Lior Schonfeld. Clinical psychologist.

Many times the forces we built are strong enough to deal with the demands of reality. However, sometimes we need help in order to overcome the challenges in our lives. In a rough division it can be said that there are two situations because of which people seek psychological treatment - an acute situation versus a continuous situation. An acute situation is a situation in which the person feels distressed in light of a significant event and needs an immediate and specific response in response to this. Loss and grief, the end of a relationship, finishing a degree and being fired from a job are just some of the examples of different situations that can cause difficulty and the need for professional help. A persistent situation is a situation in which the person feels distress for a long time and often finds it difficult to put his finger on one factor that affects this feeling. For example, a persistent low mood, difficulty in daily functioning over time, difficulty in creating intimate relationships, constant self-criticism or a feeling of lack of fulfillment and self-sufficiency can lead to a feeling of exhaustion and a desire for change. In both of these situations, psychological therapy is one of the solutions that exist in order to improve coping.

One of the issues that come up when deciding whether to start treatment is the length of treatment. It is important to say that the length of the treatment is a derivative of the contents in which you are interested in engaging. Not every psychological treatment is without time limits, and it depends on the needs that arise from you. There are many treatments in which the distress stems from a specific difficulty, which focused and short treatment can achieve a significant improvement in reducing the distress and suffering. Also, many times in treatment we reach a junction where we decide together whether it is right to continue and delve into additional content or to stop the treatment since its goals have been achieved. It is important to say that the depth of the treatment is not necessarily a derivative of its length but of many other factors that affect the nature of the treatment and its quality.

The first thing that you should check with yourself is whether the framework of my life at the present time, personal and financial, can allow me to come regularly and continuously to the meetings and thus exhaust the potential that psychological therapy offers. In addition, it's worth remembering that many times difficult topics and experiences come up in meetings that I haven't dealt with in a long time and the flood of these topics can lead to the feeling that the situation is only getting worse. However, like a wound that hurts when pus is removed from it - many times it is necessary to go through this stage in the treatment in order to feel an improvement in my mental state. Despite all of this, it is important to say that at any stage of our lives where we choose to start treatment, starting treatment and all the more deepening treatment requires leaving the comfort zone, but at the same time it is an intriguing and enriching experience.

The therapeutic process is complex and the ability to help in treatment depends on many factors, one of which is the chosen therapist. When we start treatment, it is important that we feel comfortable with the therapist we have chosen. Of course, the feeling of comfort is relative and develops as time goes by, but it is important to trust ourselves and know if I feel comfortable with the person I am sitting in the room with. Also, it is worth checking with myself whether I feel that the person in front of me can accept different parts of me and my worldview. Professional training is also important. Many times people choose not to go to psychological treatment out of fear of stigma - from the environment ('something is wrong with me') or from the therapist (in the form of a diagnosis of some kind of 'disorder'). Despite this, the point of view of a professional psychologist is essential for adapting an appropriate response and thus improving our mental state. The gender of the therapist is another consideration. Although we all have male and female parts, many times people are determined to be comfortable with a certain gender or think that the ability to deal with their problems will improve if we are treated by a woman or a man specifically.

Many times in cases of crisis it is recommended to combine drug treatment which has been found to be effective and can help reduce symptoms such as obsessive thoughts, low mood or anxieties and fears. Drug treatment in the mental field can be divided into three types: anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs, mood-stabilizing drugs and anti-psychotic drugs. In most cases, the recommended drug treatment is anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs, which is a common treatment today and there are large parts of the population who use it. This treatment is often provided by the family doctor without the need for a meeting with a psychiatrist. In cases that require psychiatric intervention, drug treatment is carried out only after consultation with a psychiatrist who evaluates and adjusts the appropriate treatment for the patient. Many studies show that for a variety of disorders the recommended treatment is a combination of drug treatment together with psychotherapy, which helps to treat not only the symptom but its source and thus can prevent recurrence of the crisis.

The changing reality of the last few years (relocations, Corona, the events of 7/10) caused many women to move their residences to different countries in the world. Beyond the difficulties that every person faces, many and varied difficulties are added to such a transition and the need for treatment can be even greater. However, online treatment is not suitable for everyone. How can I know if it suits me? One angle to examine this question is how I make connections. For all of us, contact and relationships are complex things, but the ability to establish contact in remote care is more challenging for quite a few women. That's why it's worth thinking for a moment and understanding whether I think I can create a close, honest and safe therapeutic relationship when I don't meet the therapist face to face. Another angle is my ability to maintain a frame. In face-to-face treatment, the physical space is present and influential - the arrival at the clinic, the time before and after treatment, etc. In online therapy, it is very important for the internal ability of the applicant to maintain the sting - to find a quiet and comfortable place to talk, to prepare and free up the time before and after the meeting, to create an external and internal space for myself that allows entry in depth. And finally, many times it's just worth trying. It is not certain that we will have the answers to the questions raised here before we talk to the therapist. We will meet several times and figure out together whether this is a sting that can be stable enough for me to go the way I want to go within a therapeutic space.