From the author: Notes from a practicing psychologist. There are a lot of good recommendations on the Internet, but I’ll add my “2 cents.” I write as it is, based on my many years of observations of myself and my colleagues. Psychologists can most often be divided into the following types: Half-educated psychologist (aka hack). Characteristics: – violates the basic rules of practical work of a psychologist (confidentiality, punctuality, etc.). As a rule, you are not very comfortable with him; there is a feeling that they are “hanging noodles on your ears.” He talks a lot, or doesn’t speak at all, and listens little. Asks strange and inappropriate questions. Weaknesses: Lack of academic or practical training, acts insecure, listens little, talks about everything and nothing in particular. Some of them are older, sometimes they pretend to be super cool psychologists, they talk a lot and competently, but there is little sense. Efficacy: zero, in rare cases the placebo effect may work, but it is better to refrain from interaction. Psychologist – young specialist. Characteristics - often young and inexperienced, with a fanatical gleam in his eyes from belonging to the caste of psychologists, he can talk about psychology for hours, not paying attention to the reactions of others. He doesn’t recognize anything other than psychology and considers it a panacea. Ready to help everyone and always. Disadvantages: believes that he can work with any problem, idealizes psychology. Little (or no) work experience, minimal practical training as a specialist, little life experience. Efficiency - oddly enough, sometimes high - due to enthusiasm, but more often average. You can try if the price is not too high, but you need to interact carefully. Some methods are dangerous to practice without careful and lengthy preparation. The psychologist is burnt out. Characteristics – has a gloomy, unkempt appearance, inactive, pessimistic. You look at him and think: “Things aren’t so bad for me.” Sometimes he switches roles with the client, instead of discussing the client’s problems, he talks about his own. Disadvantages – lack of professional training and/or personal qualities do not correspond to the chosen profession. He is in deep professional congestion; as a rule, he works in one place for a long time and has a very narrow specialization. Efficiency is extremely low, work experience is crushed by pessimism and lack of self-realization. Psychologist - harvester (aka psychic, fortune teller, etc.). Signs - he looks like a dropout, violates the basic principles of practical work of a psychologist, talks a lot, often not to the point. As a rule, he does not have good training even in one method. He likes to mix psychology and esotericism, but as a rule he does not understand either one. Disadvantages - knows everything about everything, but superficially. As a rule, he does not know any method perfectly, mixes psychology with esotericism, sometimes invents new methods that are at least ineffective. Efficiency is dangerous! To run away like from fire, if it doesn’t harm you with psychology, it will “help” with esotericism. Professional psychologist. Characteristics - completed academic education (there are exceptions, but extremely rarely), good practical training, usually in several modalities, good varied work experience. Confident, open in work, listens more than speaks. If he promises, he delivers, he is punctual, and follows the ethical code. Disadvantages - sometimes it can seem cynical, services are usually expensive, it is rare in nature. Efficiency is maximum. Cooperation in most cases is fruitful, the set goals are achieved.