First of all, it is clear that psychological counseling and psychiatric outpatient service are two different things. Although some hospitals also have psychological counseling, they are actually more psychiatric clinics. I'm not sure about the standard of psychiatric outpatient service, but if the registration fee is not much different from a few dollars for ordinary registration, I think it must be very direct and quick, although it is extremely unreasonable.
The key principle of psychological counseling is confidentiality. In formal psychological counseling, apart from special types (such as couples or group counseling), strictly speaking, there are only counselors and visitors.
In the case of @ Hu Tianyi, if it is the scene of psychological counseling, the psychological counselor made the most fundamental mistake, and let the parents participate, which violated the principle of confidentiality. When you meet this kind of consultant, turn around and leave. Even if I'm just here for counseling, this information needs to be kept strictly confidential, so I'm hiding here.
Psychological counseling, it is very important to choose the right consultant. In China, it is difficult to screen reliable institutions (as mentioned above, hospitals are not necessarily psychological counseling) in China. Because I met some friends before and I am familiar with the industry, I chose an institution that I think is relatively reliable. When choosing a consultant, look at the price first (the price is really expensive. . ), and then read the introduction on the website, and chose a consultant who looks pleasing to the eye and has a sense of security (this is very important and has a preliminary sense of security and goodwill).
But this is only the first step in choosing, and you have to have real contact to judge whether it is appropriate, so you have to be prepared to change consultants. In fact, I didn't feel good at the first consultation, but I think we can try again several times before we can gradually build mutual trust. This is very important. If you feel that you can't trust it two or three times, change it decisively. Don't think that if you encounter something bad, you will deny psychological counseling itself. Consulting this kind of thing is the interaction between people, looking at fate.
In general, the first negotiation, including the previous consultations, is actually a process of building trust. Counselors will try to calm your emotions, get basic information and deepen your understanding. Generally, he doesn't ask too much, because the sense of security has not been established. When I was consulting, for the first time, the consultant wanted to ask me something very secret, which made me very unhappy. I refused directly. I almost wanted to change consultants at that time.
What the consultant does is to help you understand yourself better, and let you know what your problem is, what you want, what you can do and so on through the interaction and timely confirmation between you and him. Therefore, the real relationship is very important, and both people should be real. If the professional relationship between patients and doctors cannot be transformed into a more natural and authentic relationship, it can be said that it is difficult for psychological counselors to really help you (this is absolutely correct, and some schools, such as psychoanalysis, pay more attention to maintaining the relationship between authority and patients). That's the point. It was after the seventh consultation that I slowly began to become more natural.
In addition to dealing with emergencies (such as psychological problems caused by some extreme situations), psychological counseling is often not a one-off event. To put it bluntly, the counselor will not give you direct advice, but guide you to know yourself a little bit, accept yourself and face the reality positively. This is definitely not an easy and quick thing.
Others, the answer of @ jingjingjingjingjingjingjing s is quite detailed. I won't add anything.
After reading @ Paula Tsui's answer, although he said the effect was very good, I think there are still many questions in the process, so I want to add a few points:
1, the consultation time is generally less than 2 hours, and it is usually 1-2 times a week. Because the time is too long, the attention of consultants and visitors is limited. Moreover, one of the responsibilities of a consultant is to control time. In addition, consultation is a continuous process, and the change of visitors is also a gradual process. What is achieved through consultation and put into practice is the ultimate goal. Maybe step by step according to the weekly rhythm.
The above two points make me feel that this consultant has no good vocational training. If I meet such a consultant, I will retreat decisively. . .