Interview with Susana López: the evolution of Psychology

Psychologist Susana López talks about the changes that have occurred in her field in recent years.

Science is always the opposite of a set of dogmas that should never be questioned; therefore, all the ideas held in it are prone to be revised. And one of the consequences of this is that the different fields of research and work in science are constantly evolving, these transformations being the result of advances in terms of scientific knowledge obtained.

Thus, Psychology, as a science, has also been changing. In this case, we interviewed the psychologist we interviewed psychologist Susana Lopez, to explain how these transformations are seen from her perspective as a professional. as a professional.

Interview with Susana López: the changes in the world of Psychology

Susana López is a psychologist with a practice in Tortosa, Tarragona, where she performs individualized psychotherapy and family therapy. In this interview she talks to us about the transformations that psychology has gone through as a field of research and intervention.

Throughout your professional career, how do you think the way in which society conceives mental health has changed the most?

The truth is that I think there has been an important change. Years ago, mental health was still a taboo subject. Nowadays, however, attendance at psychological therapy is openly discussed. The main reasons for consultation have also changed. Help is sought for disorders that make it difficult to lead a normal life, but also, unlike before, to improve the quality of life through self-awareness, known as personal growth.

As knowledge about the human mind and our behavioral patterns has advanced, what boundaries has psychology crossed in this time? In what ways has it diversified?

I would almost say that there are as many types of therapy as there are therapists. Each professional adds his or her stamp to what he or she has studied and, as experience expands, techniques are added to perfect the results.

In my case, I started with an approach based exclusively on behavior and thought modification, and I have been enriching it with other ways of working that take into account aspects previously neglected and now integrated with Mindfulness techniques.

Approaches that give importance to the bodily experience also enrich the current panorama, linking the physical and psychological dimensions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapies have modified, in my opinion, in an essential way, the way of working in consultation, being able to improve cases that presented resistance to change.

Would you say that the cases in which the problem to be treated has to do with the personal development needs of the person are more complex than those in which the patient has a clearly diagnosed disorder and needs to be treated?

I would say that the complexity and effectiveness of therapy is related to other aspects such as the willingness to change, the establishment of a good therapeutic relationship and, of course, the psychologist's handling of the necessary tools in each case, regardless of the reason for the consultation.

Regarding couples therapy, do you think that the logic that governs it is very different from that used in psychotherapy when you started practicing?

For me, the emphasis has shifted from the couple as a system to taking into account the individual difficulties of the partners and their improvement as a catalyst for change in the relationship.

In what way would you say that today psychology seeks to bring wellbeing to the person as a whole, and not only to solve the type of discomfort for which he/she has come to the consultation?

Along the lines of what I mentioned above, psychology seeks to make the person capable of locating the beliefs that are limiting him/her, anticipating future discomfort. By analyzing the causes of the reason for the consultation, we can structure the therapy and work on aspects that the patient may not have requested to review.

How do you think the world of psychotherapy will continue to evolve?

On the one hand, at the level of techniques, with the expansion of tools that take into account not only the cognitive-behavioral dimension but also the emotional, social, and why not? and also the transcendental or spiritual. As for the incorporation of technology, changes are taking place that make it possible to bring therapy even to those who, for reasons of distance, time or personal difficulty, could not receive it. Online therapy, especially in the times of COVID, re-evolves psychological therapy.