The lack of therapy places in Germany is met with a continued increase in demand. Many patients therefore make compromises when choosing a therapist. There are clear rules for psychotherapists.
The need for psychotherapy in Germany has been steadily increasing since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic at the latest. While more and more people are looking for a place in therapy, the number of psychotherapists is currently stagnating.
The result: There is a huge gap between demand and supply, which means that those affected sometimes have to wait months for their therapy to start. And then it is not even certain that the therapist directly fits the individual needs of the patient.
Anyone who is affected by depression, anxiety disorders or other mental illnesses needs an appreciative, understanding and constructive level with the therapist. In addition, the chemistry between patient and psychotherapist should be right.
The fine line between caring and abuse of power
Due to the immense lack of therapy space, those affected often make compromises that can have a negative effect on their healing. The thought behind it: Better a bad helping hand than none at all. The interpersonal relationship in psychotherapy is of elementary importance for the success of the therapy.
And yet it still happens far too often that psychotherapists do more harm than help to their clients. Those affected often cannot classify this because they simply lack the knowledge of what a psychotherapist is actually allowed to do – and when the duty of care becomes a clear abuse of power.
There are clear guidelines that every psychotherapist in Germany must adhere to. For example, it is obligatory to transparently inform the person to be treated about the procedure of the respective form of therapy and the expected costs and side effects before the actual therapy begins.
The duties of a psychotherapist
Furthermore, there is a strict ban on abstinence for psychotherapists, which must not be broken under any circumstances. This means that there must be no personal contact between the patient and the treating person. However, if this is the case, it is always the fault of the therapist in the legal system – because those affected by mental illness are always wards in this context.
The duties of a psychotherapist also include granting the patient access to the documents, adhering to confidentiality – unless there is a risk of self-injury or harm to others – and avoiding disturbances during the sessions.
All of these things represent serious violations of the professional regulations of psychological or medical psychotherapists if they are not observed and can be the basis for a public complaint against the person treating them. In this case, those affected can contact the responsible Chamber of Psychotherapists.
Borderline cases in psychotherapy
However, there are also behaviors of psychotherapists that do not necessarily fall within the legal framework, but can still have a negative impact on people with mental illnesses. This happens, for example, when the therapists make their own values and opinions the focus of the therapy. Especially if these deviate significantly from the reality of life of the person concerned.
Instead of feeling welcome and understood, this can quickly trigger the patient to question their own thoughts and feelings. In fact, therapy should focus on the needs of those affected. The only exception: The therapist says openly in the first conversation that they do not believe they can help the patient.
But even if the therapist keeps giving the patient unrealistic hopes, behaves disrespectfully towards his protégé or even influences him religiously or politically, those affected should listen carefully and, if in doubt, look for another contact point for their complaints.
File a complaint against psychotherapists
Even in all of these subjective cases, every patient has the right to lodge a complaint against the treating psychotherapist. This is possible in the following places, among others:
In general, as soon as you do not feel comfortable as a patient and you cannot build a trusting basis with your therapist, you should think about a change. And even if, in case of doubt, the search for a therapy place starts all over again, this step is often worthwhile.
Because even if the next meeting with a new psychotherapist is only a few weeks away, it can perhaps achieve more than any other session with a therapist that you cannot or do not want to confide in.
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Source: Stern
