When choosing a psychologist for the first time, it can be very difficult to find a specialist who is ideal for you. And there are also “specialists” who, being amateurs, provide services at an expensive price. And then you can not only waste your money, but seriously suffer. What do you need to pay attention to? 1. Possibilities of psychotherapyA psychologist can help:• Listen to the client and sympathize with him.• Learn to cope with your difficulties.• Develop skills that will help you communicate with people, solve problems, notice your emotions and control them, etc.• Look at the problem from different angles .• Feel better about yourself, your thoughts, your emotions and your behavior.• Adjust your actions and feelings.• Find another psychologist, if necessary. A psychologist cannot help:• Instantly relieve traumatic feelings.• Change the behavior of people who are present in life client, and give advice on how to change them.• Instantly improve the client's life (this requires long and painstaking work).2. Choosing a psychologistWhere and how you can choose a psychologist:• Choose a psychologist by recommendation: You can ask for a recommendation from a friend whose opinion you trust.• Independent search for a psychologist on the Internet: You can look at sites where you can read about the psychologist, his methods, duration and cost of consultation, as well as reviews about it.• Attend a psychological event, such as a festival, master class or conference, where you can meet different specialists and see their work.3. Professional competencies of a psychologist• Personal competencies are based on experience, skills and knowledge related to one’s personality, which help the psychologist in his work. These are empathy, congruence and self-observation.• General competencies are based on experience, skills and knowledge regarding a general view of the process and object of psychotherapy. This is the organization of one’s professional activities, psychological diagnostics, a systemic view of the process and object of psychotherapy, psychological contact and contract. These competencies are required to interact with the client in the psychological process to determine the goal and formulate tasks related to the client’s request.• Special competencies are based on experience , skills and knowledge related to particular approaches. These are special ways of communicating with the subjects and objects of psychotherapy, techniques of the psychological method.• A psychologist must have a basic education in the field of psychology, pedagogy, or medicine, as well as specialized education in the field of psychotherapy. The psychologist himself must undergo personal therapy with another psychologist to resolve personal problems.4. Psychotherapy and professional ethics A good psychologist adheres to the principles of professional ethics: • Do not evaluate and treat the client kindly. • Focus not on socially accepted norms and rules, but on the values ​​and norms of the client. • Do not give advice. • Maintain confidentiality. • Distinguish between professional and personal relationships.• Collaborate with other disciplines as necessary for the benefit of the client.5. Psychotherapy and life-affirming, universal principles• The psychologist is responsible only for his work. The client himself is responsible for his changes.• Belief in the client's ability to change is very important in therapy. You cannot set the rhythm of movement and rush the client.• Progress in psychotherapy is a choice that the client himself makes. The psychologist cannot do this for him, he only helps him and accompanies him.6. Relationship between psychologist and client In this relationship, boundaries are very important, which ensure predictability of work and reliability. Such as the boundaries of all advisory work and the time boundaries of one session (number of meetings and session duration). It is also important to define the boundaries of what is permitted in a relationship. The psychologist has no right to use them to satisfy his own needs, such as"