The number one fear of a person who wants to go to a psychologist for the first time is to meet “the wrong one.” What if he turns out to be not a professional? Or will it be too harsh and rude? Or will he generally remain silent for your money? How to find “the one”? 1. Pay attention to work experience and professional education. Read reviews, look at the company or office where he works. You should be comfortable there. Of course, a good specialist cannot be cheap. This needs to be understood. If a specialist sets a deliberately low price for his services, it is worth considering why he is doing this. Usually, when the flow of clients is greater than the psychologist can accept, he raises the cost of the work.2. First meeting. It is very important here to find a person whom you can trust and whom you can hear. Therefore, pay attention to everything that worries you. Rudeness, aggression, unacceptable tone - leave. Remember that you should not endure, cry after a session from humiliation, but walk because “the specialist is good.” He may really be a good specialist, but he is not suitable for you. That happens. The slightest discomfort is a reason to stop working.3. They should not openly make money off of you. If from the first meeting they determine the frequency of your visits, for example, three times a week, most likely they want to make money from you. A professional not only allows you to draw your own conclusions, but also choose the frequency of visits. If you feel comfortable going once a month, go ahead. You should have time to process what was said in the last session. Consider whether it is worth starting to work with a psychologist who says that to eliminate your problem you need to meet for several years, or at least three times a week. And the point is not that such a duration of work is “wrong”, the only question is whether you can afford such a long and expensive therapy. If not, then it is better to choose a psychologist who works with short-term methods than to interrupt therapy without achieving results just because there is not enough time or money. 10 sessions of short-term therapy will definitely give better results than 10 sessions of psychoanalysis. Check with the duration of the work before it begins.4. Communication. According to the ethics of psychologists, interrupting the client is prohibited. Pay attention to this. If you notice that the specialist is not interested in your story, leave. You should not have the feeling that your problem is far-fetched and there is no reason to be upset. For a professional, your feelings come first, no matter what the reason for them.5. Rule of the third session. If after the third visit to a psychologist you do not feel better and lighter, you do not see changes in your life - this is not your specialist. Of course, the problem may not be solved in three sessions. But there should be a positive effect or a tendency towards it. If you have long had a desire to make an appointment with a psychologist, but fear has stopped you, make up your mind. Now you know how to choose a specialist. Sign up for a consultation with us by phone +7 953 32 98 112