Therapeutic support, an essential tool

Psychologists have certain tools that allow them to deal with the different problems, discomforts or mental illnesses that may affect their patients. One of these tools, which we will talk about today, is therapeutic accompaniment.

Therapeutic support is carried out, as this thesis indicates, “in the subject’s usual environment.” This means that the psychologist will be present on the street, at home or in any other space that could trigger a crisis situation in the patient.

This is only carried out when everything that can be done in the consultation, such as different exercises, is insufficient and has no effect.. It is the psychologist who realizes that if it is not integrated into the patient’s daily life he will not improve.

Therapeutic support is a facilitator

Therapeutic support is a facilitator which allows people with different limitations to overcome the barriers that prevent them, for example, from leaving their home or visiting certain places.

With this tool, They are allowed to improve their autonomy, develop their social skills and interact with their environment in a healthier way.. This can be very effective in people who suffer from social anxiety, for example.

However, for therapeutic accompaniment to be successful, certain attitudes and qualities that the psychologist must possess must be taken into account. We will present all of them below based on The aid relationshipe by Carl Rogers:

Presence: the psychologist must be with the patient, share situations and moments with him.Active listening: It is essential that the patient expresses himself, giving him the necessary time to do so.I respect: The psychologist must show respect in every way and have an open posture.Empathy: Understanding will be essential, as well as not judging.Authenticity: The psychologist must show himself as he is, although he must be professional at all times.

A case of psychosis

The study Therapeutic support: practice and clinic in a psychiatric hospital presents the case of a 66-year-old woman who had been admitted to a Mental Health Center for 7 years due to the puerperal manic-depressive psychosis that was diagnosed.

Because the pharmacological treatment had no effect, the possibility of therapeutic support was raised. At first the patient seemed excited, until her fears began to emerge. What you do, then, is walk around the plant and around the hospital with her.

In this case, family intervention was also important. The patient began to be able to walk around the city, moving away from that safe environment that was the center of her for her. At first she showed rejection to the therapist and she only said “I want to go home.” But, as the months passed, this changed.

She began to make brief visits home until she acquired certain responsibilities such as caring for her daughters and taking medication. The process was gradual, but it gave very good results..

This patient was admitted because containment was impossible at home. She was aggressive towards her family and she had manic episodes that were difficult to control. However, her therapeutic support stabilized her symptoms, which allowed her to reintegrate into her family.

A tool for difficult situations

As we have seen, Therapeutic support is a tool for complex situations in which treatment in consultation is not enough. We have seen a real case, but there are many others in which it is necessary to put this tool into practice.

People who suffer from agoraphobia, who have difficulty walking down a crowded street or who find it difficult to enter a supermarket, can benefit from therapeutic support. The psychologist will be at her side, providing support, listening to what the patient is feeling, observing how she acts and helping her avoid flight or escape behaviors.

As we see, This warm technique encourages many people to come out of isolation and to destroy the barriers that limit them in their daily lives, allowing people to make profound changes in their lives and improve their quality of life.

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