Ups and downs are a part of life. But sometimes things can seem too much for us to handle on our own. No matter how good we are, we can’t always deal with our problems alone. Sometimes we need someone who can listen to us without judgment, understand us, and guide us towards taking the steps necessary for improving our lives. This is where clinical and counseling psychologists step in.

What do Clinical Psychologists do?

Simply put, Clinical psychologists or counseling psychologists are mental health experts that can work across a wide range of psychological issues. They are trained professionals often with years of experience in dealing with all sorts of mental health concerns. With their expertise, psychologists study and develop updated theories about how our minds work. And most importantly, what we can do to alleviate ourselves.

Whether you’re struggling with emotional or behavioral issues or you have found yourself at a point in life where you feel stuck, a psychologist can help you deal with these issues so you can get back on track. They can help you bring positive change in your life by looking at the roots of your problems and then devising practical ways with which you can cope with your symptoms.

How to find a Clinical Psychologist

If you are looking to find the perfect Clinical Psychologist it is crucial to make sure that they have the appropriate qualifications, knowledge and experience. At Expat Therapy 4U we only accept therapists who have full professional proficiency in English and are highly experienced in working with people from culturally diverse backgrounds. The clinicians we approve share our values and commitment to provide high quality therapy to the expatriate community in the private sector across Europe and online worldwide. We strongly believe that therapy changes lives, and being accredited ensures all our therapists are qualified to a high standard. You can find a Clinical Psychologist who is insured to practice and accredited with a recognised membership body online here.

What is the difference between a Counselor and a Psychologist?

A lot of people struggle to differentiate between a counselor and a clinical psychologist. Although both of their goals are to help their clients overcome psychological difficulties and both of them use counseling and psychology in their practice, but there are some differences that make them separate professionals. Let’s take a look at the difference between a clinical psychologist and a counseling psychologist.

Counselor

One of the biggest differences right off the start is that counselors give advice and guidance. They do not deal with mental illnesses and often their clients are healthy individuals that need some supervision and advice. Their orientations of therapy focus on humanistic and client-centered issues. Counselors usually work in universities where they deliver counseling services.

Clinical Psychologist

A clinical psychologist is a form of a scientific practitioner who is mainly involved with treating mental illnesses such as depression, OCD, anxiety, etc. Their clients are usually those dealing with psychosis or other severe mental health illnesses. Clinical psychologists focus on psychoanalytic persuasions and behavioral issues. They often work in private clinics or hospitals.

Still, there is a great deal of overlap between the two professions, but putting it simply, clinical psychologists deal with mental illnesses while counselors give advice to healthy individuals.

How to know if you need to see a Psychologist?

So, what factors imply that you should seek a mental health expert for dealing with your issues instead of battling them on your own? Let’s take a look.

• You’re feeling engulfed by sadness and no matter what you do, nothing seems to work.
• Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed. You no longer find your hobbies enjoyable.
• You’re experiencing strange physical symptoms such as sudden loss/gain in weight and insomnia.
• Everything, even eating feels like a chore.
• You have no energy to do anything and you can hardly get out of bed.
• Your friends and family are telling you that something’s not right about you.
• A suddenly decreased performance in work, academics, or other areas of life.
• You cannot seem to control your emotions and you feel overwhelmed.
• You have resorted to drug abuse as a coping mechanism.
• You find yourself repeating the same mistakes in life.

In short, if you feel like you’re not your usual self and that your psychological concerns are getting out of hand, you can seek a psychologist.

What can you expect from your first session with a Clinical Psychologist?

Psychologists will help you examine your emotional issues and help you find the underlying causes of your concerns. Psychologists are trained to listen, understand, and help you devise ways around your problems without any judgment or criticism.

Introductions

You will spend the first part of your session getting to know one another. This is done so you can find it easier to connect with each other as a person.

Establishing needs

After you’re comfortable with one another, your therapist will ask you why you want to seek therapy. You will now start to have a more detailed discussion regarding what pushed you to seek help and how you coped with your problems in the past. Any information you share will be kept confidential under a confidentiality policy and you can be totally honest and open with your therapist. This will help them understand your condition better so they can devise methods to help you.

Asking questions

After you have your initial worries to the side, your therapist will ask you some questions related to your symptoms to gauge your true problems. These questions may vary from person to person, but commonly the following questions are asked.

• Is this your first time attending therapy?
• What are your symptoms?
• How is your home life?
• What are you looking to accomplish in these sessions?
• Do you have a history of mental illnesses? Etc.

Devising solutions

After your psychologist has worked through all of your symptoms and concerns, they will observe your problems and help you see what caused them in the first place. Then according to your personal needs, they will teach you different skills and coping mechanisms. They will also give you some home tasks to perform on your own so you can learn to manage these symptoms on your own.

Your psychologist will work in collaboration with you to solve your major stressors in life. They use practical and evidence-based techniques to help you get your desired results and instill new patterns of thinking in you.

Find a Clinical Psychologist through the Expat Therapy 4U platform

If you have recurring unresolved conflict with yourself, then seeking a psychologist can be a life-changing decision. They listen, understand, and most importantly help you find ways with which you can change your lives and become a much better version of yourself.

Further Readings on Clinical Psychology

https://theinternationalpsychologyclinic.com/services/clinical-psychologist-in-london/