Common Errors and Relationship Management

Avoidance of Advice and Judgment

A fundamental error is to confuse psychotherapy with counseling. Psychologists do not give advice, as this implies taking responsibility for the patient's life; instead, they provide tools for the patient to make his or her own decisions.

Likewise, an objective posture must be maintained, avoiding value judgments, criticism or scolding of the patient's behaviors, regardless of whether the patient's belief system is distorted; the work is based on respect for the patient's reality in order to seek behavioral or cognitive modification.

Empathy vs. Identification

Empathy is not "putting oneself in the other person's shoes", since it is impossible to live the other person's experience with the same intensity and context.

Technical empathy is the ability to understand and comprehend the patient's situation from the patient's perspective.

Trying to match the patient by saying "I know exactly how you feel" can be counterproductive and offensive, especially in traumatic situations that the therapist has not experienced, breaking the rapport.

Language Management and Technicalities

Language should be accessible and clear. Excessive use of psychological technicalities can confuse the patient, make him/her feel ignorant or generate misunderstandings about his/her condition.

The therapist should "lower" the level of language to a colloquial and approachable one, reserving technical terminology for reports or discussions with colleagues.

In addition, the language of the interviewee should be understood, inquiring about the meaning of neologisms or jargon specific to his or her cultural context so as not to lose valuable information.

Summary

A fundamental error is to confuse psychotherapy with counseling; the psychologist does not give advice or make value judgments, but rather provides tools for the patient to decide.

Technical empathy involves understanding the situation from the patient's perspective, avoiding over-identification or phrases such as "I know how you feel," which can be offensive and counterproductive.

The language used should be accessible and clear, avoiding technicalities that confuse the patient, and adapting to the patient's cultural level to ensure effective communication free of misunderstandings.