From the author: The article was written for a wide range of readers and was published in a short version in the catalog of the publishing house "Knight". Who is a psychologist and why is he needed? It’s no secret that among many people there is still a widespread opinion that people who go to psychologists are crazy people, well, at best, weaklings or whiners. And if suddenly fate brought you to these strange specialists, then you should carefully hide it from others or be ashamed. All these anxieties often come from ignorance of who a psychologist is, how he works, in what cases it is worth contacting him and what can be obtained as a result. Who is a psychologist? A psychologist is a person who has received a professional education in the field of psychology, has a diploma and practical work experience. Psychologists work mainly with healthy people who have various difficulties: in relationships, in their own experiences, in need of support and understanding of the situation (if a person has serious mental disorders, psychologists refer him to a psychiatrist). Each psychologist has his own clients with whom he works and the area in which he specializes, for example, a child psychologist, family psychologist, business consultant, clinical psychologist. There are psychologists who cover a fairly wide audience and a list of problems to be solved, and there are those who work in a narrow direction. In addition, there are several areas of psychology to which this or that psychologist belongs. The difference in approaches indicates a variety of options for solving the same situation. A consulting psychologist will talk and during the discussion advise you on your issue. Explain, clarify the situation and help find a solution to it. The Gestalt therapist will also talk and during the conversation will address your feelings, notice how you build contact and communicate with him, ask about your desires and needs. The art therapist can offer you to draw your problem and discuss it. Creativity is often used in sessions. An NLP master, after listening to you, will offer to perform a certain technique in which, moving step by step, you will modify the situation. A body therapist will help you feel your body and how this or that problem is reflected in it. There will be a lot of bodily practices to become aware of the processes occurring in the body. Often, many practicing psychologists synthesize different approaches in their work. For example, art therapy, fairy tale therapy are very good with children, for problems of psychosomatics (bodily ailments that manifest themselves as a result of holding emotions) body therapy, for communication problems, gestalt therapy, etc. A psychologist is not a wizard, but a living person with his own experiences and difficulties. More often people come and stay in psychology who want to overcome their personal difficulties. A psychologist always has extensive experience behind him not only of a theoretical basis on how to cope with certain problems, but also his own practical experience of going through this path. To obtain, for example, a certificate as a Gestalt therapist, you must complete 240 hours in addition to group work. personal therapy. How to choose? More often people come to psychologists on the recommendation of someone they know or know personally. This is a good option for choosing a specialist if the reviews are good. In addition, when choosing a specialist, it is important to inquire about education and practical work experience. It would also be good to find out whether he works with this issue and in what area of ​​psychology he specializes. And then, when meeting, be guided by personal sympathy and intuition. Since each psychologist has his own weak and strong areas, individuality and his own ways of working. In what cases should you contact? This is a very personal question and there are no mandatory norms and rules when it is necessary and when it is not. Everyone decides for themselves whether it’s time to seek help from a specialist or cope on their own. Of course, a specialist will quickly understand the situation, because we don’t repair our own shoes, build furniture, or treat teeth, but go to someone who knows how to do it..