From the author: Several important points that you need to find out when choosing a psychologist. In the life of every person there are situations that are difficult to cope with on your own. In such cases, a modern person turns to a psychologist. Today, psychologists offer a fairly wide range of services. However, the problem is that this type of activity in our country is not subject to licensing or any kind of control by the state. So, anyone can call themselves a psychologist and provide psychological services, even without professional education. What should a person who decides to turn to a psychologist need to keep in mind? What can you do to get an appointment not with a charlatan, but with a competent specialist? To do this, you need to carefully choose a psychologist. Especially if you are not going to limit yourself to receiving information, but want to really change something in your life and are committed to serious work. Be sure to find out from a psychologist: 1. Which educational institution did the specialist graduate from? A professional psychologist must have an academic (university) education. At least in the amount of one-year retraining courses in the field of psychology.2. In what area of ​​psychology does he practice? The fact is that today in psychology there is no single psychological concept. But there are many areas of psychological schools recognized by the professional community. The main modern directions: analytical, cognitive-behavioral, existential, gestalt approach. There is also eclecticism - the use of methods from different directions. Ask where and for how many years the specialist trained. Typically training programs last from 1 to 4 years. Also ask about work experience. Especially those who call themselves “eclectic”. The fact is that only a very experienced specialist can successfully combine methods from different directions. Don’t be afraid to be interested - a good specialist will not consider your questions inappropriate and will tell you in detail about his training. You should be wary of the answers: “I don’t have a university education, but I have completed a lot of training.” “I graduated from a university and that’s enough.” Of course, such specialists can give you the necessary information, but in most cases they do not know the practice of psychological counseling. And especially “Is it important for you to solve your problem or check me?” and other aggressive or condescending statements addressed to you.3. Ask the psychologist to talk about the direction in which he works. A good psychologist will be able to explain clearly and answer any questions that arise. And your task is to compare this story with your own understanding of life. If strong contradictions arise, perhaps you should look for a psychologist of a different direction.4. Pay attention to your impression of the conversation with the psychologist. Do you like him as a person, do you want to continue communicating with him? It is important that at a minimum it does not cause any unpleasant sensations in you. Intuition can also provide a lot of important information for decision making. Good luck in choosing your psychologist!