nothing to do with science. You should definitely see a red light when a person appointing a therapist:

• It imposes one’s own worldview or religious beliefs.
• It combines psychotherapy with esoteric, magical, extreme New Age or forced spiritual/yogic practices (unless they are scientifically grounded relaxation techniques to which the patient has given informed consent).
• It crosses physical boundaries, builds a social relationship with you outside the office or breaks the principle of confidentiality.
• It promises “healing in three sessions” or guarantees quick success. A professional never does that.

3. Therapy is a process, not a painkiller

When entering the office, it is natural to want immediate relief. However, it is worth being prepared for the fact that psychotherapy is a long-term process. The mechanisms and patterns with which we have lived for years (often throughout childhood) will not disappear after a few conversations. It’s slowly “unpacking” difficulties, discovering resources, and building new, flexible ways of dealing with reality. Give yourself the right to time. Sometimes it gets worse in therapy, only to get better later – it’s a natural element of recovery.

4. One therapist – one common path

Sometimes, when there is resistance, discomfort or we bring up a painful topic in therapy, there is a temptation: “Maybe I will change the therapist? Maybe someone else will understand me better?”.

Jumping from flower to flower and frequent change of specialists are usually harmful. With each new therapist, the process begins anew – building bonds, telling stories, stopping on the surface of the problem. If you feel discomfort in your relationship with your therapist – it is best to tell him about it out loud during the session. Talking about this difficult feeling often becomes the most important breakthrough in the entire therapy. Let’s look for the right specialist with caution at the consultation stage, but once we have made a decision – let’s get involved in this alliance.

5. The human face of the therapist – a relationship based on trust

Although the psychotherapist uses specialized tools, a session is always a meeting of two people. Trust is the foundation, but it does not appear on call. You have the right to ask questions, to check whether they feel safe in this relationship.

However, it is worth remembering that there is also a person sitting on the other side of the chair. A therapist, despite being fully professional, also has his own life, health, family and difficult situations. It may happen that due to illness or random events, the session is canceled or postponed. Understanding that the therapist is not a machine, and that the therapeutic relationship has its human limitations, can be a very liberating first step for patients to understand their own limits.

To sum up: Preparation for therapy is, above all, readiness to meet oneself in the presence of another, supportive person. We are here to accompany you on this journey – with full respect for your history, in a safe, judgment-free space.