After hearing a lot of “horror stories” from friends and colleagues about the experiences that people face when looking for help, I decided to put together a list of the main points that you need to pay attention to when choosing a specialist. Unfortunately, in our country there are still no laws that would completely protect us from incorrect psychological services, and the level of awareness and literacy of potential clients in this area is on average quite low, and the number of specialists in helping professions is growing by leaps and bounds, so it is important know some things that will protect you from an unpleasant, or even harmful, situation for your psyche. If you encounter a violation of the points listed below, then most likely you are dealing with a person who does not comply with the code of ethics of this profession.1. The psychologist/psychotherapist has appropriate training and can confirm it. Higher psychology, master's degree or retraining (I would say at least 2 years). There must be education specifically related to psychological counseling.2. The psychologist/psychotherapist himself has completed (from 100 hours)/is undergoing psychotherapy. I think this is even more important than education. It is impossible to be a good specialist without undergoing psychotherapy yourself. No exceptions.3. The psychologist/psychotherapist visits a supervisor (a more experienced professional) to discuss his or her practice.4. As an additional big plus, the psychologist may be a member of a recognized community or have certification in a particular approach. This means that there is a group of professionals who recognize his practice.5. The psychologist/psychotherapist respects professional boundaries (emotionally and physically). A psychologist can only be a psychologist for you. You communicate only within the framework of agreed meetings and hours, and only within the framework of the psychotherapeutic relationship “psychotherapist - client”. There should be no other intersecting relationships (friend, relative, lover, etc.). Ideally, this should be a new person to you.6. The psychologist/psychotherapist maintains confidentiality (even if you are under 18). The psychologist may discuss your therapy with a supervisor for additional opinions or to address difficulties, but without disclosing your identity. But in the confidentiality agreement there is always a clause that, if the psychologist becomes aware of a threat to someone’s life (and yours too), he is obliged to inform the relevant authorities or your relatives about it.7. The psychologist/psychotherapist adheres to the accepted consultation framework. There may be slight variations here, but the standard duration of one meeting is 50-60 minutes. It is a formally established standard related to a person's physical and emotional capabilities and expedient performance. The frequency of meetings may vary depending on the request and the severity of the crisis. Usually this is once a week. But, in some cases, for example, in psychoanalysis, the frequency of meetings is 3-5 times a week.8. The psychologist/psychotherapist must provide you with the services you came for. If you have a request for psychotherapy, and they offer you to lay out tarot cards, tell fortunes by hand/coffee grounds, they speak to you in esoteric language, the process is more like an appointment with a clairvoyant or psychic, etc., and, most importantly, what- then it “itches” inside you and signals discomfort, - trust your feelings, - leave.9. The psychologist/psychotherapist does not judge you, your feelings, condition, decisions, or your relatives/friends/colleagues. And also does not blame you or anyone/anything else for your problems.10. During the consultation, the psychologist/psychotherapist is busy only with you and nothing/nobody else. He doesn't talk on the phone, doesn't constantly look at his watch, his phone, his notes, etc. He listens carefully and hears you.11. The psychologist/psychotherapist does not question your religious, spiritual, political or social beliefs, and does not promote his own to you.12. The psychologist/psychotherapist does not talk about himself and his problems. A littleso-called self-disclosure is possible, but only on topic and for the benefit of your process or at your request, and in a minimum quantity.13. The psychologist/psychotherapist pays attention to all spectrums of personality manifestation - feelings, emotions, physical sensations, etc., and does not downplay the importance of any of them.14. The psychologist/psychotherapist does not miss, cancel or be late for meetings on a regular basis without good reason.15. The psychologist/psychotherapist does not force you to talk about topics that you do not want or are not ready to talk about.16. The psychologist/psychotherapist does not tell you about other clients.17. The psychologist/psychotherapist accepts feedback and admits his mistakes, if any. It is open to discussion.18. The psychologist/psychotherapist does not talk too much and is not silent all the time.19. The psychologist/psychotherapist does not diagnose you and does not use scientific terms when communicating with you, does not “study” you as a “sick” object. If a specialist has the opinion that you need additional consultation with a psychiatrist (this, by the way, is unlikely at the first meeting), then he will offer you this in a mild form, as an option, and not as a sentence.20. A psychologist/psychotherapist does not suggest you “take vitamins” or antidepressants if he does not have the appropriate qualifications for this (in our country only a doctor or psychiatrist can do this after a professional diagnosis).21. A psychologist/psychotherapist does not give you advice and recommendations. No one can know how best to live your life except yourself. With the exception of such areas as, for example, coaching or cognitive behavioral therapy, the process in them is built specifically on the search for specific solutions and instructions. In other cases, the psychologist only helps you explore and understand yourself.22. A psychologist/psychotherapist does not promise to help you in one/three/ten meetings. There is no universal magic pill. But you can find your own magic wand in yourself; in psychology this is called a “resource”. The duration of psychotherapy varies from person to person, but there is no specific number of meetings to solve a specific problem.23. It is also important to understand that people studying psychology are the same people as the rest of us - we are all different - even if we study at the same faculty and have the same diplomas and certificates. There were 8 people in my counseling training group, and everyone was so different that by discussing your topics with everyone, you could get completely different processes, different insights and awareness. You should feel comfortable and easy (at least at the beginning) in communicating with a specialist, there should be a feeling of safety and trust, the psychologist should give the impression of a reliable person who you can rely on without fear or worry while you are in this delicate and vulnerable state the process of self-knowledge called psychotherapy. And after that: the World Charter of the individual undergoing psychotherapy. The positions of this Charter were adopted in Vienna on July 14, 2002 at the Third World Congress on Psychotherapy, which brought together 4,000 specialists from 80 countries, including Russia.1. The right to respect for personal dignity. A person undergoing psychotherapy has the right to respect for her dignity and her mental and physical integrity, without discrimination, regardless of the content of her request or her mental state. 2. The right to choose. A person undergoing psychotherapy has the right to freely choose a method and a psychotherapist and, if he considers it necessary, to reconsider his choice. 3. Right to access information. A person undergoing psychotherapy has the right to know what method the psychotherapist uses, as well as his qualifications, education and what professional association he belongs to. 4. Conditions of psychotherapy. The conditions of psychotherapy must be clearly defined before any commitment is made: forms (verbal, emotional, physical...), duration and frequency of sessions, expected duration of treatment and conditions for its prolongation or», 2010).