Rizaldos: "Empathy is crucial to be a good clinical psychologist".

We share an interesting talk with the psychologist from Madrid.

Miguel Ángel Rizaldos is one of those clinical psychologists whose curriculum cannot be summarized in a few lines. Born in Aranjuez (Madrid) in 1967, he studied at the Faculty of Psychology at the Complutense University of the Spanish capital.

In addition to devoting body and soul to clinical psychology, both in his face-to-face and online practice, Rizaldos finds time to teach in various Masters and courses, as well as being a regular in the media and a passionate runner.

We interviewed Miguel Ángel Rizaldos, a clinical psychologist with more than 25 years of experience.

As if this were not enough, he is also one of the most active and prominent psychologists in social networks, where he contributes "his grain of sand" (as he puts it) to the dissemination of a myriad of topics related to clinical psychology. Today we had the privilege of sharing a chat with him.

What is it that led you to become a psychologist and, specifically, a clinical psychologist?

Phew... Well, it's been 30 years since I decided to study psychology. I recently celebrated with my classmates the 25th anniversary of my degree at the Faculty of Psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid. It seems like yesterday.

There were two reasons that led me to pursue this career: on the one hand, I had older friends who began to study psychology before I did, and on the other hand, I had always been attracted to learning how people's behavior worked.

You are also working to offer training courses on psychology-related topics and have taught Master's classes. Did you see yourself devoting part of your time to teaching when you started your career as a psychologist?

Absolutely not. But there comes a time when you have the need to transmit all your experience. I think it is my obligation as a professional and as a passionate psychologist. There is no better legacy. I am an enthusiast of the therapist's skills, I consider that the profession of psychologist after 25 years has to be transmitted and that unfortunately is not learned at the university.

Clinical psychologists must have and work with scientifically based tools and techniques, but it is also necessary that we have the "art" of making it individual and adapted to each person. This is something that is not explained in books.

The environment in which clinical psychologists must work has changed a lot in a short period of time due, above all, to the emergence of the Internet. Do you think that mental health professionals are making good use of the potential offered by the network of networks? What is your personal experience in this environment?

I think that not everyone is taking advantage of the Internet, although more and more professionals are joining in.

For me, for more than 4 years now, social networks and the Internet have helped me to disseminate general guidelines that can be very useful for many people. I am firmly convinced that it is a duty as a health professional in general and psychology in particular.

With the internet I can have a more continuous and contingent presence in therapy. People are very grateful and feel supported even if the relationship is not (and has never been) face-to-face. It is also important because in this way it is easier for the person to be "empowered", that is, to be autonomous in their own treatment and it is the person who works on their improvement; something that is fundamental in psychology.

First of all, we must clarify that online therapy is not a therapy in itself, but a way to reach people who need therapy. It is about taking advantage of communication and information technologies (ICTs) as tools that can make us professionals more accessible.

As in other aspects of life, not everyone will feel comfortable, or see it as possible. It is normal, there are some cultural barriers that are still difficult to overcome. It will also depend on the case to see if it is the most appropriate or not to opt for online therapy. In psychology, as in health in general, we cannot stay away from technological advances and we must try to integrate them into our daily lives.

On the other hand, it is possible to carry out from therapeutic treatment to the resolution of small clarifying doubts, simple consultations or psychological advice, which otherwise could not take place, since normally people do not consider going to a psychologist's office to have a small doubt solved. In short, it is about being more versatile professionals.

What do you think clinical psychologists bring to society, beyond the services they offer to each of their clients individually?

I am passionate about the dissemination of psychology and I firmly believe in the potential of the Internet as a tool to reach more people and make psychology more accessible. Therefore, I consider it a professional obligation to disseminate content on social networks. I also collaborate as a clinical psychologist in different media, I believe in the advantages and effectiveness of psychology to generate well-being.

Lately there is a lot of talk about Positive PsychologyA branch of psychology that emphasizes the importance of concepts such as personal development and life goals linked to meaning. What do you think about the approach it proposes?

Positive psychology, together with third-generation behavioral therapies, is the most innovative thing that has happened in recent years in the field of psychology. They have been and are a turning point towards a greater development and effectiveness of psychology.

It would be trivializing to consider that even if I have difficulties I feel good, that only by being positive can problems be solved. It is necessary to act. And this implies will, struggle, overcoming, sacrifice? All this, initially, can be a great obstacle for us and cause us rejection because it costs us effort. We tend to economize energy. We desire solutions without work. In life, the distance between wanting and being able is shortened with training, with effort, with constancy. That is to say, not only thinking, but also doing; as our ancients would say: "joining gesture to word".

Do you think people are more skilled at managing their emotions than a few years ago? How do you assess the influence of the crisis on our psychological health?

At present, and thanks to the rise of emotional intelligence, I think we have the strategies to regulate our emotions in a more optimal way. This does not mean that it reaches everyone as it should. Emotional intelligence is an aspect that is increasingly taken into account in the training of our children, although I believe that we are at the beginning of transmitting to the new generations a management of emotions that generates wellbeing and health. Psychologists are obliged to disseminate strategies that have already been scientifically proven to be effective in generating emotional wellbeing, an issue that is closely linked to health.

The crisis has brought to the table the weakness of the welfare state. Not long ago I was with my primary care physician and when I asked about the percentage of her patients who had anxiety or depression problems due to the crisis, she told me that around 80%. The problem is that it is not being adequately treated.

According to the WHO'S OWN PROTOCOLSAccording to the WHO's own protocols, pharmacological treatment is not being combined with psychological care. In Spain, psychological problems are being "pastilled". It is regrettable that there are no clinical psychologists in primary care in our country, as there are in other European countries. And the few psychologists that there are in mental health services are saturated and this leads to very limited care.

From the point of view of a psychologist with a lot of experience behind him, what is the message you would try to convey to young people who want to go into psychology?

The only thing I would remind them is that they are going to work with people, and this means that they will also have to get involved as human beings.

I understand my work as a psychologist from the coherence and passion in this profession. I also consider it crucial to foster empathy with the person I work with, my patient, to build a therapeutic and human environment that helps them achieve their goals. If you are not willing to do that, you'd better do something else. I believe that in this job you cannot be aseptic, and lack of empathy from there is not effective. People are much more than a diagnosis and they need your involvement.