Home psychology: a new way of caring for patients

Home psychologists offer a type of therapy that benefits many people.

Today, a new form of psychotherapy is on the rise: it is psychology at home.

Home-based psychology refers to situations in which the psychotherapist travels to the patient's home to carry out sessions that will allow the patient to improve his or her quality of life and well-being.

The idea of psychology at home arises because many times the patient may experience too many problems when coming to the consultation when he/she is in a bad emotional moment, has a disability that makes it impossible to move, suffers a serious crisis or has a limitation in terms of transportation (either because he/she has no vehicle or the public transportation network is not ideal to go to the clinic).

Because of its characteristics and associated advantages, home psychology can be the solution to these obstacles, just as when a doctor makes a home visit to a sick person. It is another alternative to face-to-face therapy, in the same way that online therapy tries to make the service more accessible.. However, with respect to the latter, some patients may consider that it is too impersonal as it is done through a computer, telephone or e-mail.

On the other hand, home psychotherapy allows face-to-face contact with the patient, as it is a form of face-to-face therapy, but with all the comfort of home. Thus, the patient can feel more comfortable and confident because he/she is in a place he/she knows very well.

Why go to psychological therapy

There are still many people who think that to go to a psychologist you have to have a serious disorder, when in fact, people go to psychotherapeutic sessions for the most varied reasons: for relationship problems with a partner, to improve self-knowledge and emotional intelligence or to acquire a series of habits or skills that will improve their adaptation to the environment around them.

In fact, there are still individuals who believe that visiting a psychotherapist is a symptom of weakness, when in fact it is a symptom of weakness.When in fact it is a symptom of courage and a way to become a much stronger person and prepared for whatever may arise in their day to day life.

If you are thinking of going to a psychologist, it is good that you take into account the benefits associated with psychotherapy:

• It helps you feel better.
• It improves your self-confidence.
• It provides you with tools to manage daily conflicts.
• It helps you overcome limiting beliefs.
• It allows you to live in harmony with the people you relate to.
• It helps you find emotional balance.
• The therapeutic relationship is confidential, so you can tell the psychologist what you need.
• It helps you become empowered in the face of life.

If you want to go deeper into these benefits, you can read this article: "The 8 benefits of going to psychological therapy".

Psychologists at home: some considerations

As we have seen, home therapy can be a very good option, because as patients are in their own home they are in their own home and feel more comfortable, so they can easily develop confidence.They can easily develop the trust towards the professional that is necessary to create a good therapeutic environment.

It is also a great alternative in the case of child psychotherapy, since the professionals conducting the intervention can observe parenting skills and styles in their natural environment, i.e., in the family's home. Home-based psychologists can observe the relational dynamics that occur between parents and children. that occur between parents and children as they occur on a day-to-day basis, with fewer filters than in other settings. For example, it can be especially helpful in the case of dealing with a troubled daughter who exhibits disruptive behavior patterns.

However, in these cases it should be ensured that all family members are present and involved in the therapy process, and if necessary, support should be offered to parents in parenting their children. It should also be taken into account that it is necessary to eliminate barriers that adolescents may put up, as they may feel that their space is being violated, since the psychologist is within their own territory.

Advantages

We have already seen that home therapy shares the advantages of face-to-face therapy and distance therapy. But what are these benefits and what makes this type of therapy a good alternative?

In a nutshell, the main benefits of home-based psychology are the following:

• The person's home can provide information that a clinic cannot.

• The patient may feel less vulnerable because he is the one who welcomes the psychologist. He feels that he is on his own turf, where he goes about his life as normal.
• Patients are not seen in the psychology center, so there is greater privacy.
• Greater comfort as the patient does not have to travel.
• Greater confidence as the patient feels at home.
• Lower cost, since the psychologist does not have to pay for a therapy space.
• Possibility of having more family members present.
• Favorable environment to carry out exercises (especially with the younger ones who feel that they are at home).

Psychology at home as a new option

Home psychology sessions are undoubtedly a good way to do therapy, as patients can benefit from them for many reasons as you have seen.

However, However, when they take place at the patient's home, it is necessary to take into account a few questionsIs it safe to conduct therapy sessions at home? Is there minimal privacy needed? Is there a comfortable place to talk? Does the client feel safe at home? Can the client and therapist concentrate on therapy at home?

Therapists should be aware that if a number of factors are not taken care of, it is very easy to lose control in different situations. If these factors are controlled, the sessions can be a success.