Integrative clinical psychology and psychotherapy

Why consult a psychologist?

It is not necessary to be "at your worst" to consult. Integrative clinical psychology support or psychotherapy can help you, for example, in case of:

• anxiety, stress, or difficulties managing your emotions;
• lasting sadness, loss of drive or burnout;
• relationship, couple or family difficulties;
• bereavement, separation, a traumatic event, or a life change;
• difficulties with attention or organisation, whether or not related to ADHD;
• questions around identity, sexuality or parenthood;
• school, behavioural or developmental difficulties in children and adolescents.

If you do not know who to turn to, the page Finding the right help helps you choose between a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and other professionals.

Assessment: where does treatment begin?

Every course of care begins with an assessment. It serves to understand what brings you in, for how long, what weighs most heavily today, and which resources you can rely on, in order to then offer the most appropriate care.

It is based primarily on interviews. Depending on the situation, the psychologist may add recognised questionnaires or tests to specify the intensity of the difficulties; with your agreement, he or she may also draw on information from your doctor or relatives. For a child or adolescent, parents are generally involved in this step.

At the end of the assessment, the psychologist shares their understanding of the situation with you and proposes a direction: follow-up in integrative clinical psychology, psychotherapy according to one of the approaches below, or other care. When a medical diagnosis or medication treatment is to be considered, they work with a psychiatrist ; when attention, memory or other cognitive functions are in question, a neuropsychological assessment can be offered.

The way in which integrative clinical psychology links this assessment to the choice of methods, what psychologists call case formulation, is presented on the page Integrative clinical psychology.

Therapeutic approaches offered

There are several ways to carry out psychological care. The choice depends on your needs, your preferences, and the opinion of the psychologist or psychotherapist. The five specialities offered at Almaval have their own page:

• Integrative clinical psychology : based on an in-depth assessment, the psychologist combines several recognized approaches and adjusts them to your situation over the course of follow-up;
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (TCC) : structured work on the links between thoughts, emotions and behaviours;
• Systemic therapy : the person is understood within their relationships, in individual, couple, or family sessions;
• Psychodynamic therapy : an exploration of personal history and what plays out again today;
• Person-centred approach (PCA) : empathic listening that draws on your own resources.

Depending on their training, Almaval’s psychotherapists also practise: psycho-organic analysis (POA), brief perinatal psychotherapy, schema therapy, EMDR, hypnosis, reconsolidation therapy, mindfulness, positive psychology, adventure and nature therapy, movement and sports therapy, as well as consultations in sexology and gender identity. The approaches of each psychotherapist are listed on their profile.

This page presents all of our psychological care: assessment, specialties, course of care, and coverage. The specialty itself, with the federal title of clinical psychologist and case formulation, has its own page: Integrative clinical psychology.

How does follow-up care take place?

1. 1
   

   The initial consultation

   You explain what brings you and what you expect. The therapist explains their way of working. It is also the time to see whether the connection feels right: the quality of the relationship matters in any psychological care.

2. 2
   

   The sessions

   The frequency, duration, and content of the sessions depend on the approach and your goals; they are agreed upon with you and can evolve. Sessions generally last between 45 and 60 minutes, often weekly or every two weeks at the beginning.

3. 3
   

   The link with your network

   With your agreement, the therapist works in liaison with your doctor, your psychiatrist, or the other professionals already caring for you.

4. 4
   

   The review

   Progress is reviewed regularly. The duration of treatment varies according to needs: from a few sessions to longer-term care.

Psychologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist: what are the differences?

The psychologist has a university degree in psychology. The psychologist-psychotherapist has completed additional postgraduate training in psychotherapy. The psychiatrist is a medical doctor: they can also make a medical diagnosis and prescribe medication (see Psychiatry"). For an assessment of cognitive functions such as attention or memory, see Neuropsychology. The federal title of clinical psychologist, and what distinguishes it from that of psychotherapist, are explained on the page Integrative clinical psychology.