General Principles Related to Psychotherapy
Successful psychotherapy depends on respecting the profession’s laws and moralities. On one hand, it is related to the practice and the psychotherapist respect to his/her profession and the therapeutic rules. On the other hand, it is related to the patient’s duties.
The psychotherapist is subject to strict profession moralities, such as:
1- Respecting the patient:
Psychotherapists should respect the patient’s dignity and freedom. They do not intervene unless the patient provides his/her consent.
Psychotherapists should respect the patient’s values and beliefs.
2- Professional secrecy:
Professional secrecy maintains the patient’s confidentiality, privacy and identity during and outside the sessions.
3- Respecting the psychotherapy framework:
No links should be created between the therapist and the patient outside the therapy sessions.
4- Emphasizing the therapy conditions:
The conditions of the stages of psychotherapy must be clearly set for the patient before committing, and they include:
– Duration and frequency of the sessions
– The fees
– The number of sessions needed
– The presumed duration of the treatment
– The conditions of prolonging or discontinuing therapy
5- Productive cooperation:
The patient’s active and continuous involvement and cooperation in the process of psychotherapy are essential for his/her success. Therefore, the patient should be aware of his/her responsibilities and should get involved in a real holistic process of self-healing.
6- Respecting the therapy conditions:
The patient should commit to the appointments, and if he/she wants to change them, then he/she should inform the therapist 48 hours ahead of time.
7- The patient will not be forced to continue therapy sessions if he/she doesn’t want to. Of course, it is preferable at this stage to listen to the therapist’s point of view that might have a better vision.