A registered calgary psychotherapist can help you in many ways. As the name suggests, psychotherapists specialize in the area of psychotherapy and counselling. Their role is to help you deal with and overcome your issues. A psychologist, on the other hand, is a doctor who specializes in mental health, particularly the disorders of the mind and emotions. Psychologists may work in hospitals or private clinics.
Psychotherapists may work with both you and your family doctor to create an integrated therapeutic relationship. Psychotherapy and counselling require that you open up and share with your therapist about your deepest feelings, thoughts, fears and frustrations. This process takes time and often you will come to rely on your therapist to help guide you through these times. A psychologist on the other hand provides you with individual guidance and can also assist you with creating a more supportive, accepting and supportive therapeutic relationship with your primary care doctor. Eating disorders are often best treated with a multidisciplinary treatment team consisting of a psychotherapist, an eating therapist, a nutritionist and a psychiatrist.
Eating disorders need to be addressed as a whole. A psychologist will treat the emotional aspect of your problem, whereas a counsellor will deal with your physical symptoms such as appetite, depression, anxiety and weight gain. Both types of counsellors can work with patients to encourage them to make healthy choices and learn to manage their emotions. Although counsellors work mainly with adults, they can also provide therapy for children and adolescents.
Psychotherapists work with you on a more personal level to help people overcome deep-seated feelings. Some of these feelings are due to past trauma, while others may have been caused by an incident that occurred when the person was young. Many of these types of feelings can lead to compulsive behaviours such as yo-yo dieting and weight cycling. A psychotherapist can help people deal with these symptoms so that they do not hinder their recovery or cause further health problems in the future. For example, feelings of guilt can prevent a child from participating in a group therapy session. A counsellor would instead suggest activities that are engaging and enjoyable for the child.
While some people are not qualified to offer psychological help, there are other qualified professionals who can. While most doctors carry out general practice within the medical community, some choose to specialize within a specific field such as counselling. There are also qualified psychotherapists who attend medical school and obtain specialised training so that they are able to offer medical advice. In this way, they can help patients suffering from psychological issues that are not suitable for standard mental health treatment.
To find a good psychotherapist or counsellor, it is important to consider the factors that make them qualified to work in this field. In most instances, a counsellor will have completed a medical doctor or psychology degree and will have achieved some professional certification. This will give them some understanding of the theories that underpin psychotherapy and the depth psychotherapy that takes place. It will also mean that they understand the human mind and how certain behaviours affect the person. These characteristics are what set some therapists apart from others.
Psychotherapy and counselling are broad fields that include a number of different sub-specialties. A good psychotherapist should be well qualified in all of them, but if they only have specific training in one area, such as eating disorders, it is important to find a psychologist who is qualified to treat eating disorders. Some counsellors specialize in one or two areas, such as depression or drug abuse. If a counsellor has specialized in complex trauma, it may be harder to find a psychologist who is qualified to treat the same. This means that a client who requires a complex trauma counsellor will be expected to interview several doctors and psychologists in order for the right counsellor to be found.
When a patient requires psychotherapy, it is the job of the therapist to bring out the positives in the patient and turn negative emotions into positive ones. Sometimes this can take years and the emotions must be allowed to build up before they can be dealt with. A good therapist knows how to listen and understands how to use questioning in a way that does not hurt the individual but helps them process their feelings. Sometimes a counsellor will refer their patients to therapists who have a more thorough understanding of the psychotherapy processes. The goal of psychotherapy is to help the client cope with past traumas and to move on with their lives, without regressing.